


Phantom Stardust

by TheWabbajackX



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Humor, Attempt at Humor, Canon Era, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Drama, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Humor, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Romance, Slight Canon Variance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Smut, all variants of protagonist name included for search convenience
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2019-03-12
Packaged: 2019-05-17 00:28:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 60
Words: 459,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14821787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWabbajackX/pseuds/TheWabbajackX
Summary: Akira Kurusu. Ann Takamaki. Two young high school students turned daring Phantom Thieves, stealing the malice from corrupt hearts to protect the innocent. The Joker and the Panther fight onward against darkness, their friendship and camaraderie leading to adventure, danger, and something more secret and intimate only for them to share.





	1. Long Way Down

_A few months ago…_

Night had fallen over the meager small-town street.  The empty sidewalks, vacant cars, and cozy buildings all blanketed in shadow with only a few lights emanating through the darkness.  A touch brisk for a spring night, but the young boy meandering along the lonely path didn’t seem to mind it the temperature or the dark.  All his life he had lived here.  A quiet and unassuming town that had kept to its own.  Emphasis on the quiet.  The young boy sometimes found it maddening how isolated and silent this place was.  Even the distance sound of a barking dog was enough to stir some sense of adventure within him.  Of course, it was always some sort of cat or squirrel that got the local canines barking.  Or their shadows.  Dogs were rather gullible like that. 

It was rare to see activity in such a hamlet of a town, especially during a school night.  Soon, he’d be at home with his parents, who hopefully would do the cooking this time around.  Just once he’d like to arrive back to a home-cooked meal.  One he didn’t have to prepare for a change.  Not that he disliked cooking, far from it.  It was one of the boy’s favorite pastimes.  But his parents were picky eaters.  Not at all the adventurous types that dared to venture outside the comfort zone of their taste buds.  Which perhaps explained why their cooking was often bland.  He would often put so much salt on, his mother lectured him about the dangers of high blood pressure.  At his age, such a thing seemed silly to worry about.  He was a teenager still, after all.  To many others, that would have been fine enough.  But not Akira Kurusu.

School, girls, video games, extracurricular activities, masturbation, stress, and anxiety caused by the various tests, homework, and societal expectations.  Maybe the monotony of a part-time job to spice things up.  The average teenage youth lineup.  But very little seemed to get Akira enraptured.  Video games, movies, and books were all fun.  And swimming was great exercise as well as excellent stress relief.  The cool water lapping at his skin, rushing through his hair.  The shimmering of his skin combined with the toned body he had managed to craft had certainly been a plus to his confidence.  But the pool was currently closed.  And all the dishes he wanted to cook required far too much money for a high school student with no job to reasonably afford.  Such is life, wanting more than what is available. 

Not that Akira really asked for much.  Matter of fact, he asked for relatively little.  Though, maybe some glasses to add some definition to the blurs that made reading the teachers' notes on the chalkboard a chore.  Aside from that, he was somewhat content.  Grades were higher than average, he was physically fit, and his parents were readily available.  Albeit, somewhat distant.  Akira had never been the victim of misfortune, having lived an easy life because of where he lived and his parental upbringing.  Yet, he just craved something more.  Something he couldn’t quite describe.  A sense of adventure, a break from the monotony.  He didn’t mean to sound selfish with his desires.  Just living such a quiet and sheltered upbringing instilled the urge to spread his wings.  A new trail to blaze through life was all he wanted.  Just a taste of something new.  His very own adventure.

“Just get in the car!”

Akira blinked in surprise.  He didn’t expect anyone to be out and about this late in the evening.  He was headed home a touch earlier than usual, but anything other than dead silence in this part of town was different.  It sounded like an older man, and he wasn’t too thrilled if his tone indicated anything.  Probably struggling to get his dog in the car or something.

“Stop it!”

The young boy felt his eyes widen and stomach sink.  That was no dog.  It was a woman.  And she sounded scared.  Very scared.

“How dare you cross me!” the man retorted with great bitterness.  The two seemed to be arguing over something.  Being so quiet out, it was quite easy to pick up.  Though, Akira had a bad feeling about the situation as he walked farther up the street.  It technically was the way home so he had an excuse to be nosy.  He just hoped this was just an argument.

“Stop it!” the woman cried again.  “Let me go!”  Akira felt the breath seize in his chest from her words, clear as day in the silent night.  A man forcibly holding onto a frightened woman.  That rarely turned out to be a good thing.  He came to a stop and glanced over her shoulder back down the way he came.  It wasn’t too late to turn back and take the long way around.  But the creeping heat on his neck and the squirming of his stomach kept cluing him in that something was up.  That combined with his natural cat-like curiosity had the boy pressing forward.  For good or for ill.  “No!”

As he rounded the street corner, he held his forearm up to obscure his eyes from the high beams of a car.  A fancy black model with a chrome grille.  The type of car made for and owned by someone with money.  Big money.  It was parked in front of a small building where the lights swiftly began to shut out, one by one.  No doubt the inhabitants wanted to stay out of whatever situation was brewing outside.  They were either smarter or more selfish than Akira was.  Perhaps both. 

“Don’t give me that shit…”  A man in a business suit had his grip firmly locked around the wrist of a younger woman in a white shirt and black skirt.  He was bald and stumbled all over.  With no sense of balance, it was easy to see the man was drunk.  Drunk and angry.  There couldn’t be a worse combination for a woman in stress.

“Ow!” the woman cried once more as the older man took hold of her shoulder.  “P-please, stop!”  She dragged her high heels as he attempted to lug her towards his vehicle.  The worst-case scenario reared its ugly head in Akira’s mind were she to enter that car.  The man scoffed and stitched gears, wrapping his arm around her waist and tried dragging her over.

“What a waste of time.  You think you’re worth causing me trouble?  Huh?”  Akira clenched his fist as he heard the utter slime and dreck roll of the man’s tongue. 

“I-I’ll call the police!” the woman replied.  She knew it was an empty threat but had hoped his drunken state would be enough to convince him.  But it was a hollow effort, only causing him to laugh in her face and go on another megalomaniacal rant.

“Heh, call them if you want!  Hell, I’ll call them for you.  The police are my bitches.  They’re not gonna take you seriously.”  His patience was swiftly running thin, and he took a fistful of her hair in one hand.  The other grabbed her blouse and forcefully tugged.  A button flew off and caused her shirt to open slightly, tantalizing the older man with a view of her bra.  A sinister chuckle filled the air as he took notice of her cleavage.  His grip became tighter, restricting her arms to behind her back.  Though, his ogling was cut short by the sudden echo of police sirens in the air.  Akira breathed a sigh of relief from his obscured position behind the fencing.  Maybe he wouldn’t have to get involved after all.  “Someone called the cops, huh?  Get in the car!  Incompetent fools like you just need to shut your mouths and follow where I steer this country!”

Not only made of money but a politician as well.  It did explain the ego.  Akira frantically searched for any sign of the police lights.  But from the sound of the sirens, they were still too far away.  And the woman didn’t look like she could put up any more of a fight.

 _Where the hell are they?_ Akira thought to himself.  He hadn’t been noticed yet.  It wasn’t too late to turn back and act like he had witnessed nothing.  But at the expense of that innocent woman?  It wasn’t right.  All his life, his parents, teachers, and television had told him to speak up and say something.  Granted, these lectures and seminars were all about bullies and suspicious adults.  Nothing about attempted rape.  The woman let out another cry as he ended up snaring part of her blouse sleeve.  She looked to be on the verge of tears.

“Hey!”  Akira shouted before sprinting towards the man.  Before he could turn, Akira had placed himself between the woman and the drunk.  His swift movements caused the politician to stagger backward.  He stared at the teenage boy through orange-tinted glasses with half rims.  A small black goatee consisted of the only hair present on his lower face.  The man attempted to speak but stumbled in place, pointing a solitary finger threateningly at Akira.  “Are you okay?”  The woman nodded meekly at him.

“What’re you looking at?  Get outta my face!”

“Piss off, old man!” Akira fired back. 

“This ain’t a show!  Get lost, kid!  I’m not gonna tell you again…”As the older man stepped forward, he lost balance and slipped on his heel.  With a pained groan, he fell face first upon the ground. 

“Oh, shit!”  Akira cried out in surprise.  The woman behind him cupped her mouth in shock as the man rose with blood on his face.  A fine red cut on his forehead that complimented the flushing of his cheeks.

“Damn brat!” he hissed through his teeth, pressing his hand to the gash to stop the bleeding.  “I’ll sue!”

“S-sue?!” Akira retorted in both anger and worry.  “For what?  I didn’t do anything!  You fell over, you drunk dickhead!”

“Leave him alone!” the woman cried, taking a step in front of the boy.  He looked to be nothing more than a teenager to her.  Sixteen, at the very least.  She was the older one between the two.  It should be her protecting him.  “Don’t get him involved!  He doesn’t know what he’s doing.”  Akira furrowed his brow and glanced back and forth between the two.

“Do you two know each other?”

“Shut your mouth, bitch!” the older man said, taking a step towards the woman.  “And you!”  He pointed towards Akira once more, teeth bared.  “Your ass is grass, kid!”

“If you keep this up, then I’ll…”  She chewed feverishly on her lip for some sort of leverage to get him to back down.  But he was near untouchable, especially for someone at her low level.  “I’ll report about the money!  Is that fine with you!?”  Akira darted his head over to her, blinking in surprise.  So there was more to this than just drunken attempts at sexual assault.  Money was involved as well.  Akira slowly began to reconsider what he had just gotten himself involved in.

“All I have to say is that you did it on your own, and it’s all over,” the older man retorted, completely unphased by her bluff.  He was far too irritated by her resistance and the teenager’s interruption to garner any satisfaction from her stumbling for a rebuttal.  His head was pounding from the injury and lack of alcohol in his system, and the police would be here any moment.  He wanted this inconvenience squared away and dealt with as neatly as possible.  “Hey.  Make this statement to the cops.  “This kid suddenly attacked me.”  Got it?  If you even try to say anything else, you know what’ll happen to you, right?”

“No way!” Akira interrupted.  The woman looked beyond distraught at her ultimatum.  Submit to him and sell this young boy out, or risk her neck standing against him.  “You fell on your own!  You can’t do this to me!”

“Shut up!” the older man barked, cupping his head.  “You’re done for.”

“We’ll see about that,” Akira said, glancing over his shoulder at the approaching police vehicle.  Better late than never.  However, the old man seemed nonplussed by their arrival.  Another inconvenience for him to deal with.

 “You’re gonna learn what happens when you cross me…”

“Excuse me, folks.”  Two policemen exited the car, a burlier one taking the lead.  “We received a complaint about an argument here.  Is something the matter-oh!  It’s you, sir.”  The man’s inquisitive and calm tone immediately took on a different direction.  Much more nervous and alert. 

_This doesn’t look good…_

“So, what happened?” the older man asked coyly.  His eyes narrowed at his female companion with great disdain and smugness.  His lips curled into a wary sneer.  “Explain it to the good officer.”  The woman seized up, feeling her throat close in on itself from all their eyes fixated on her.  The man’s, the officers’, and the boy’s.  With the police in his pocket, it was evenly split.  Him and the police versus her and a lone teenager.   It didn't take much to see how this would end.

“That young man suddenly attacked him.  He shoved this gentleman to the ground.  And this man… got injured…”  Akira felt his vision flash over white, the breath leaving his body.  His limbs locked up, skin growing cold, and the world around him went deathly silent.  Like he had been punched right in the gut or shot through the heart.  Now rendered completely delirious and on the verge of nausea. 

“It’s as she says,” the older man said.  More a warning than a statement.  “Also, make sure you deal with this so my name isn’t mentioned at all.  You understand what that means, correct?”

“Y-yes, sir!” the burly officer barked.  Like a dog on a leash.  “Hey, cuff him!”  Akira was far too stunned to process the police dragging him away.  Their firm grip around his wrist as they clamped the tight metal bonds around his wrists.  Each officer put the squeeze on each arm while he was escorted into the vehicle.  The woman watched with great shame at his pale dumbstruck face.  The utter betrayal in his face was too much to bear.  Even from a stranger.  Though, her attention was diluted elsewhere from the feeling of a firm hand upon her shoulder.

“Now get in the car…”  With her betrayal had all the resistance left her, and she resigned herself to her fate.  The man shoved her into the car and slid right in afterward.  While he poured himself another glass of scotch, the woman burst into tears.  Pitiful sobs resonated within the black vehicle as it drove away from the scene of the crime.  “Oh, stop the waterworks already.  You’re lucky my head hurts too much.”

“How could you do that?!” she shouted, balling her fists.  The man merely glowered at her meager attempt at defiance.

“I didn’t do anything.  You made your choice all on your own.”

“You set me up!  You had the police in your pocket and blackmailed me!  This is all your fault!”  As the man downed his glass, he merely huffed.  His breath fogged up the interior of his now emptied drink.

“And you made your choice to side with me over some brat.  You could’ve tried to fight the system and stick up for the kid.  Instead, you looked out for your own self-interests.”  To swiftly end the argument, the man delivered a harsh swat to the side of her face with the back of his palm.  “There are two types of people in this world, and you better learn that fast if you want to become anything more than a secretary.  There are leaders, and there are stepping stones.  And you’d best adjust your attitude before I’m standing on your neck instead of your back, you understand?”  The woman cradled her face in her palms and leaned towards the opposite car window.  Her soft muffled sobs irritated him, but the booze was putting enough of a buzz on to make it more tolerable. 

“He was just a kid…” she breathed.  Barely above a whisper.

“Everyone has to grow up sooner or later.  Some people just need to learn the hard way about how the world works.  And he’s gonna learn harder than anyone…”  The man licked his thumb and ran it along the cut as he eyed his reflection in the glass.  It would heal relatively easy.  If not, he’d pull some strings and double down on the kid’s punishment.  “He’ll learn to never cross me again...”

The boy and the inconvenience he caused became a forgotten memory in the man’s mind.  But Akira himself was not so lucky.  Everything seemed like a complete blur the second the woman had sold him out.  The inside of the jail cell, the argument with his parents, the tears shed in frustration, fear, and pain, the court date.  It was sometimes hard to process it had all occurred in the span of two months.  Some things were hard to recall exactly, and others he remembered vividly.  But one thing had been made abundantly clear for him that night.

Be careful what you wish for.

* * *

_4/9/17 – Saturday_

Akira stood before the entrance to the café Leblanc, sulking to himself.  The past few months had felt like two years with the immense turmoil and distress.  All his life, he had been told to do the right thing.  Don’t be a bully, stick up for people.  See something, say something.  His parents, the school, the law enforcement.  And what did he get for his good deed?

Expulsion.  Kicked out of school, alienated by all his friends, and his attempts at reason with his parents fell upon deaf ears.  He had been positively steamrolled in the courtroom.  The lawyer selected for them had practically handed the case over.  Being his first and only offense, they were at least somewhat lenient on him.  Expulsion and put under the watchful eye of a probation officer.  A man named Sojiro Sakura, apparently.  Some sort of friend of his parents.  That was the extent he was told.

_Pain in the ass…_

Tokyo was way different than his hometown.  Much more alive and colorful.  Had the circumstances for his arrival been different, he might have garnered some joy out of the sights.  But this was no pleasure cruise.  He had been exiled to reside in the city until March.  Next year.  The only actual good out of everything was that his parents finally bought him a pair of glasses.  Now he could read what was on the board when he returned to school.

Out of all things, Akira never thought he’d miss school.  Learning, reading textbooks, writing notes, hanging out with friends, and swimming.  Most of all, the swimming.  He had been positively heartbroken to know that Shujin Academy lacked a swim team.  All the trophies on his shelf back home felt like dead weight.  Things that had once instilled a sense of belonging in the boy.  Now reduced to mere trifles.  But at least it beat juvenile detention.

_What a crock of shit._

He finally mustered the resolve to enter the coffee shop and was greeted by a warm and cozy atmosphere accompanied by the pleasant aroma of foam and coffee beans.  Booths lined the left side of the chop while an eloquently maintained wooden bar stocked with various beans in jars behind it sat to the right.  A television droned on behind the bar, with the station set to the local news.  With his luck, Akira wouldn’t be surprised if the fake story of him assaulting that man was broadcast to the world.  Instead, it reported on some sort of mental shutdown.  Akira had caught a glimpse of earlier coverage on his train ride into Shibuya.  He wasn’t quite sure what it was and quite frankly didn’t care. 

Sitting at the bar was an older looking gentleman with a receding hairline and a beard that curled up at the end.  Beneath his black apron, he sported a pink collared shirt and khakis.  He seemed woefully disinterested in everything going on around him as he read the paper in his hands.  Perhaps this was the Sojiro Sakura he had been placed under the care of.

“Um, excuse me, sir?”  His exploitation might have made him a touch more bitter and jaded, but by no means did he forget his manners.  The older man looked up from his paper, and the already ever-present frown upon his face deepened further.

“Oh.  Right.  They did say that was today.”

 _Good to see I’m not wanted here either_ , Akira thought dryly to himself.  The only two other people present within the shop were an elderly couple, who departed with some kind worse to Sojiro and a hearty payment.  As the elders departed, the man groaned in the privacy of Akira about their presence.  Having remained at the shop for four hours only to purchase a single cup of coffee had put the proprietor in a sore spot.

“So you’re the guy?  Akira Kurusu, right?”

“Yes, sir,” he responded kindly.  “Would you happen to know where Sojiro Sakura is?  I was told to meet him.”  Perhaps he would be more lenient on him if he appeared more naïve.

“You’re looking at him.  You’ll be in my custody over the next year.  I was wondering what kind of unruly kid would show up, but you’re the one, huh?” 

Sojiro had to admit that Akira was not at all what he expected.  For a student with a criminal record, he looked quite studious.  The Shujin uniform fit him quite well.  Black plaid pants with red, a blazer, and a white turtleneck beneath.  And a pair of thick-rimmed glasses upon his face.  If he took care of his shaggy hair, he’d clean up nicely.  Sojiro rambled to himself before leading the youth upstairs.

“This is your room.”  Akira couldn’t mask the shock on his face to find his living space.  It boasted plenty of room but required some cleaning.  Lots of cleaning.  Trash bags, tarp, gas canisters, cardboard boxes, a ladder, a houseplant, and dozens upon dozens of books.  Of course, the ramshackle room wasn’t complete without a fine layer of dust coating it all.  His box of clothes sat in the center of the room, although it could have easily blended in with the rest of the refuse inside.  Nobody had tended to this meager space in years.  He felt like he was a vagrant squatting in some abandoned shed.  “I’ll at least give you sheets for your bed.”  His bed was nestled in the far right corner of the room beneath the windows.  A mattress and a thick orange comforter sheet consisted of his sleeping arrangements.  Very meager arrangements, but they looked comfortable enough.  Akira wouldn’t need much.  Not that he had any bargaining room to ask for more.  “You look like you wanna say something.”

“Oh, it’s just bigger than I thought it would be.  Thank you.  I’ll just need to do a bit of cleaning.”  He deemed it wise to watch his wording, lest he offend Sojiro and make his stay in Tokyo even more of a chore.

“I’ll be leaving after I lock up each day.  You’ll be alone at night, but don’t do anything stupid.  I’ll throw you out if you cause any trouble.”  Akira gulped nervously before tugging at his sweater collar.  The prospect of homelessness had never really occurred to him at his age.  But Sojiro looked like he meant business.  As though his stay in Tokyo wouldn’t make him anxious enough.

“Y-yes, sir.”  At this point, all he wanted to do was sleep.  The trip and the mental anguish he put himself through by constantly reflecting over the past two months had worn him out.  Though there was no way he’d sleep in this mess.  “So how much did they tell you?  About me?”

“I got the gist of your situation,” Sojiro stated.  “You protected some woman from a man forcing himself on her, he got injured, then sued you.  Right?  That’s what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults.  You did injure him, yeah?”

_Unbelievable…_

All the stuff he had been raised to believe in now seemed like a complete lie.  Valuing honesty, trusting the law, sticking up for and defending others.  Now he was being told to keep his mouth shut and look the other way.  It felt utterly demoralizing.  As though his soul were drained.  Sojiro certainly didn’t help by reciting him his entire backstory back to him.  Less for informative purposes but more to listen to himself talk and to rub salt into the wounds of his newfound burden.

“The courts ordered you to transfer and move out here, which your parents also approved.”

 _Yeah, yeah, I get it_ , Akira thought to himself.  _I was there myself.  Can we get to the point already?_

“In other words, they got rid of you for being a pain in the ass.” 

Akira felt all the wind and vigor – what little there was – out of his body.  The mocking smirk plastered on Sojiro’s made the verbal gutting he had received even worse.  This complete stranger had cut him where his pride ached the most.  Granted, he had told himself the same thing constantly when the transfer was announced.  But it hurt even greater coming from the outside.  The coffee shop owner continued on about keeping out of trouble, heading to Shujin tomorrow, and other subjects Akira was only half listening to.  All he wanted was to clean up and be alone for a while.  After making the room somewhat presentable and being grilled by Sojiro some more, he was finally granted such a courtesy.  The bed and the prospect of sleep felt the closest to serendipity he had tasted in months. 

Akira had never been sure of what direction his life would take, but this was certainly not at all how he envisioned it.  Sleeping in the attic of a coffee shop owned by a cynical old man while his parents were miles away outside of Tokyo without him.  He was stuck here for an entire year, with the eyes of the law on him.  One slip up, and it’s straight to a juvenile correctional facility.  All his years of being raised to be respectful and a good attentive student, and this was his just reward. 

The monkey’s paw had curled hard and left only the middle finger at full mast.

* * *

**Author's Note: Finally made my way over to AO3 with this little beauty. Some of you might've read/seen this on fanfiction.net so I'm letting you know it's being slightly rewritten/overhauled on both platforms. AO3 will get the updates first, and I'll eventually overhaul the fanfic.net version to have the same content as this. That one will take a bit longer because of the difference in website fanfic formatting, but it will happen.**

**For first time viewers, I hope you like what you read and look forward to feedback, any and all.**


	2. Big City Girl In a Lonely Little World

_4/10/17 – Sunday_

High above the streets of Tokyo was the land of the penthouses.  The elaborately furnished and expensive rooms accommodating the incredibly wealthy.  For the right price, a corner of the skyline and the cityscape was available twenty-four seven.  Many of them served as a temporary refuge until travel called them elsewhere.  Athletes and celebrities getting cozy between performances while entrepreneurs and politicians entertained guests and had cheap affairs.  Like most things, the penthouses were merely a means to an end.  But to one young girl, hers was the closest to a home she had ever tasted.

A spacious room decorated with maroon carpeting, a queen-sized bed, and various designer posters lining the walls consisted of where she slept.  To the right of the bed was her computer desk with a glorious view of the skyline.  Perfectly framed by the windows as the sun began to set.  Against the opposite wall was a mahogany dresser adorned with various pictures of her parents and another girl, sporting a sweater and black hair done up in a ponytail.  Though, her most prized possession was the walk-in closet lined wall to wall with various outfits.  Every article of clothing from top to bottom had been organized within, by brand, color, article, and whatever other determining factor her fashionista mind could separate.  A habit she had picked up from her parents was a keen eye for aesthetics in the fashion world.  Such a skill was the reason why her parents were as well off and recognized as they were.

It was also the reason why she rarely saw them.

The young girl laid back on her bed, golden waterfalls of blonde to cascade over her pillow.  She eagerly held the phone to her ear and awaited the dial to end and hear her beloved father’s voice.

“Hello, dear!” a man’s voice picked up.  The young girl’s eyes lit up at the sound of his friendly and inviting tone.

“Hi, Daddy!” she said with a beaming smile.  In the background, a woman’s voice could scarcely be heard that her father acknowledged.

“Hi, Ann!” her mother said, the phone having switched from one parent to another.  “Oh, we miss you so!”

“How’s our little girl doing?” her father asked gingerly.  Ann stifled a giggle with her hand.  Despite being sixteen, she couldn’t help but find great joy in her parents fawning over her like a child.  It made home feel less lonely.

“I’m doing fine, Daddy.  You and Mom having a good time out of the country?”  Ann had been following the pageants, fashion, and drag shows they entertained online.  Her parents were artistic visionaries and could create as well as market the latest fashion trends like it were a divine gift.  Ann had somewhat inherited their fine eye for detail.  Not an artist by any means, but she could accessorize and create an appealing outfit from near nothing.  They doted over her and asked the typical questions about her grades, her modeling side-job, how the penthouse and caretakers were faring, and her best friend Shiho.  And in typical fashion, she informed them that everything was fine.  

Everything was fine.

“I can’t wait to see you guys again,” Ann beamed, twirling her blonde locks around a solitary finger.  “It’s the best Christmas gift I could ask for!”  She had anticipated some sort of mutually delighted response, some sort of declaration of joy of returning to Tokyo.  Her mother always had some sort of festive plans for the holidays, such as marathoning all their beloved Christmas specials while her dad prepared both a turkey and a ham for consumption.  With his own hands, nonetheless.  But the delay from their end indicated something was amiss, and the smile on her face began to wane.

“Oh, honey…” her mother began, sounding defeated.  Ann knew what was coming next and felt her chest flutter.  “You know we want to be there more than anything in the world, but your father and I have been put in charge of a winter fashion show to roll out for the December lineup.”  Ann bit her bottom lip and kept her solemn sigh on the quiet side, releasing it through her nose in order not to indicate her disappointment. 

“Believe me, dear,” her father said.  “If we could cancel, we would.  But we’re under contract.  Should’ve read the fine print…”  She heard him mutter irritably to himself as he withdrew from the phone.

“Your father’s been kicking himself about this all day, dear.  He was so upset with himself for letting it slip under his nose.” 

“Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy…” he chided himself.  Ann’s heart had sunk deep into the mattress she was lying on.  She gulped down the heartache and disappointment to keep her brave face.  The last thing she wanted was to upset them by being upset herself.

“It’s okay!” she managed with a bubbly voice.  “I-I understand.  I can’t wait to see your new lineup.”

“You don’t have to lie, dear,” her father stated.  “If you’re upset, I understand.  You have every right to be.”

“No, I’m fine!” Ann repeated.  “Really!”  One thing she knew about her dad was how emotional he got when it came to her.  If he suspected for even a second he had broken his little girl’s heart, he would be positively devastated.  And the blonde wanted no such thing on her conscience.  “I’m glad you’re working your hardest.  You think maybe I could come instead?”

“We’d love to have you, dear, but we’ll be busy the whole time with the show.  But mark my words, we will be home for New Year’s.  Your father has made absolutely sure of it.”  Ann’s blue eyes lit up with excitement.  It seemed she would get what she wanted after all, albeit somewhat modified.

“They tried to get us to extend the show, but I told them “no way!”  My little girl is waiting for us at home.”

“You’ll have us for two weeks, honey.  We’ll cook all your favorite meals, take you shopping, and anything else you can think of.”

“So start making a list!” 

The blonde’ spirits had somewhat lifted as her mind eagerly began buzzing at all the things they can do together.  With renewed vigor, she conversed with her parents and bathed in the warmth of their doting over her.  But all things eventually came to an end as they do, and her parents reluctantly departed to continue with work.  Ann gave the cheeriest goodbye she could muster before being forced to linger in the silence of her own room.  Despite how much she adored their conversations, they always ended the same.  With her forced to endure the loneliness left by their absence.  Ann curled up and rested her weary head on her knees, letting the weight in her chest escape in the form of a long, exasperated sigh.

“Ann, dear.  Are you hungry?”  Her caretaker Baba peaked inside as she gently opened the door.  She was a hefty woman with short hair and a round kindly face.  An old family friend, around since before Ann and even before her mother’s marriage.  From a young age, Ann had affectionately referred to her as Nana. 

“Not really…”  Baba’s smile faded, and the woman took a seat on the bed next to the blonde.  She had helped raise Ann and knew her like the back of her hand.   Her likes, dislikes, quirks, and behavior patterns. 

“Feeling lonely again?”  Ann merely gave a limp nod, which caused Baba to cradle her in her arms.  “Oh, I know.  I miss them too.  But they’ll be home to spend Christmas with us, and we’ll all have a big meal together.”

“They’re not coming.  Not until New Year’s.”  As Ann explained the situation to Baba, the older caretaker merely nodded and squeezed her close.  She had missed them just as much Ann did.  Her mother was like a sister to her.  But she couldn’t imagine what this child felt, not having her parents around for most of the year.  “I miss them a lot, Nana.  I wish they’d take me with them.”

“Now you know they can’t do that, dear,” Baba said.  “It’s not good for a child’s development to be moving around all the time.  You need to be able to remain somewhere that you can gain a consistent education and have some friends.  It may not be perfect, but this is your home.  When you graduate, you can travel with them all you like.”

“I know…” Ann admitted with a sigh.  Her parents had told her the same ordeal, but it hadn’t always been this way.  For many years, they had traveled together without a real permanent home.  Only temporary stays in Finland and other countries.  So many exotic locations and venturing with her parents, but it was no life for a child to lead.  She never had many friendships on account of moving all the time.  Ann needed a home, and so her parents decided to settle her down in Tokyo where she can have a place to truly belong.  There, she could obtain a consistent education and make friends.  She had been told his by Baba and herself many times.  But it didn’t make the isolation any easier.

“Remember what I told you,” Baba said as she left to retrieve a hairbrush.  Ann liked having her long locks tended to, as embarrassing as it was for her to admit.  Her caretaker sat behind her and went to work tending to her hair.  Baba delivered gentle brushstrokes with a steady hand like she had trained herself to do since she was younger than Ann.  “We count our blessings.   Even when we want more, it’s always important to look on the brighter side of things and take our victories when we can.”

Her parents and Baba were very positive people with can-do attitudes.  Part of what made them so effective at what they did.  Ann had admired that positively all her life and did her best to hang onto it.  To be confident in her own abilities, look to the brighter side of things, and not to let others sway her opinion of herself.  All of these were why she was such good friends with Shiho.  Shiho was not as bursting with confidence and energy as Ann but resonated with just as equal positivity.  It was what both of them clung to in trying times.  And times had never been as trying as recently. 

“Think of how lucky we are not to struggle.  Not everyone is as fortunate as we are to live a life without worrying over money.”  Baba often teased her mother about spoiling Ann with so many clothes and expensive gifts, but Ann had always been a grateful person.  Not asking for much save for the occasional sweet, fashion accessory, or video game.  “Appreciate how good a friend you have.  You and Shiho remind me of your mother and I when we were kids.  And Shujin.  Oh, how I would’ve loved to go to an academy as prestigious as Shujin.  Such a fancy campus, and the faculty.  Not every place has an Olympic champion teaching our youth.”  Ann felt her eye twitch with disdain at her nanna’s blissful lack of awareness.

“Yeah… Shujin’s… great…”  Her parents had been very particular about what school they would send their only daughter to.  It had to be somewhere she’d be safe and would learn a lot.  No ordinary school would suffice.  At first, Shujin had not been so bad.  Quite celebrated, impressive design, and it was there she met her best friend Shiho.  Neither Baba or her parents knew just how much things had changed in the past couple months at Shujin.  And there was no way she could tell them.  Nobody would believe, and those that knew kept their heads down.

Including herself.  There was no one to tell.  As much as she wanted to tell her parents or nanna, she couldn’t bear the idea of upsetting them over the news.  Informing them of the exploitation she was suffering there would break their hearts.  Perhaps they would even pull her out of school.  As much as she despised Shujin, not having Shiho in her life would crush her.  She was the only friend she ever had and the only person who treated her with respect.

All she could do now was smile and pretend like everything was fine.

Everything was fine.

* * *

_4/11/17 – Monday_

The clouds drifted over the Tokyo skyline, seeming to follow Ann on her way to school.  A miserable Monday morning, perfectly encapsulating the reluctance she felt for Shujin.  Every day had been the same for a couple months now, with Shiho being the only bright spot.  Everything else was just unwarranted rumors and harassment.  The blonde tried her best not to let it eat away at her, and Shiho never gave them any sort of regard.  But it grew more difficult the longer it went unchecked.

“Yo, Takamaki-san…” a male voice called as she rounded the corner.

Ann rolled her eyes as she wandered down a narrow residential path, in plain sight of two Shujin boys perched on a stoop.  From the lecherous tone she made out, the blonde knew exactly what was awaiting her.  She was used to being singled out, being a foreigner and all.  One-quarter American, blonde hair, blue eyes.  She had fully embraced it, fueling her decision to don red leggings as part of her school uniform.  She was different and didn’t care.  But she wasn’t keen on the unscrupulous attention of thirsty boys and older men.

The Shujin boys leaned casually back on the steps, eyeing her up and down as they smirked.  Thankfully, they were nobody she had class with.  Just another couple of horny kids wanting in her skirt.  One boy was skinny and sported a rather greasy head of shaggy hair.  The other was portly, with finely trimmed and short hair.

“Awful early on our way to school, are we?” the skinny boy asked, feigning innocence.  “Meeting someone?”

“Can’t imagine who,” the portly boy proclaimed coyly, earning an amused chuckle from his companion.  Ann pursed her lips and merely pressed onwards.  She would not give them the satisfaction of a response.

“Why not spend it with the two of us, Takamaki?” the skinny boy continued.  “I’m sure the three of us could have a good time before school.”

“Piss off,” Ann said, turning to them with her hands planted on her hips.  Her initial plan had been too much for her to hold out on in the moment.  The dreary weather and the utter disdain she had for the approaching school day had put her in no mood to deal with their nonsense.  The boys felt differently, rather amused by her display of defiance.

“Ooh, mouthy today, aren’t we?” the skinny boy taunted.  “Well, I got something you can put your mouth to use on…”  With a grin, he reached down and vigorously cupped his crotch through his plaid pants.  His friend cackled amusedly.  Ann released a heavy sigh and rolled her eyes once more.

“Looks like you’re really struggling to find something down there,” she casually denoted.  The skinny boy blinked in surprise, immediately ceasing.  His portly acquaintance held his stomach as he chortled at his friend’s expense.  As he stammered for some sort rebuttal, Ann turned and continued onwards.  She expected this to be the highlight of her day.

“Ah, whatever, you stupid slut!” the boy called back.  He waved his heavier friend along and proceeded the opposite way up the alley.  “What’s with her attitude?”

“Who knows?” the portly boy responded.  “Bitches be crazy like that sometimes.  Maybe Kamoshida hasn’t dicked her in a while, and she’s jonesing.”

“Could be it.  Hey, if he won’t do it, I will.”

“Watch yourself, dude.  You know better than to step on Kamoshida’s turf.”  Ann swiftly pulled her hood over her head and quickened her pace.  The blonde twintails were stuffed inwards, acting as insulation for the rather brisk morning.  Beneath the hood did she allow herself to visibly cringe with disgust at the mention of his name.

Suguru Kamoshida.  The star of Shujin Academy.  Olympic gold medal volleyball winner and retired athlete coaching the school’s team.  Charismatic, loved by all students as well as faculty.  And raging, lying pervert.

No one truly knew Kamoshida like Ann did.  A few months ago, he had narrowed his sights onto her.  His comments were often simple enough, just innocent compliments her appearance.  Made her feel like she fit in more.  Then his tone shifted as it continued, especially when they were alone.  His advances became more flirtatious and insistent.  He even helped himself to playful gropes of her body, occasionally slapping her rear when they were isolated.

The blonde had never been as trusting with the Olympian as the rest of the school was.  The infamous story of what transpired with Ryuji Sakamoto and the track team never sat well with her.  Nor did the rumors spread around to slander him, but she was not a stranger to rumors herself.

Shortly after Kamoshida had targeted her as the object of his affections, rumors began circulating of their relationship among the student body.  Soon, they had spread to disdainfully regarding her apparent open sexuality.  That she and Kamoshida were not only an item but were “physically knowledgeable” of one another.  That she had bedded him and other boys.  None of it was even remotely true.  Ann never had a boyfriend or been with anyone sexually.  But that hadn’t stopped the rumor mill from working its ill-gotten magic.  Boys and girls had taken to speaking behind her back and regarding her with their typical go-to slurs of “slut” and “whore.”  Yet despite the falsity of the rumors and labels, the blatant disregard for her opinion and the open acceptance of the tales without question did hurt. 

As Ann emerged from the isolated path back onto the major open street, she felt a pitter-patter against the fabric of her hood.  She held out her soft hand and watched droplets of water form on her skin.

“Seriously?” she asked softly to herself.  Of all the ways the day could have gotten less enjoyable, rain proved to be the cherry on top.  Not that she disliked rain.  Far from it.  She just disliked being caught _in_ the rain.  As of right now, it wasn’t too heavy.  But she held no desire to trudge through it.  Neither did anyone else, as she bore witness to several Shujin students hurrying along.  Two girls huddled under an umbrella with a boy bringing up the rear, unfortunately lacking an umbrella and forced to use his satchel for cover. 

“This sucks!  I left early today too!  This seriously sucks!”  The two girls bickered to themselves and proceeded along.  Ann was thankful not to have been noticed by either. 

With a sigh, Ann ventured over to the front entrance of a fashion store.  A red awning above the door and windows would serve as adequate coverage from the rain until it died down.  Someone else seemed to have the same idea.  A boy with dark clothes.  The blonde wasn’t paying too much attention to him.  She just mentally prepared herself for the inevitable comments about her sexuality and casually brushed the stray water off her hoodie.  It had thankfully remained dry despite the drizzle.  She loved her hoodie.  It was so snug and comfortable the way it hugged her body.  Though, her hair being bundled beneath the hood was starting to suffocate her just a bit from how toasty it was getting.  The blonde pulled her hood down and allowed the bushy twintails to cascade down the front of her shoulders.

Ann surveyed the rainy street, having been emptied of people wishing to avoid starting their day soaked to the bone.  The serenity caused by the stillness and silence of the street was quite calming.  There Ann stood and watched the rain from her little awning haven.  From here, she was able to appreciate the rain once more.  The calm and peace it seemed to bring her as it descended and kissed the landscape beneath.  At least until she had to go back out in it.  But she was still fairly early and certainly in no rush to journey onward.  What better way to burn some time than stand and watch the world go by?

With some quiet from the peanut gallery and time to herself, Ann reflected on herself and how the day would pan out.  Dull school work, more catcalls, and rumors, Kamoshida coming onto her.  All of it ending with a nice afternoon with Shiho before returning home to start the process over again.  Day after day held the same chain of events.  But if she could power on through, everything would be okay, right?  Remain positive.  That was what her family told her.  Though, she wasn’t sure they had this in mind when raising her to look on the brighter side of things.  Ignorance truly was bliss.

As the girl reflected solemnly to herself over what her life had become, it had fully sunk in just how quiet the boy next to her was.  No sort of snide or lecherous comment about her private life or body.  A rare gift to meet someone who minded their business for once.  From her peripheral, her blue eyes caught him staring.  Another horny teenage boy undressing her with his eyes, no doubt.  Her neck burned at the mere idea of it.  She kept herself composed as she turned to him out of curiosity.  But what she bore witness to had been unexpected. 

He was young, around her age.  A natural raven head of shaggy hair.  Perfectly messy, her sense of aesthetic and fashion dictated.  His silver eyes gleamed around the edges as they locked with her pools of blue.  All offset with a pair of glasses framing his soft bishounen face.  She definitely didn’t recognize him from school despite him wearing the Shujin uniform.  Though, he did seem like the type to blend in naturally with the crowd.  What she wouldn’t give to be in his shoes.

The boy said nothing as they continued watching one another.  Merely staring in silence.  Nothing seemed outwardly malicious or perverse about him.  But she had learned firsthand that appearances can be deceiving.  There could be another Kamoshida beneath the surface just waiting for its opportunity to strike.  Yet a small part of her wanted to desperately hold on to the belief that there was at least one another trustworthy person.  Against her better judgment, she delivered him a soft smile.  She could say she started off the day with some sort of positivity.  Her attention drifted back to the empty streets once more.

This silence under a light rain proved to be a welcome reprieve.  No one calling her a whore or slut for things she didn’t do, no perverted old men trying to hit on or grope her.  She could just sit here and appreciate the quiet, even with a stranger gawking at her.  Were it anyone else, she’d call them out for it.  She was used to being looked up and down at constantly, though it was always accompanied by a camera and a paycheck.  But the boy seemed nice from his silence and the soft look to his sleek silver eyes.  No malice, judgment, contempt, or lecherousness dwelled within those irises.  Mere curiosity.  Everyone else was a different story.  The boys and men – the one in particular that generated all her ire – looked at her with lust and desire.  The girls were condescending and disdainful, even before the false rumors of her sexual appetites came into play.  At least back then, people talked about her because she was foreign.  She could win people over with her tales of visiting foreign countries.  But nobody really felt like talking to the perceived school whore.  Unless they had less than pure intentions for themselves. 

Her thoughts and gaze shifted to the Sedan that rounded the corner.  She recognized its owner without even having to see them.  He had tried time and again to get her to enter his car, but every time she managed to get out of it.  Ann kept her gaze facing forward, acting as though she hadn’t picked up on him yet. Would it have been too much to hope that he would just drive by without stopping, leaving her to talk with this quiet boy?  Maybe she could finally have more than just one friend.  It took all of her energy to hide the disgust and malice from seeing his face as he pulled up in front of them and rolled down the window.

“Good morning…”  Kamoshida.  “You want me to give you a ride to school?  You’re gonna be late.”  He had picked the most opportune time to make his move on her.  Rainy day with little places to go and early before school.  The last thing she wanted was to put up a struggle of resistance in front of strangers.  Kamoshida wouldn’t do anything in public.  Rather, it was what he might do were they alone together that worried her.  The gym coach had never hurt her, but he certainly had an intimidating presence with his athletic build.  And she had never seen him cross with her.  Not yet anyway, and she planned to keep it that way.

“Um, sure, thank you…”  She put on a gingerly tone for Kamoshida and the other boy.  It would arouse no suspicion of her reluctance to the stranger or her impromptu chauffeur.  Kamoshida feigned concern for the boy’s well being while she entered the passenger seat, offering him a ride.  Ann couldn’t help wishing he would say yes to the invitation.  It would force Kamoshida to act civil around her a while longer.  But he didn’t, and she was left with him alone.  The car pulled away and left the boy all by his lonesome in the rain.  Kamoshida sat in silence, driving along while Ann sat safely buckled beside him.  Eyes looking forward and avoiding noticing him even through her peripheral.

“Lucky I caught you when I did,” he finally said, tone still as cordial as when he invited her.  “You oughta be careful who you associate with, Takamaki.  There’ve been some nasty rumors going on about that boy.”  Ann said nothing, merely folding her arms and staring out the window.  His faux sympathy stirred a nasty taste at the back of her throat.  She looked into the rearview mirror to catch one last look at the boy.  It looked so sad seeing him in the rain all alone.  Yet she also envied him.  How she wished she could have his disconnect from her situation.

“I don’t need to be babied, thank you,” Ann said coldly.  Kamoshida merely gazed over at her with concern.  A frown was sported on his muscular face.

“Hey now, don’t be like that,” he mused, feigning hurt.  “I’m just a teacher looking out for his favorite student.” 

“I thought teachers weren’t supposed to have favorites.”  Kamoshida reached out and firmly laid his hand against her thigh.  It took all of Ann’s strength not to flinch in discomfort. 

“I just want you to be safe is all…”  The gym teacher delivered a firm squeeze to her thigh, his fingers digging inward.  She squeaked a reply of gratitude in order to keep him satisfied.  It seemed to work as Kamoshida relaxed his grip.  But his hand still casually rested upon her inner thigh.  She didn’t bother trying to move out of his touch.  Instead resolving to wait until they arrived at school where she can go to class and be away from him for a good while.

Through her peripheral, Ann could make out the smug and triumphant grin plastered on his face.


	3. Joker's Awakening

_4/11/17 – Monday_

Rain. 

“Come on,” Akira irritably muttered to himself.  “You’ve gotta be kidding me…”

It only took one thing to ruin Monday, a day that was already terrible by virtue alone.  Though after being exiled to Tokyo, every day felt like Monday to Akira.  He hadn’t garnered much sleep that night, his mind too riddled with anxiety over his future.  All night had he spent mapping out his routine for the next year.  Outside of a part-time job or two, his sole focus would be on school.  No friends, extracurricular activities.  Just school and nothing else.  If he could power through this storm before him, Akira might just salvage something of his old life.  At least that’s what he told himself.

It would only take one minor slip up to land him on the streets.  An outcome that he had no intention of letting happen but nonetheless filled him with dread.  He wasn’t sure how many people would hire a homeless teenager, especially one with a criminal record.  Sojiro didn’t seem like the type to make empty promises.  Between juvenile hall and the streets, Akira wasn’t sure which unnerved him more.  At least in a detention center, he could be fed.  But at the cost of forever remaining a social pariah.

Akira sighed and tried to put the matter out of his head.  It had been a terrible day not to own an umbrella.  The rain appeared to be subsiding but certainly seemed as though it was taking its time.  As if to taunt the boy.  But he had time, having left a bit earlier than usual in order to learn the route.  Plus, perhaps his punctuality would sway Sojiro’s opinion of him.  Though, the old man seemed dead set already.  The disdain of a distant old café owner shouldn’t have cut so deep to Akira.  All his life, he had wanted to be a people pleaser.  To be liked by others and turned to.  He had natural charisma and had been fairly well liked at his own school.  Just not to people that mattered.  Like his parents.  But what good did any of that matter anymore?  His priority was himself from now on.

 _Just gonna keep my head down, mouth shut, and do my work_ , he thought to himself.  Akira would not make the same mistake again.  This time, if something popped up, he was staying in his lane.  _Maybe Shujin won’t be so bad…_   It didn’t have a swim team, not that they’d have let him on it if there was.  But this was a fresh start.  Perhaps he could feel some semblance of normalcy again.

“This sucks!  I left early today too…” 

Akira’s eyes shifted to two girls trotting swiftly through the rain, both equipped with umbrellas.  There was a boy bringing up the rear who ended up way less fortunate.  His only cover against the precipitation was a satchel hoisted over his head.  Meager protection to say the least.  But in trying times, one must learn to make do.

 _Poor bastard_ , Akira thought to himself with an amused smirk.

 Though the stranger had his sympathies as he stood underneath a red awning, sheltering him from the downpour.  His thin frame trembled slightly from the cold.  Normally, he loved the rain.  To many, it would be melancholic, but he found it therapeutic.  But for the past month and a half, he hadn’t garnered much joy out of anything.  Rain was nice.  Getting caught in it without an umbrella was not so nice.

The teenagers rushing along and leaving him to himself sported the same school uniform he did.  A black blazer with matching red plaid trousers, a white turtleneck underneath.  Shujin Academy.  Not that it mattered if he recognized them or not.  He had no plans on befriending anyone here.  He would be gone in a year, regardless.

The boy sighed and took to browsing his phone for any mundane thing that would take his mind off his shambling excuse for a life.  He narrowed his eye at the unusual app that had returned to his screen.  Black and red with an eye in the middle, a star located in the iris.  Hogging the center as usual.

 _Again?  Thought I got rid of this damn thing_!  _Please tell me it’s not a virus.  I can’t afford to get this shit repaired…_

His parents had given him a meager amount of money to last here.  Sojiro would feed him, but anything else was on him.  He’d need to find a job in his spare time.  Akira deleted the app once again, hoping it wouldn’t return to pollute his phone.  Once upon arrival, and a second last night.  He had no idea what it could be, and he had no plans on finding out.  Though, it did show up upon witnessing that unusual vision in Station Square.

 _Did I dream that?_ he thought to himself.  It certainly didn’t seem like it.  Then again, Akira wasn’t quite sure he could trust his own mind.  Reading too many psychology books had him second-guessing himself.  But he found his attention being devoted to his left at the arrival of a stranger taking shelter beneath the awning next to him.  Another poor soul trying to avoid the rain, no doubt.  A girl.  From her slender form, she looked to be about his age.  Red leggings hugged her body closely, brown leather boots at the bottom and a red and black plaid skirt at the top.  Like him, she also wore a black blazer, but under it did she have a white hoodie, pulled over her head to keep dry.  A fellow Shujin student, it seemed.

The girl gingerly brushed the rain off her hoodie and paid little heed to him.  Not that he minded.  Akira wasn’t in much of a conversational mood.  Not a morning person.  The damp atmosphere and his lack of sleep left him a touch cranky.  But as the girl lowered her hood, Akira felt the breath catch in his throat.

Two bushy twintails descended down to her shoulders like cascades of waterfalls.  The blonde hair looked to be diligently and immaculately cared for on a regular basis.  Clearly, a woman that took immense pride in her appearance.  The twintails framed a delicate face, pale cheeks with skin looking softer than freshly fallen snow.  And the bluest purest eyes he had ever seen.  Shimmering as brightly as the ocean beneath the summer sky.  The blonde sported a few choice accessories, such as a yellow hair clip and a pair of white circular earrings.

_Holy shit…_

He was wide awake now.  Being at the same school with her wouldn’t be so bad.  The girl seemed blissfully unaware of his presence or was deliberately ignoring him as she stared out at the rain.  Surveying it with a calm serenity, the likes of which only he believed he had felt.  He could look at her all day, honestly.  Even at his old school, Akira had never seen a girl like this.  Or felt such an infatuation.  Though, his feelings swiftly turned to anxiousness as she turned to meet him.  He had been caught.

The heat on his neck rose under her gaze.  Now the self-consciousness of his appearance had really taken off.  The look on her face read curiousness, although perhaps it might have been because she was wondering why he was staring at her silently like an idiot.  The boy wanted to say something.  Anything.  Whether a witty one-liner or even just a simple “hello.”  But the awkward silence between the two had his stomach sinking. 

 _Say something, you dickhead!_ he shouted to himself.  But he was completely tongue-tied.

Still, she didn’t seem to mind his silence.  Her face was calm, her pure colorful eyes soothing the anxiety in his chest.  They were hypnotizing, the type of eyes he’d get lost in if he stared at them for too long.  Though, he wasn’t really sure whether that would sound flattering or creepy.  Akira and the girl both continued staring at one another, neither one willing to break the silence.  The girl gave him a warm smile, accompanied by a soft amused giggle.  This sparked a strange reaction in his chest.  A fluttering sensation, followed by the heat on his neck rising even higher.  The chill his slightly dampened clothes provided didn’t seem that bad anymore.

 The girl turned back to observe the falling rain.  It had thankfully lessened in its downpour, but he hadn’t been paying attention.  Instead fixated on her.  Whoever she was.  Akira kept mentally warning himself to stop staring lest he creep her out.  Yet, he couldn’t look away.  After a moment of dumbstruck ogling, he finally made himself stare back towards the street.  It was so strange at how slack-jawed he felt.  Akira had no problem striking up a conversation with other people.  And it would be nice to have at least one person be tolerant of his existence.  It was a new school, after all.  Which meant new opportunities and people to deal with.  Though, none of it would ultimately matter come March.  He would pack up and head back home as though nothing had ever happened.  No sense in him getting attached now.

Akira merely sighed softly to himself and waited for the rain to let up just a touch more.  It seemed fairly adequate to walk through, but his clothes still felt too damp.  One of his biggest pet peeves was wet clothes.  That, or his hair being wet when it didn’t involve a shower or swimming.  Just something about feeling moist against his will made his whole body squirm. 

Before them, a grey Sedan pulled up and rolled the window down.  The driver was an incredibly odd man the likes of which Akira had never seen before.  Atop his head was a mop of wavy hair, complemented by thick black eyebrows.  The blue tracksuit he wore and the fancy car indicated he was both made of money and physically fit.  However, the most striking feature to him was the immense chin that jutted out.  It was huge.  Almost comically large. 

“Good morning.  You want me to give you a ride to school?  You’re gonna be late.”  The man’s eyes were fixated on the blonde just as Akira had been.  The girl calmly accepted his proposal and entered the passenger seat.  Definitely an odd thing to consent to were they strangers.  Clearly, they both had to know one another.  As to how specifically, Akira was quite uncertain of.  The man was significantly older than the both of them.  Couldn’t be her parent, Akira deduced.  If that were the case, why not take her to school directly?  Perhaps some sort of other family member?  Brother, cousin, uncle?

“Do you need a lift too?”  Akira blinked and snapped back to reality.  He had been so lost in his own world, he had forgotten where he was.  The man was now focused on him, a kind smile on his face.  He certainly seemed to be a nice older gentleman.  But something seemed off about the situation.  Perhaps it was just paranoia, but Akira felt his hairs standing on the back of his neck.  It only seemed to increase as he saw the girl’s crestfallen expression as she sat beside him.  She clearly didn’t want to be there either.  His stranger danger sense sank in further in further.  But what exactly could he do?

_Cause any problems, and you’ll be sent straight to juvie._

 Sojiro’s words straightened him up real fast in his moment of indecisiveness.  It was not minding his business that ultimately got him in this situation to begin with.  The last thing he wanted was to dig himself deeper with his parents.

“Nah,” Akira said, smiling with a wave.  “No thank you, sir.”  Whatever problems the girl was facing were hers to deal with.  It wasn’t his responsibility to be the good Samaritan.  He learned that the hard way.  As the both of them rolled up the windows and drove away, Akira stood in the silence of the rain all by his lonesome yet again.  His gut still squirmed at the bad vibes he felt from the two of them.  But it was too late to deal with it now.  “One less problem for me to deal with.”

“Dammit!”  From behind him did a teenage boy his age skid to a halt where the girl had been.  He was blond like her, but his was significantly more prominent.  Not a natural blond but dyed.  He had the same uniform Akira sported but with the front opened.  A satchel was slung over his shoulder like Akira’s was.  “Screw that pervy teacher!”

“Pervy… teacher?” Akira muttered to himself.

* * *

 

“Hmph.  Where’d your energy from earlier go?”

 It was supposed to have been an ordinary Monday morning at school.  Head to class, do work, eat lunch, go home.  The standard procedure.  Akira could never have imagined it would lead to this.  Trapped in some weird nightmare world, castle armed with faceless knights where the school was to be.  The blond kid from earlier – named Ryuji Sakamoto – had gotten the both of them somehow trapped within.  And now he was laid out on his stomach, battered and bruised by the pervy teacher from before.

Kamoshida.  The two of them seemed to share a sordid past.  He was much different from the person Akira had met earlier.  Sadistic and wicked.  And he had both of them at their mercy. 

“A peasant like you isn’t worth beating.” 

Akira seethed with anger as Ryuji was callously tossed against the brick wall like trash.  Kamoshida spat at him, and the blond could only shake on the ground.  It was all happening again.  The people in power and influence pushing around the weak like nothing.  Though, this time there was nothing Akira could do.  The knights had Ryuji and Kamoshida surrounded.  Offering no quarter for him to get over to defend the blond.  Even if he could, their swords would make quick work of him. 

Kamoshida grinned smugly down at the young kid who stepped out of line so long ago.  It was always fun for him to tear upstarts down a peg or two, even after they hit rock bottom.  But he was a busy man.

“Lucky for you, I’m feeling generous today.  I’ll have you killed right now.  To make it quick for both of us…”

“Hold it!”  Slowly did the man in his elaborate garnishings turn to see Akira staring intensely at him from behind his guards.  For a moment, he had forgotten the kid was even here.  “Let him go!  I don’t know who you think you are or what your beef is with him, but pick on someone who can fight back!”  Kamoshida huffed with amusement through his nose, quirking an eyebrow curiously before turning to face the upstart.  As the two locked eyes, Ryuji swore the room might spontaneously combust from the sparks that flew through the air.  Even from on the ground could he see the intensity Akira sported.  Kamoshida taunted and jabbed at him, but Akira remained steadfast in his resolve.  No way was he backing down without a fight.  Old habits really did die hard.

And that was when Kamoshida saw it.  That familiar flicker in the back of Akira’s eyes.  The spark of rebellion he had seen all too well.  And that he had readily snuffed out time and again.  Only this one was different.  Much more intense, raging.  Tempered and experienced.  A flame that didn’t go out so easily.  It challenged him in how it didn’t flicker, how it defied his influence.  All were to submit before his will, no matter who it was or what it took.

“That look in your eyes irritates me!”  Kamoshida planted his foot deep into Akira’s chest and sent him toppling into the wall behind him.  His strength was unlike anything Akira had ever felt before.  All the wind had been knocked from within in a single stroke.  “Hold him there.  After the peasant, it’s _his_ turn to die…”  As Akira scrambled to his feet, the knights lifted him by his shoulders and shoved him into the wall.  Their steel gauntlets dwarfed him in size.  They could crush his head like a grapefruit if they so wished.  While he struggled in their grip to defend the blond who had been reduced to plead for some semblance of mercy in exchange for his life, things grew direr for Akira than they had ever been.  He’d rather return to jail than be subjected to all this.

There was no way he could match up to Kamoshida.  Not conventionally at any rate.

_This is truly an unjust game.  Your chances of winning are almost none.  But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you._

A voice.  Small and feminine.  And… a butterfly?  Wafting past his face before fading into the darkness.  His head surged with pain from hitting the brick wall.  Hearing voices and witnessing visions.  It had to be a concussion of sorts.  But the glow of the butterfly.  Its blue aura of how it penetrated the darkness of the cell.  It felt so real.

_What’s the matter?  Are you simply going to watch?  Are you forsaking him to save yourself?_

Another voice.  Spectral and otherworldly, like the last one.  Only male and regal.  It echoed from inside his head.  Almost from his soul, it seemed like.  And the throbbing of his head grew worse.  Spreading all over his skull and down to his chest.  A fierce pain the likes of which he had never before felt.  Even Kamoshida’s kick paled in comparison.

_Death awaits him if you do nothing.  Was your previous decision a mistake then?_

Betrayed and turn away by everyone for lies and deceit.  Taken advantage of by a corrupt system pocketed by rich liars.  The woman he tried to protect even sold him in the end.  There was no one to turn to.  No one to trust.  And yet…

“ _No…_ ”

He was no quitter.  Not one to give up or turn his back on what he was supposed to do.  Maybe it was tenacity or stubbornness or just plain foolishness.  Either way, it was far too late for regrets.  And it was never too late to stand for what’s right, even if he was alone.

_Very well.  I have heeded your resolve…_

Ryuji winced with pain as one of the three knights held him by the very throat, sword reared back and ready to slice him in twain.  The window for both of them was shrinking for miles with each second.

“If you got a plan – whoever you are – then make it goddamn quick-ack!”  The pain that had seemed to subside for a moment surged back in full force, spreading all the way down to his feet.  His body screamed in pain while sweat rolled off him like a rogue wave.  Then everything went white.  Akira felt his heart stop, groans of pain and frustration fade to silence.  For a brief second, he feared the worst and that one of the guards had stabbed him right through the chest.  But he remained unharmed, merely held against the wall in their iron grip. 

_Vow to me.  I am thou, thou art I.  Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice!_

Tears of pain streamed down his face as the boy twisted and writhed underneath the guards’ grip.  It felt like something was trying to rip straight through his chest.  Was he dying?  Was this part of the voice’s plan?  He was in too much pain to make sense out of anything at the moment.

_Call upon my name, and release thy rage!  Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!_

“Execute him!”

“Not so fast!”  The newfound strength that raged through Akira caught the guards by surprise.  He had managed to escape their grasp for a split second before being apprehended once more.  It took the both of them with all their might to keep him pinned.  Whatever this voice had done, it had made him somewhat strong.  And angrier.  “If you wanna come at somebody, come at me!  Hit me!  I dare you…”

“What was that…?”  Kamoshida locked his jaw in anger at the open defiance towards him.  Even Ryuji had known when to back off in the past.  Even the guard behind him dropped Ryuji to the floor.  The flamboyantly dressed lord of the castle cracked his knuckles and slowly encroached upon the boy.  “You desire to be killed that much?  Fine!”  With a nod from Kamoshida, one of the guards slammed its shield into Akira’s face.  His glasses clattered onto the brick floor and slid out of reach.  Ryuji reached out to scoop them up but reeled his hand back in surprise at what happened before him.  The glasses faded away before his very eyes.  Evaporating like smoke.  The guard designated to execute him was now holding his sword to Akira’s throat.  With brush-like precision, the knight reared his hand back and prepared to cleave Akira in two.

But the strike never came.  Instead, the guards and Kamoshida were buffeted to the ground from a strong gale.  One that came from Akira directly.  As Akira rose from the death grip the knights had upon him, his head felt heavy.  Physically as though somewhere were wearing him down.  Fastened to his face where his glasses once resided was none other than a mask.  Angular like the eyes of an owl, black and white.  It was on there solid.  No strings, frames, or harnesses keeping it on.  Like it was glued to his face.  As he tugged and tugged, the pain grew fiercer.  His skin grew warm as a liquid trickled down.  Hot and smelled of iron.  Blood.  He was bleeding.  The mask was ripping his skin!  Horrified, he couldn’t stop himself from tugging further.  More and more blood rushing until the mask came clean off.

A horrifying scream echoed through the chamber, and all the pain that had hit him seemed to fade away.  Unleashed from him like the gust of wind earlier. 

In that instance, the anger, doubt, and fear that plagued Akira during his captivity were replaced with smugness.  A raw sense of vengeance and a desire to bring Kamoshida to heel.  He stared out at the bewildered teacher with glowing yellow eyes similar to his own.

And in that moment, Kamoshida tasted fear for the first time in all his life.

A ghostly cackle emanated as Akira’s form was consumed by blue fire.  Warm, but it didn’t hurt.  Rather, it only furthered the rush he felt from within.  Through the flames did a harlequin face appear, red and burning wickedly.  The same face Akira had seen before.  Back when he had first arrived.

It wasn’t a vision caused by stress or hallucinations.  It had been inside him all along.  As had the mysterious individual accompanying him now.

Behind Akira floated a winged and wicked being sporting a top hat, a cravat, and red boots with a steel blade serving as the heel.  Chains locked around his wrists, propping him up like a marionette.  For him to use to fell these guards.  As Akira swung his arms, the hot chains sliced through the knights’ armor like butter.  Dashing them to ribbons and sending their shriveling forms upon the ground.  The being behind him flapped its wings, scattering their ashes to the far corners.  His gusts of wind felt as though the very walls would collapse around them.

Arsene.

* * *

As Akira followed Ms. Kawakami to his class, he kept reflecting over all the events in his head from earlier.  It felt like a dream or another life.  So much had happened in the morning that could’ve filled up a day.

With his power, he had been able to defeat the shadowy armored minions that held them hostage and escape.  The sheer rush of euphoria that Akira felt as he struck the knights down.  Seeing the fear and regret for his transgressions in Kamoshida’s eyes.  It was like all the angst and disillusionment he felt with society in the aftermath of his expulsion had exploded out of him.  Channeled into raw righteous fury.  He could hardly describe it.  It felt so strong, he could almost taste it on his tongue.

Even stranger still was the cat, Morgana.  Or at least he resembled a cat.  Like the both of them, he too had been a prisoner until Akira obtained their freedom.  And he seemed to hold lots of knowledge on whatever Arsene was.  A Persona, Akira remembered.  Even had one himself, named Zorro.  He had so many questions to ask.  But Morgana had swiftly escorted him and Ryuji back to their world.  No one save the both of them were any the wiser to the castle or the demonic entities within.  Not even Kamoshida, who seemed to have no recollection of their duel within the castle.

None of that mattered now.  Akira had finally arrived at school.  Four hours late.  Ms. Kawamaki was even less enthused about the turn of events as he was.  Her disdain and exasperation were more than palpable for the young boy, who flushed with embarrassment at her disapproval.  The one day he had to make a good first impression now up in smoke.  A lecture and a warning to give Ryuji a wide berth.  Apparently nothing but trouble according to the teacher.  The counselor had carted him off for a lecture of his own.  Akira hoped he wouldn’t be too hard on Ryuji.  After the beating he had taken in that castle, he deserved a reprieve.

“I can understand being late with the train incident and all,” Ms. Kawakami stated as she made the long walk of shame with him to her classroom. 

“I was lost.  Really lost…”

“For four hours?”  Akira suppressed the mortified wince on his face from the pain he was undergoing.  “And how exactly did Sakamoto-kun get wrapped up in this?”

“He just sort of… came up to me.”  It technically wasn’t a lie.  Ryuji had indeed approached him after failing to chase down Kamoshida.  And they both had in fact been lost.  It just wasn’t the whole truth.  Akira hated lying.  He had never told a single lie in all his life.  A fact he was quite proud of.  Though, how exactly would he tell Kawakami that the both he and Ryuji had managed to find a hidden castle with demonic minions and a magic talking cat?  Ryuji had demonstrated the lack of success in such an endeavor on the school counselor.  At least he could garner some degree of satisfaction with his half-truth.

“Well, at any rate, here’s my class.”  Room 2-D.  After what he had endured, Akira was looking forward to some schoolwork.  The mundaneness of writing papers and reading textbooks would be therapeutic.  “By the way, when you introduce yourself, be serious about it even if you’re lying to the class.  Okay?  Do NOT say anything unnecessary.  I don’t need some sort of joker or comedian in my class.”  Akira merely nodded and followed her inside.  The teacher ventured towards the podium while her new student stood before the class expectantly.  All eyes fixated upon him as the other kids muttered to themselves, and Akira could feel the heat rising on his neck.

“Settle down, everyone,” Kawakami stated.  The whispers dissipated at her command.  “I’d like to introduce a transfer student: Akira Kurusu.  Today, we… had him attend from the afternoon on since he wasn’t feeling well.”  Akira felt his eye twitch at her clumsy attempt at a lie.  Not a good way to start him off in class.  “All right, Akira.  Please say something to the class.”  The young teenager cleared his throat and scanned the crowd before him.

“Nice to meet you all,” he said earnestly.  “I hope to have a nice and quiet school year with you.”  First impressions are of the utmost importance.  Kawakami already held disdain for him, but perhaps the student body would be more lenient.  His teacher had a clipboard in hand and was writing something down.  She pointed to the far side of the room by the windows to an empty seat.  The only seat available.  Close to take note of the front but far back enough not to in the direct line of sight.  He couldn’t have asked for a better-positioned spot.  But best of all was who sat in front of him.  The blonde hair, blue eyes, and hoodie.  There was no mistaking it.  By a stroke of luck, he had class with the girl from before. 

 _Holy shit!_ he thought to himself excitedly.

“Sorry, but can the people nearby please share your textbooks with him for today?” Kawakami asked.  Akira ventured over to his seat to truly begin his school day.  Maybe even get the chance to talk with whoever she was.

“…Lies,” she muttered as he walked past her.  Akira stopped, rather perplexed at such an odd statement.  For a brief second, he caught her watching him before glancing towards the window.  Head rested on her hand with a look of disdain, it seemed.  Akira merely took his seat and began taking notes as Kawakami scribbled on the chalkboard.  He wrote but wasn’t truly paying attention to what the words meant.  Far too focused on the girl.  What did she mean? 

“Did you catch that?  Do those two know each other?”  Soft whispers to his right.  Akira managed to make out a female’s voice, kept as quiet as possible to avoid detection by Kawakami.  Though he suspected they were more concerned about he and the girl listening in than the teacher.  Akira said nothing and continued to feign such ignorance while eyeing them through his peripheral.  “Ooh, does that mean he hit on her before transferring here?”

“That means she’s cheating on him with Mr. Kamoshida,” another girl’s voice replied.  Akira nearly snapped his pencil in half from sheer surprise.  “Then again, this is Takamaki-san we’re talking about…”

_So her name is Takamaki-san…_

Dating Kamoshida.  Such a statement made his stomach sick.  He was old enough to be her father.  Did anyone know about them?  There was no way that would be tolerated if it were true.

“For real.  That side of the room is totally awful.”  Seems whoever this Takamaki was, she was not wholly approved of.  Akira swiftly found out he was not either as the focus shifted to him.

“Being super late on his first day?” a male student whispered.  From the front of the room this time.  Even with the distance, Akira’s keen ears picked up on their conversation.  “He really is insane…”  Takamaki wasn’t the only one to see through the lie Kawakami had concocted after all.

“He looks normal though,” a female voice replied.  From the top corner of his eye did Akira catch her staring over her shoulder at him.  He kept his focus on watching the board to copy the contents.  The room buzzed with soft whispers as the rumor mill flowed.

“But he might slug us if we look him in the eye…”

“He seems quiet, but I bet when he loses it…”

“I mean, he was arrested for assault, right?”

Akira felt his eye twitch involuntarily as he wrote his notes, suppressing an annoyed sneer.  He had no desire to let them know he was onto them.  It would make less of a headache for him in the long run if he feigned ignorance.  Trouble might come if he chewed a couple heads off for their talking.  Of all the ways he expected his luck to get worse, he hadn’t anticipated the incident following him here to Shujin.

Somehow, someone knew about his arrest and spread it to the student body.  As Akira speculated on the how and why, he completely tuned out the others in his class.  It would’ve been too great a stretch that someone from his old school transferred to Shujin at the same time.  No, the only logical conclusion was that someone had leaked it.  For no other purpose than to start trouble for him.  Had to have been a teacher, as no student could feasibly have access to those records.  He fumed silently to himself at such unethical mistreatment.  Even worse was his inability to do anything in the slightest about it.  No one would believe him, and Principal Kobayakawa had it in for him from the get-go.  Even Ms. Kawakami – the most pleasant of the bunch – was rooting against him.

“Ah, jeez…” he sighed softly to himself, beneath his breath.  From the corner of his eye, Akira took notice of a boy staring at him from over his shoulder.  Frail, no uniform blazer, and black short hair with a tinge of blue.  He brushed hair out of his eyes and glimpsed the onlooker swiftly turn back towards the front.  Not that it mattered.  The plan was still the same as it ever was.  Keep his head down and do his work.  He’d be home in a year regardless of what others thought of him or whatever that castle was. 

As he continued to take notes from the board, he found it increasingly difficult to focus.  His thoughts continued to wander back to the palace.  To everything he had witnessed.  To the power that coursed within.  To Arsene.  When standing with him against those doppelgangerous creatures, Akira felt he could take on the entire world.  What he wouldn’t give to find that drunk from before and put him in his place with this power.  It was strange.  So strange.  Arsene felt so familiar to him.  Like another part of him that had been locked away. 

“Arsene?” Akira whispered, as softly as he could.  Barely a breath was his query.  Whatever a Persona was, it seemed to have some degree of intelligence.  It spoke to him, with him.  Where did it come from?  How had it known so much about what he felt, what he had been through?  Had it always been there?  Perhaps Morgana held the answers he sought.  Or Igor in the Velvet Room.  “Can you hear me?”  Only silence met his ears.  His efforts to question the Persona within were halted as the bell rang.  Time to head home and face Sojiro again.

Akira sighed and organized his things while watching the other students go by.  Some had flocked to one side of the room to gossip, particularly about him.  Takamaki left without saying a word to anyone.  Part of him wanted to catch up to her and ask what she meant earlier.  But the last thing he wanted was to look like he was harassing her, especially if the rumor about Kamoshida was true.  Ultimately, the teenage boy sighed and resolved to head straight home.  Maybe check up on Ryuji if he spotted him in the hall.  Warning or not by Kawakami, he still had been through the ringer.

“Hey there, Takamaki.”  Akira pulled back towards the classroom door and hugged the wall.  The blonde girl had been caught by none other than Kamoshida on the stairs.  He was sporting a rather eager grin on his face.  Keeping up his friendly façade for the students.  None of them aware of what Akira and Ryuji had truly seen.  “You looking for a ride home?  Things have been pretty dangerous lately with all those accidents.”  Akira felt his eye twitch at the thought of her alone with him.  That older man with a girl his age.  It made his stomach churn uneasily.  He prayed that she would decline the offer.

“Sorry,” Takamaki apologized sheepishly, twirling a twintail around her finger.  “I have a photoshoot today.  It’s for the special summer issue, so I can’t afford to miss it…”

_Thank goodness…_

“Hey, now…” he said with genuine-sounding concern in his voice.  “Being a model’s fine and dandy, but don’t work your pretty little self to the bone.”  Akira was not swayed by Kamoshida’s words despite the sheer charisma that dripped from his voice.  It was hard not to be swept up by his charm.  “You mentioned you weren’t feeling well, right?  Something about appendicitis?” 

A model for a magazine.  Akira took note to investigate the magazine racks in the coming week.  Summer issue meant bikinis, after all.  Kamoshida, however, seemed less enthused.  He placed his firm hands upon his hips and gave the blonde a worried look.

“Yes, I keep planning to go to the hospital, but I’ve been too busy…” Takamaki replied.  “Sorry to worry you.”  Kamoshida merely nodded before gently placing a hand upon her shoulder. 

“You must be lonely too.  I feel bad for keeping your best friend at practice so often.  That’s why I asked you out in the first place.”  Akira winced in complete disgust.  This grown man was unabashed and unreserved in his interest in her.  It felt so wrong.  Beyond wrong.  “Oh, and be careful around that transfer student.  He’s got a criminal record, after all.  If something were to happen to you…”

“Don’t worry yourself,” Takamaki said, withdrawing from his touch.  Akira noticed her cradling her arms, as though she was cold.  “I’ll be fine.  I actually have class with him, and he’s pretty quiet.  Hasn’t given me trouble.”

“Well, appearances can be deceiving,” Kamoshida replied, causing Akira to curl his lip up in contempt at the utter lack of self-awareness.  “Would you feel safer if you transferred classes?  I could help you.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Takamaki said as she adjusted her grip on her school satchel.  “Thank you, though.  Please excuse me…”  The blonde hurried away as nonchalantly as she could and left the gym teacher to his own devices.  Kamoshida merely shook his head and scoffed.  The rejection displeased him.  Akira sighed with relief as the Takamaki girl put distance between the gym teacher.  He kept his gaze focused downward and shuffled on past Kamoshida.  The sudden hand placed upon his shoulder instilled a great dread within.

“Well, now,” he said, putting on a calm expression.  Akira did his best to maintain eye contact with him.  But he couldn’t help but feel that his eyes would start glowing any second.  “I trust you were behaving yourself in class today, young man.”

“Yes, sir,” Akira said with a nod, as politely as he could.  Which was very polite.  He had always been doted on by his parents and teachers of how well-behaved and mature he was for his age.  Another legacy tarnished and another blow to his pride caused by his expulsion.

“Good,” Kamoshida said, satisfied.  “Keep up that attitude, and you can make your time here at Shujin a pleasant one.  And behave yourself in Ms. Kawakami’s class, young man.  I have prized students in there.”  As the teacher withdrew, Kamoshida clutched his ribs.  Rubbing them beneath his pec as though nursing an injury.

“You okay, sir?” Akira inquired.  Kamoshida merely nodded.

“Fine.  Just suddenly felt a pain in my ribs during break earlier today.”  Akira felt himself seize up at his words.  The place he was clutching was exactly where Ryuji had hit him in the castle.  Knocking him to the floor and allowing them to escape.  Yet, he didn’t remember either of them from inside.  “Probably just working myself too hard.  Now, you head home and behave yourself, young man.  Or we’ll fix you real quick.  And mind Sakamoto-kun.  He’s troublesome…”  Akira merely nodded and watched the gym teacher depart down the stairs.  His threat was not one to take lightly, even with his gentle tone.  Akira shuddered at the situation.  Despite his predicament, he worried more for Takamaki than himself.  Kamoshida’s intimate attempts stirred great discomfort within the boy.  He wanted to go question her about him.  To get the whole story.

But it wasn’t his place.  Wasn’t his fight nor his business.  He learned the hard way of what happened when he refused to mind his business.  No one would listen to him, regardless.  He was the troublesome transfer student.  The peanut gallery had a heyday with his criminal status.  Alcohol, smoking, theft, violence.  Apparently, he had been quite busy.  It was all news to him.  As Akira stared down the hall, his mind was made up.  Takamaki would shoulder this burden herself. 

For a split second, his vision clouded, and the school hallway shifted to what resembled a castle corridor.  Even with his glasses, he felt his eyes straining to form a clear image of it all.  Ms. Kawakami emerged from her classroom and checked up on him.  The rumors circulating, his apparent painful expression caused by his aching eyes.  When he looked away from her, the corridor was gone.  Lockers and classrooms returned as normal.  The teacher lectured him on being on time and avoiding Ryuji, but he was only half listening.  His thoughts kept returning back to that castle.  To Arsene and whatever he had borne witness to.

It didn’t seem like his business with it was concluded just yet.


	4. Friends In Low Places

_4/12/17 – Tuesday_

“WHAT!?” Ryuji exclaimed in great offense.  The cozy little ramen shop he had led he and Akira to was not terribly crowded, allowing both boys to relax after a long day at school and an even longer day within the Metaverse.

“Yyyyyyep,” Akira said with a dry pop at the end, pursing his lips.  Ryuji had become the first to know the real story.  Even recounting it made him feel greatly embittered.  Too displeased to finish his meal, he merely leaned back in his seat and clasped his hands together, fingers tapping on the closed fist.

“The hell, man!  How much shittier can that asshole get!?”  Ryuji was even angrier now than he was during Kamoshida’s gloating within the Palace. 

“About as shitty as the shit skin on the inside of a goddamn toilet bowl,” Akira responded.  “But that’s the rich for you.  A bunch of dickheads with no sense of responsibility that feel they can buy the law and get away scot free.”  He let out a dry chuckle before downing his drink.  “Crock of shit…”  Ryuji crushed the napkin in his palm and angrily scarfed his meal down.

“That really pisses me off,” he grumbled between gulps.  “But you’re so calm about it.”  Akira couldn’t help but smirk.

“On the outside.  Inside, I’m seething.  But I seethe silently.”

“My mom said that ain’t too healthy,” Ryuji noted, to which Akira could only sigh and deliver a shrug.

“Perhaps.  But what’s the alternative?  I can shout and stomp my foot in anger.  Yell and all that stuff.  But it won’t do any good.”  He sighed and took another sip of his drink to quench his dried throat.  “I’m here, and that’s that.  It sucks complete ass through a straw, but that’s the way it is.  All I can do is try and salvage it.”  Ryuji sat in stunned silence, merely blinking at his composed companion.

“It’s strange to see you like this.  Especially inside that Palace.  Like, you went all out on those shadows.  And that declaration against Kamoshida!”  He scratched his head with a furrowed brow.  “What exactly did you call him again?”  Akira reflected upon their earlier standoff with Kamoshida’s shadow.  Ryuji’s awakening to Captain Kidd had given them the strength to escape his clutches before certain death.

 _Are you jealous?_ Kamoshida gloated, the mental image of his smug mirthless grin in that gaudy robe fresh in his mind.  _I’m not surprised.  Women aren’t drawn to problematic punks like you._

Akira remembered his comeback flawlessly.  In hindsight, he was quite proud of his silver tongue and quick wit.

_Jealous of you?  A washed up has been who gets his kicks from beating up students and perving on underage girls?  Tck!  Think I’ll pass.  No way I’d ever be jealous of someone like you! An…_

“An utter bastard of lust?”  Ryuji snapped his fingers in realization before giving an energetic nod.

“Yeah!  That was so cool!  Where’d you think of that?”  Akira merely shrugged, leaning back in his chair as he smirked with satisfaction to himself.

“Just sort of slipped out.  Real spur of the moment type of thing.”  His awakening to Arsene and his inner power was near addictive in its rush of power.  Sundering those shadows to ashes with his chains, littering them with holes with his gun.  And the outfit.  The absolute crown jewel.  His black ensemble, accented with red gloves and sleek as well as the stylish white mask.  Avian in its design.  He stared down his adversaries through slitted owl like openings.  And the trenchcoat.  He could scarcely get over the trenchcoat.  The coattails flowing in the wind behind them.  Turning sharply just to see them whip behind him.  He felt so heroic and dashing.  Sexy even.  If only Takamaki could see him in it…

“I knew there was somethin’ different about you when we met in the rain,” Ryuji said, gulping down another mouthful of ramen.  “But still.  Are you for real, just laying down and taking it like that from him?  If it were me, I wouldn’t calm down until I punched that dick in the face.”

“Oh, believe me.  I’d love to knock that prick’s block off any day of the week,” Akira mused, clenching a fist.  “But what good would it have done?  He’s rich and has influence.  You can’t fight money and corruption on conventional terms.  Take it from me.”  Ryuji scoffed in agitation at Akira’s words.

“Yeah, I’ve been there…” he muttered.  Akira’s expression grew solemn as he stared into the broth of his bowl.  Kawakami had mentioned his reputation but not the extent of what had occurred between them.  Though, the boy suspected not even she knew.  Kamoshida dividing up Ryuji’s track team and then breaking his leg to put him in his place.  First moving on an underage girl and now beating students that stand up to him.  The new school that should have been his second chance was only becoming more and more of an endurance test for how much disgust he could swallow down.  “Sorry.  Didn’t mean to ruin the mood.  Just all these shitty adults doin’ whatever they want pisses me off!”

“That makes two of us.  But I try my best not to dwell on it.”  Keyword being try, in this case.  Upon the short list of what angered, stressed, or upset Akira, things beyond his control was a major one.  The rich drunk man’s exploitation of him burned him to no end.  It lingered at the back of his mind every night before he fell asleep.  “But what’s done is done.  All I can do now is hope for the best.  As much as I want to, raising hell won’t do anything besides distance people further than they already are.  Or even worse: put me in goddamn juvenile hall.”  Ryuji sighed and resolved his frustrations by diving deeper into his ramen bowl for comfort.

“Makes sense.  I just wish I was as collected about it all as you are.”  Akira curiously watched Ryuji dine while he twiddled his thumbs absently.

“It’s not easy.  And you sometimes gotta remind yourself to keep a level head.  But it’s all I have and all I can do.”  Ryuji wasn’t sure how Akira could do it.  Between his past and the rumors about him at school, he would have assumed he’d be a lot rougher around the edges.

“So you left your hometown,” Ryuji gasped between gulps.  “And you’re livin’ here now, huh?”

“Chew,” Akira merely answered.  The last thing he wanted was to help Ryuji escape the prospect of death again.  Dying to a throatful of ramen seemed less grandiose than to a shadowy manifestation of a corrupt teacher’s inner self.  With the way he shoveled the noodles down, Akira wondered why Ryuji even bothered with chopsticks at all.

“We might be more like than I originally thought.  I mean, I don’t got a record like you do.  But that’s not the point.”  The blond boy halted to collect his thoughts as well as follow the advice of his new friend and actually chew his food.  Akira seemed so composed and knowledgeable.  Ryuji wished he could be like that.  Though, the chip he sported upon his shoulder and uneasy home life made that difficult.  His mouth ran ahead of his feet and mind a lot.  “I guess what I mean is how we’re treated like a pain in the ass by the people around us.  Like we don’t belong.”

Akira couldn’t deny it.  Ryuji had layers to him that only he seemed to witness, in spite of his gruff visage.  It was nice to finally know someone that didn’t warily acknowledge him or outright ignored him.  At least one person who tolerated his presence made the situation feel more bearable.

“You know, Ryuji, you might just be someone I can count on here,” he admitted.  “As a friend.”  His plans of isolationism faltered.  A whole year was a long time to dwell alone.  He couldn’t help but smirk at his wavering.  He couldn’t erect walls against the outside forever.  After all, he was only human.

“Hell yeah, bro!” Ryuji declared, raising his glass.  “I’ll drink to that!”  He clinked his glass against Akira’s, earning an amused chuckle from the boy.  So the bonds of their friendship were made official then.  Ryuji paid for both their meals as a sign of gratitude despite Akira’s insisting he could cover his own.  He made a mental note to pay Ryuji back later in some way.  “So the volleyball rally’s tomorrow, huh?”  Ryuji scoffed in annoyance as his thoughts returned to Kamoshida.  “Shit’s recommended by Kamoshida.  Makes me wanna gag.”

“Just another excuse to stroke his ego.”  It was far too easy to see through Kamoshida’s façade and witness the true filth beneath.  Though, it would take some convincing to get the others to come around.  Provided they weren’t remaining obtuse on purpose to avoid confronting it or out of fear for their own well-being.

“But thanks to that, we got no classes in the afternoon, and we can walk around unnoticed.  We’ll grill the volleyball team for answers and get the truth.”  Akira watched the wheels turn in Ryuji’s head as he formulated their plan to deal with Kamoshida.  It was a lot more than he had.  Kamoshida had gone above and beyond to show what a detestable human being he was in Akira’s eyes.  Absolutely unforgivable.  Though, how would they turn it around on him? 

Kamoshida was an actual celebrity to Shujin.  Principal Kobayakawa had made that much abundantly clear earlier that day.  Despite his reputation, Akira could manage to blend in and remain unnoticed when he wished.  Eavesdropping on the both of them revealed the true influence on the school.  Kobayakawa may have been the principal, but Kamoshida’s influence was what truly mattered. 

A formal Olympic gold medal champion and this was how he decided to spend his twilight years.  Beating up students, ruining lives, and harassing women.

“Anyways, I got your back like you got mine from tomorrow on.  As long as we do something about Kamoshida, I’m sure we’ll both feel better about bein’ at school.”  Ryuji was wholly dedicated to this plan, it seemed.  Not that Akira could blame him.  He had been through so much and finally had the strength and prowess to fight back.  Albeit in a limited fashion, as their Personas only functioned inside the Palace.  Akira – however – felt a touch more reserved about their apparent plan.  Ryuji was counting on him.  In for a penny, in for a pound.  But what was the extent of what they could do?  They were going up against Kamoshida on his turf.  And the stakes were incredibly high.

_Cause any problems, and you’ll be sent straight to juvie._

Sojiro’s warning had remained at the back of his mind since arriving.  One meager slipup, and what little he had achieved with Ryuji would be up in smoke.  There wasn’t a lot of room for error if they planned on doing this.  Morgana could feasibly help, but he was confined within the Palace.  And a cat wouldn’t be of much aid on this side of reality.

“We need some sort of backup plan if things go south,” Akira mentioned.  “We’re on thin enough ice as it is.”

“One of these guys has to spill somethin’,” Ryuji said.  The blond had no desire to reflect on the prospect of failure.  Not after all they’ve seen and been through.  Akira couldn’t blame him, but no sort of alternative to fall back upon set a really bad precedent.  Someone at school had to be willing to help them, despite their reputations.  Maybe the Takamaki girl could.  She was the target of similar unscrupulous rumors.  And she definitely was a prime target for Kamoshida.

Akira remembered the cognitive doppelganger of her in the Palace.  Draping herself over Kamoshida while he gloated and groped at her lithe body like a mere trophy.  A tacky combination of a purple leopard print bikini, a cat-eared tiara, and heels.  As though him lusting over a teenage girl wasn’t bad enough, his fashion choices were childish at best.  Though, the prospect of Kamoshida knowing what she looked like beneath her clothes sent a great discomfort spreading through his chest.  It could either be he knows or his willful imagination, and at this point, Akira was too afraid to inquire to himself further.

Yet, in spite of his disgust for Kamoshida’s unhinged lust, he couldn’t help but take great admiration in her body.  She looked good.  Damn good.  As tacky as the outfit was, she wore it well.  The white mask he sported thankfully hid the blush that had surprised him with its arrival.  Morgana certainly shared his sentiment with him declaring her to be a…

_…a meow-velous and beautiful girl!_

 Immediately, all thoughts and feelings he had shifted to an immense disgust at his mysterious feline comrade.  Akira’s eye twitched at hearing his high-pitched voice utter such a dreadful pun.  Puns were already a fifty-fifty gamble.  And then he had to go the extra mile and make it cat-related.  Akira pushed the ramen bowl away from him and found himself unable to answer when Ryuji inquired about his inability to finish his food.

Puns.  Why it had to be puns would haunt Akira as long as he lived.

* * *

Shujin still buzzed with activity after the school day had ended.  The courtyard in the center proved an uplifting place to dwell after being cooped up with books and colorless walls all day.  Ann had managed to snag the spot next to the vending machines where she could chat with the other girl in attendance.  Black hair done up in a ponytail with a pink hairband.  Like Ann, she sported the traditional Shujin uniform save for the blazer.  On her right leg was a black athletic brace.  Her best friend in all the world, Shiho Suzui. 

Since middle school had the two girls been great friends.  Thick as thieves, near inseparable.  Even better was that their parents were close as well.  Both considered one another part of their families.  Shiho was the one thing Ann had to look forward to at the end of the day.  Though she’d have given anything to share a class with her again.  Class 2-D was an awfully lonely place despite so many others present.

“Heard you have class with the new transfer student,” Shiho inquired.  It was hard not to have known, at this point.  Every student from third to first year had been talking about it nonstop.  Whether at class or at practice, Shiho had only heard discussion of the mysterious and apparently dangerous transfer student.  “What’s he like?”  Ann merely shrugged.

“He’s quiet.  Very… quiet.”  It struck her just how quiet he actually was.  For all the warnings delivered by Kamoshida and the rumor mill, the new boy was not at all like the reputation that preceded him.  Whatever his name was.  Aki something.  She couldn’t quite recall as her mind was occupied elsewhere that day.  Kamoshida again, souring her morning.  Whoever he was, the boy had something about him.  He both drew intrigue and could hardly be noticed all at once.  It was so odd.  Sometimes, she completely forgot he was there until she caught him from the corner of her eye.  Looking right at her.  “Kamoshida warned me to be careful around him.”

“He told us the same thing also,” Shiho said with a nod.  Mishima had been chosen to deliver the news at Kamoshida’s behest about the new arrival during early morning practice.  It had certainly gotten the lot of them riled up.  Things spiraled even further out of control when Shiho heard about violence, drug usage, alcohol.  Even that he carried knives with him.  Like any new gossip in high school, it was hard to separate fact from fiction.  Shiho had managed to snag a glimpse of him in the hall.  For a supposed fugitive, he certainly didn’t look the part.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  “He seemed nice.  A little lonely.  Kind of like you were when you were the new kid.”

“Well… you know they say looks can be deceiving…”  Shiho wasn’t wrong.  From what meager glimpses she had stolen of him between class for curiosity’s sake, he seemed off in his own little world.  No one really to talk to like herself.  He never bothered her.  Hit on her like the boys or talked behind her back like the girls.  But Kamoshida’s warning to give him a wide berth was less out of concern for her well-being and more an order to stay away.  Ann had heard the rumors of what had befallen certain students that gave him trouble.  Sakamoto being one of them.  Though, the full details had never been revealed.  No one actually knew for certain, but they accepted Kamoshida’s word as law in typical fashion. 

“You don’t believe those rumors, do you?  I mean, people say things about you all the time, and I don’t believe them.”  If there was one thing about Shiho, it was how accepting and nonjudgmental she was.  She truly was too pure for such a rotten school.  Ann questioned often what she had done to warrant such a good friend.  ”They say you and the transfer student are a thing,” Shiho said, rolling her brown eyes as Ann’s blue gaze met hers.  Ann merely sighed and rested her cheek upon her hand with a flat and unamused expression. 

“Of course they are…”  Nearly every boy in school at some point had tried their hand at her.  Whispering how she put out for anyone and everyone that asked.  Jealous and judgmental girls and angry rejected boys.  They all contributed in their own ways to flame her image.  The blonde tried her best to put it behind her.  To ignore the rumors and let it roll down her back.  But the insistence combined with Kamoshida’s pressure only made the struggle more arduous.  “People just love to talk, don’t they?”

“A lot of these people spend more time running their mouths instead of running laps.”

“How many guys have I apparently slept with now?  Twenty?  Thirty?”

“I’m gonna say forty,” Shiho said, sticking her tongue out playfully.  Her teasing gave Ann a genuine giggle.  One she had not felt in quite the long time.  Shiho always knew how to push her buttons in a fun way.  It had been the basis for their friendship, after all.

“You wanna grab some crepes?” Ann asked.  She licked her lips eagerly at the thought of sweets.  Even better was sharing them with a good friend.  Shiho held a hand to her mouth and stifled a heavy yawn.

“Sorry.  Not today,” she said, rubbing her eyes.  “I haven’t been sleeping well lately.  Whenever I close my eyes, I keep thinking about too many things…”  Ann had definitely noticed some things had changed with Shiho in recent months.  The joyous laughs Shiho got from her when she teased had been few and far in between lately.  And their time together had significantly lessened.  Kamoshida was dedicated to taking the volleyball team to nationals, and they had been worked hard.  Perhaps a bit too hard. 

A lot of the team members sported bruises and looked exhausted at all hours of the day.  Shiho’s cast was greatly concerning to the blonde.  Nothing intensely serious, just a sprained leg.  A common injury, but most jarring was Shiho’s resistance to discuss how she got it.  Ann had not wished to point it out, but Shiho also had slight dark circles forming under her eyes.  Shiho loved playing on the team, and being this close to their big moment was bound to stress her.  But this was something else.  And Ann knew without a doubt Kamoshida was at the root of it, whether Shiho admitted it or not.

“Shiho…”

“Nationals are coming up soon, so I keep thinking…  Should someone like me really be on the starting lineup?”  Ann blinked in surprise at her.  Shiho had always been the softer of the two, but she had never struggled with confidence issues.  Ann had attended every game Shiho played in.  She was one of the best.  Nobody else seemed to exist when she was on the court.

“It’s… it’s just nerves is all,” Ann said, putting on a fake smile.  “You’re just nervous.  Don’t worry.  Just be confident in yourself!”  The blonde recalled all the jargon uttered in the anti-bullying campaigns and guidance counselor seminars they were made to endure.  Part of Kobayakawa’s plan to restore school spirit and fortitude.  Hollow vague advice, but Ann hoped she could channel enough sincerity to make Shiho believe them.  She liked to imagine she was a good actress.  “Your skills have been recognized!  It’s all because you work harder than anyone else!”  Appealing to Shiho’s more personal nature sounded more effective to the young teenage girl. 

“…Y-Yeah,” Shiho uttered.  Ann kept the smile on her face despite her heart faltering.  “Volleyball’s all I have, after all…”  An uncomfortable silence lingered between the two as Ann twirled her twintail around her finger.  She wanted to know what sort of magic word she could say to see Shiho’s smiling face longer.  Even with the warm and sunny weather, everything now felt downcast. 

“More importantly, was that injury okay?  It looked really swollen-“

“No, it’s nothing,” Shiho said swiftly.  “It’s normal.  Especially since a meet’s coming up…”  As expected, Shiho had been swift to shut down discussion about it.  Mishima and the other volleyball team members acted the same.  Saying little and changing the subject as quick as they could.  And speaking of him, none other than Mishima walked up to them.

Yuuki Mishima.  Quiet and mild-mannered boy of class 2-D.  Volleyball player, a bit dorky, but very kind.  Didn’t stand out that much.  He tended to blend into the crowd.  Personally, Ann preferred to stand out, hence why she sported red leggings with her school uniform.

“Sorry to interrupt, Suzui,” he muttered.  Ann rubbed her chin with a finger as she took notice of how haggard he looked.  Mishima looked in even worse shape than Shiho did.  Pale face covered in bruises and a bandage right below his right eye.  What was Kamoshida doing to them during practice?  “Mr. Kamoshida told me to get you…” 

Ann and Shiho looked equally shocked at his statement.  There was no practice scheduled after school today.

“What does he want…?” Shiho asked sheepishly as she clasped her hands.

“He didn’t say…”  A chill ran up both the girls’ spines from the non-answer.  Mishima looked just as uncomfortable delivering it as they did receiving.  Shiho began trembling softly in her seat.  Ann felt her heart being swallowed up by the dread she felt watching her in this state. 

“It-it’ll be fine!” Ann insisted, sporting her best cheery expression.  The winning smile that drew the attention of many photographers.  “I bet it’s… it’s a meeting about the starting lineup or something.”  For a brief second, Ann saw that spark return in Shiho’s eyes. 

“Y-yeah…” she uttered, mustering a smile.  It was her turn to put on a brave face.  For both Ann and Mishima.  Ann had been desperately trying to make her feel less worried.  The last thing Shiho wanted was for the both of them to be nervous wrecks.  “Well, I better go…”  Shiho swiftly turned her back to Ann in order to hide the worried expression that swiftly supplanted the fake smile she had concocted.

“Good luck!” Ann called out gingerly as Shiho departed sluggishly with Mishima in tow.  As the two disappeared from view, Ann’s calm façade plummeted.  Her mind raced at what she could do to get to the bottom of this.  Perhaps call Shiho’s parents and reach out to them.  But she’d be going behind her best friend’s back.  And with no proof, it would go nowhere.  And no one on the team would discuss anything.  The only real option seemed to be to confront Kamoshida directly.  A prospect that filled Ann with immense dread.  Question him of misdeeds to his very face?  Alone?  She had never seen him angry, but the blonde trembled at what it might be like.

She gulped the knot forming in her throat and began to depart for home.  Whatever was going on, she would get nowhere today.  But surely there had to be some course of action she could take.  If something truly was happening, she had to do whatever it took to protect Shiho.

“Hang in there, Shiho…” 


	5. Rocky First Impression

_4/13/17 – Wednesday_

Ann nursed her brow as she traversed the scarcely populated hallways by herself.  The past couple of days had been increasingly stressful for the young blonde.  Kamoshida had only become more forward with his pursuit of her.  Her appendix story had managed to dissuade him for a bit, but it wouldn’t be long before he continued his advancements.  She was just glad they could go home early today.

The volleyball rally had been promoted as a way to promote school spirit.  Ann saw right through Kamoshida’s charade right from the get-go.  It had been nothing more than a way to stroke his ego in front of the whole school.  Seeing Mishima hit right in the face by “complete accident” really riled her up.  If Shiho had actually gotten to play, maybe she wouldn’t have been so irritated.  She had been awfully quiet the whole time, especially after yesterday.  And her responses proved to be incredibly vague.

Everything was fine.

The very same thing she had parroted to her parents and to Baba.  The most Shiho would reveal was that Kamoshida was giving her extra lessons.  The blonde was not at all convinced.  Ann barely got any sleep last night from all the worry she felt.  She hoped bags wouldn’t start to form under her eyes from stress.  The last thing she wanted was another obstacle in her life to deal with, potentially losing her modeling job.  At least she didn’t have work today.  Quite the welcome reprieve combined with an early dismissal.  Though, Shiho wouldn’t be spending it with her.  The volleyball team still had training to commence, whether Ann liked it or not.

She held her twintails in place as she took a sip from the fountain.  The cold water was beyond therapeutic to her dried throat.  All this stress was dehydrating her, nd it was having an effect on her nerves.  Little things were getting to her today that normally wouldn’t.  People walking too slowly in the hallway, Mishima tapping his pencil in an irregular fashion in class, the boy’s dead silence behind her. 

Akira Kurusu, his name was.  The refresher had come after they passed their papers to the front of the class, and she managed to steal a peek at it.  His handwriting was utterly atrocious for someone that appeared so clean and pressed in his school uniform.  Chicken scratch was what Ms. Kawakami described it as.  Though, she supposed everyone had their quirks.  That combined with his shaggy hair made him feel less alien.  More approachable.  Not that she had plans to approach him any time soon.  Knowing how much Kamoshida had taken a liking to her made her hesitant to befriend any boys lest he give them a hard time out of some sense of misguided territorial macho bravado.

“What a fucking meathead,” she muttered to herself, wiping the droplets from her mouth.  His overly confident swagger and a lecherous grin that sat atop that behemoth of a chin.  It drove her crazy how he showboated with no care for others.  What she wouldn’t give to grab him by his ratty afro and give him a piece of her mind…

“Yo, Shiho!”  Ann’s head whipped around to see two boys in their volleyball uniforms approach Shiho at the end of the hall.  Two other boys, a first-year first starter, and a couple of girls were also in attendance.  Seemed they were having a little meeting before practice.  “Did Sakamoto talk to you as well?”

 _Sakamoto?!_ Ann thought to herself.  She recalled him in attendance at the rally with Akira across the gym.  He still kept his hair dyed blond.  It was far too bright for her taste, but she couldn’t see him go back to black any time soon.  It didn’t seem like his color anymore.

“Y-yeah,” Shiho admitted, rubbing her forearm apprehensively.  “What did he want from you guys?”

“Asked us about Kamoshida,” one of the boys clarified.  “Kept grilling us about training.  Said we were being pushed too far and kept trying to get us to say he was abusing us.”

“Us too!” one of the girls replied.  “Only it was the transfer student.  You guys didn’t say anything, did you?”

“Of course not!  Kamoshida would stomp our asses into the grass if we made him look bad!”

“Those two are trouble already by themselves, but together, they’re just an utter mess.”  Ann furrowed her brow as she eavesdropped on the conversation from behind the corner.  She had heard rumors that Ryuji had beef with Kamoshida for a long time.  But what was Akira’s stake in all this?  It was true they hung out, but didn’t he have a criminal record?  Was he so eager to get himself in trouble with the school after being here less than a week?

“Shiho, you’re friends with Takamaki-san.  Can’t you tell her to tell the transfer kid to fuck off?  He’s in her class, ain't’ he?  We don’t need any more heat on us.  Kamoshida’s already bad enough.”  Ann narrowed her gaze darkly as she listened to Shiho clumsily try to defend her. 

 _Those idiots!_ Ann hissed inside her head.  _They’re gonna get Shiho AND themselves in trouble!_ Kamoshida was going to be her mess to deal with, and she wouldn’t have two teenage boys making more trouble for her.  She was gonna have to play mother hen for all three of them now.  As the others ventured off to practice, Ann stomped angrily down the hall.  Fists clenched, she wanted to grab both boys by the hair and give them an earful.  She hoped they were both still at school, or she planned to arrange a meeting with Akira tomorrow during class.

The blonde checked class 2-D, the gym, the library.  Nothing turned up until she ventured to the courtyard and caught sight of him.  Akira stood alone near the vending machines.  The boy casually stared at his phone screen, texting someone.

**_Ryuji: Dammit, we’re outta time.  How’d it go?_ **

**_Akira: Take a wild guess, buddy._ **

**_Ryuji: So you didn’t have any luck either.  Mmkay, let’s regroup for now.  See you in the courtyard?_ **

**_Akira: Already here._ **

Akira merely sighed and sat down on the bench.  He rested his weary head in his open hands.  As expected, they had netted little success.  One of the boys let it slip that Mishima potentially knew something.  Not much to go off, but a meager lead was better than no leads.  Walking around school playing detective had worn him out.  All he could do now was wait for Ryuji to show, while Ann watched from afar without him knowing.

He looked so lonely to her on that bench by himself.  The rumor mill had not been kind to either of them.  Harsher on him, being the new kid and all.  Seeing him there – head in hands – made her start reevaluating her plan.  She probably wouldn’t get much progress if she shouted or snapped at him.  But she was still greatly miffed about the both of them sticking their noses where they didn’t belong.  Then again, they seemed to be the only two that had somewhat an inkling of what truly was at work in Shujin.  Maybe they knew something she had missed.  Ann tended to her sore brow as her head spun around.  She was so confused on what to do.  Nothing had ever prepared her for a situation like this.  If she couldn’t handle this accordingly, they’d all be in an even more precarious situation than they already were.

“Hey,” she said simply, approaching him.  Akira did a double take as she approached him and promptly rose to his feet.  She had his attention clearly now. 

“Yo.”

“Can I talk to you for a sec?  It’ll be quick.”

“Uh…. sure,” Akira said with uncertainty.  He wasn’t sure what he had done to warrant her approach, but he wasn’t complaining.  She wore the gym uniform quite well.  Red really was her color.  “What’s up?” 

Ann folded her arms and sized him up accordingly.  Here she was face to face with Shujin’s resident criminal.  How did she go about steering to the topic of them and Kamoshida without looking too suspicious? 

“So how are you liking Shujin so far?” the blonde started.  Something simple.  Small talk to gauge his character.  Her mother taught her that she learned more from a person in small mundane ways than at school or work.

“It’s alright,” Akira said with a limp shrug.  “It’s fancier than my old school.  Snazzier looking uniform, I admit.  Bigger, more expensive campus.”  Ann merely nodded at him.

“It looks fancy, but it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.  Appearances can be deceiving.”  The blonde suppressed a twitching eye at her subtle jab at Kamoshida.

“Agreed…” Akira purred lowly, having arrived at the same conclusion himself.  Though neither one was willing to tip the other off on the extent of what they knew.

“Like you, for instance.  I’ve heard a lot of things about you.  Though I’m not sure what’s gossip and what’s the truth.  Akira, right?  My name’s Ann.”

“Ann…” Akira repeated.  He liked that name.  Liked it quite a lot.  Very feminine.  Elegant and poised in a way he couldn’t quite describe.  “Well, you’d be right to be skeptical.  There’s a lot of things you might not know.  If you’re curious, I got time to kill.  Ask whatever you want.”  Ann curiously tapped a finger to her soft lips as she contemplated his answer.  For someone of his reputation, she hadn’t anticipated such a forthcoming attitude.

“Whatever I want, huh?” she repeated.  Anything was a broad topic, and she did have a natural burning curiosity.  As a little girl, she would pester her parents and nana with large amounts of questions.  Any sort of meandering topic that reached her young mind.  But she had a mission.  Deal with them accordingly.  “Anyway, what’s with you?  Like, how you were late the other day was a lie and all.”

It had been a rather botched excuse on Ms. Kawakami’s part.  Why she hadn’t defaulted to the excuse of a suburban boy getting lost in the big city was beyond him.  Still, Akira wasn’t too keen on inadvertently being labeled a liar on account of someone else’s clumsiness. 

 _Pretty goddamn presumptuous now, aren’t we?_ he thought to himself before licking his lips.

“Well, it’s technically not a lie if you believe it,” he responded, leaning against the vending machine.  Ann quirked an eyebrow at him.  His attempt at a joke had fallen on deaf ears. 

“That’s not how it works,” Ann stated.  “And I _don’t_ believe it.  Which is why we’re talking about this in the first place.”  Akira rubbed the bridge of his nose as he crafted a satisfactory enough answer to sate her interest.  Though what that was certainly escaped him.  Explaining to her that both he and Ryuji ended up trapped in some sort of magic castle in a parallel dimension with demons and a talking cat would just make him look like an idiot.  Even if it was true.

“I got lost.  Really lost.”  It was technically true.  Stumbling into Kamoshida’s castle had been a complete accident.  But Ann didn’t appear satisfied, as he expected.

“I saw you before Ka-“  She stopped herself.  The blonde had no desire to speak his name, lest she get temperamental.  “Before I was driven off.  You weren’t that far from the school.  And all phones come with a GPS on them.  Do you really expect me to believe that?”

“Phone wasn’t working properly.”  Again, another truth.  Anything that wasn’t the Nav was a bust.  Cameras, web browsers.  No dice.  Ann placed her hands upon her hips and glowered lowly at him.

“So you have no intention of giving me an honest answer.”  Akira now sported an annoyed frown.  She was a cut above the other students, that much he’d give her credit for.  Yet her resistance to accept his answers vexed him.

“I _did_ give you an honest answer,” he replied dryly.  “Many times, in fact.  You just don’t like the answers I give so you refuse to accept them just like anyone else that’s confronted with a truth that inconveniences them.”  Ann paused to gather her wits.  Akira certainly had a leg up on the other boys she knew.  Sharp as a whip and silver-tongued to boot.

“So you got lost on your way to Shujin, but Kawakami said you were sick the whole time.  Which is it?”  Akira sighed and shook his head.  He didn’t have time for this verbal sparring.  Where was Ryuji?

“I don’t know why she said that.  It was a stupid lie, and it wasn’t my idea.  Plus, you wouldn’t believe me even if I told you everything.”  Ann pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.  Most boys would spill their guts out if it meant they could entertain the illusion they had access to inside her pants.  The one time she found someone that thought with their upper head rather than their lower head.

“There’s that weird rumor about you too…”  As far as which rumor, Ann played coy.  In the hopes of steering him to confess something.  But Akira’s patience had thinned.  Wherever Ryuji was, they were going to regroup somewhere else.

“Look, I gotta book it,” he said.  “Busy afternoon so excuse me-“

“I don’t think so.”  Ann folded her arms once more and planted herself right before him.  Akira raised an eyebrow inquisitively at her action and attempted to sidestep her.  But whether it be left or right, she slid in front.  “We have a lot we need to talk about, and you’re not going until I get answers.”  Her reluctant interviewee shook his head in disbelief.

“What the actual hell is your problem?”

“My problem is that you’re out here playing detective with Ryuji and making things hard on me and the volleyball team.  If Kamoshida hears you’ve been harassing his team, he’s gonna be pissed.”

“What’s it fucking to you?  You’re not on the team.”

“My best friend is on the team, thank you very much, dickhead,” Ann said, tilting her head to the side.  “There’s a big national tournament up soon, and they’re already stressed out enough without your little Sherlock act.”  Akira blinked in surprise.  She had a foul mouth for someone that fit into the traditional prep clique.  He had to admit it was rather attractive in its own way.  But it didn’t make his irritation any less prevalent.  He was wasting time with this little argument, and not being able to tell anything of mutual satisfaction was getting under his skin fast.

“Well, since you’re gonna play Nancy goddamn Drew in my business, we’re going around because we’re concerned about the safety and self-esteem for the team is all.”  Ann cocked another eyebrow at him.  She had a real pickle on her hands here.  A sarcastic unstoppable force in contact with an equally dry immovable object. 

“Now you’re being ignorant on purpose.  Is it really that hard for you to give me an answer so I’ll just leave you alone?  I don’t wanna have this conversation any more than you do.”

“Well, nothing’s fucking stopping you from going, now.  Is there?  I already got shit in my life to deal with.  I don’t need you added on top of it.”

“Uh, me too, asshole,” Ann huffed as she tapped her fingers against her forearm with great impatience.  “We all have problems.  And you two being a couple nosy dicks is adding to _my_ problems.  So we’re just gonna stand here until you tell me what I want.”

“And what if I just pick you up and move you out of the way?”

“We-“  Silence hung in her throat.  She hadn’t anticipated he’d stoop to that.  Akira could move her with relative ease and then take off, leaving her behind.  She could chase him down, but the last thing she wanted was a scene.  Even though he was really agitating her with his actions, she didn’t want to bring unwelcome attention on him.  Kamoshida would refuse any sort of leniency on Akira.  She just wanted a straight answer, not to get him expelled.  But how to keep him here?  “W-well… if you do that, I’ll… then I’ll scream!” 

Now Akira was the one rendered to silence.  The boy did a double take at her, blinking to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating her presence.

“You’ll scream?  You’ll scream.”  Even repeating it, he couldn’t wrap his head around it.  It was such a childish response, with even Ann feeling her neck flush from how immature it sounded.  Akira could potentially book it in time if he moved her.  But a girl’s scream would have every cop and faculty member on him in no time.  One single slip-up, and it was expulsion.  Then juvenile hall.

_You’ve gotta be kidding me…_

“Yo!”  Ann looked over her shoulder to see Ryuji rounding the corner.  Hands shelved in his pockets and trudging towards them.  She hadn’t picked up on the limp he seemed to be sporting until now.  Had he always had that?

“ _Oh, thank God_ ,” Akira muttered under his breath.  He took a step back and extended a hand in Ann’s direction.  “Can you help me deal with this?  She’s been on my ass the whole time and won’t leave me alone.”  Ryuji raised an eyebrow at Ann.  She hadn’t taken an interest in either of them before.  He since middle school, and Akira ever, despite sharing a class with him.

“Whaddya want with him?” he asked accusingly.  Ann took a step back to size Ryuji up.  Now she had to deal with both of them at the same time.  The blonde cursed herself for asking of this earlier.  Dealing with Akira was frustrating but manageable.  Throw Ryuji into the mix, and it was her against a reinforced brick wall.

“Um, right back at you?  You’re not even in our class, first of all.  And I can talk to whoever I want.  Don’t remember needing your permission, thanks.”  Ryuji tensed up, glancing to Akira for direction.  The raven-haired youth merely threw his hands up and gave him a look of annoyed disbelief.  He was supposed to even the odds, not be dead weight.

“We just… happened to get to know each other,” he stumbled.

“We’re friends.”  Friends.  It was unusual to hear it said aloud.  To have a friend after so long.  Even after his resolution to just focus on school.  Ann sighed and shook her head.  Her twintails jostled about to and fro.  Akira’s resistance had worn her down.  She was in no mood to keep pressing him.  Perhaps Ryuji would be more accommodating.

“What are you planning on doing to Mr. Kamoshida?” the blonde asked.  “I heard you guys have been hassling the volleyball team trying to get them to stand against him.  You’re just gonna make trouble for everyone.  Especially you guys.”  Ryuji’s eye twitched in annoyance.  He didn’t appreciate Ann trying to lecture him on Kamoshida.  Not after all he’d been through.  Though why she’d be interested in defending him was beyond the blond boy’s recognition.  At least until it hit him.  The rumors of both of them.

“Ohhhh… I see, I getcha.”  Akira narrowed his eyes searchingly at his friend.  What exactly was about to spill out of that vulgar mouth of his?  Not like he had much room to talk.  “You’re all buddy-buddy with Kamoshida, after all.  I saw you get into his car Monday.  It’s real easy to see what kinda person you are.”  As soon as the words left his mouth, Akira began to intensely regret involving his friend. 

“Uh… Ryuji, you might wanna-“

“This has nothing to do with you, Sakamoto!” Ann fired up.  Her cheeks flared up hot with embarrassment.  Even without saying the exact words, she knew what he meant to say.  As though she didn’t get enough shaming for doing something she hadn’t in the first place.  Now the boy she knew since middle school was throwing fuel on the fire, in front of her own classmate.

“If you found out what he’s been doin’ behind your back, you’d dump him right away.”  As indignant as she was to his accusations of her promiscuity, Ann felt herself halt before she could retort.  So it seemed they did know something after all.

“Behind my back…?” she repeated.  “What’s that supposed to mean…?”  Ryuji looked to Akira for affirmation, receiving a shake of his head.  Even with all they had seen, there was still no proof of it all.  And if they mentioned the Palace, they’d have no ground to stand on at all.

“You wouldn’t get it,” Ryuji said with a sigh.  Ann was tired of being the monkey in the middle of whatever game they were playing.  They were bringing trouble to Shiho’s doorstep as well as their own.  And if they were so insistent on jumping neck deep in hot water, they can leave her out of it.

“Try me.”

“I ain’t got time.”  Ryuji was growing steadily more impatient with her.  The tension was beyond palpable.  “Don’t you have to go take another ride with him somewhere?”  Akira really dreaded him pushing the angle between them.  Even in the event it was true, the insinuation made him greatly uncomfortable.  Very dangerous territory to slander a teenage girl in such a way.

“Ryuji, I _really_ think you need to take a step back and-“

“Can you fucking lay off?” Ann spat at the hard-headed blond.  “I already get enough shit from every other horny dickhead who throws a bitchfit because they get rejected.”

“Ryuji,” Akira started.  “I implore you to put the car in reverse and back out of this conversation.  You’re treading some very dangerous territory here, man.”  Akira frowned disapprovingly at Ryuji for his insistence on pushing Ann.  The young girl hadn’t expected someone as skinny and frail as Akira to speak with such resonance.  The tension had been replaced by an awkward lingering silence.  Ryuji and Ann could feel the heat rising on their necks while Akira said nothing.

“Anyway,” Ann managed to breathe.  “People are already talking about you two.  I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but no one’s gonna help you.”  Their back and forth had drained her of any desire to dig deeper.  Ryuji’s mention of Kamoshida’s behavior “behind his back” was an interesting lead.  But she just didn’t possess the mental fortitude to press him on it.  “And leave the volleyball team out of it.  They’re already under enough stress as it is.  You might just think I’m being a bitch or whatever but just listen to me.  You’re gonna get yourselves in trouble.”  Ryuji shelved his hands into his pockets and kicked at the grass.

“So what do you care?” he muttered.  A weary sigh escaped Ann as she caressed her forehead.  It ached from the irritation they brought upon her.

“I’m warning you, just in case.  You might be a couple of idiots, but that doesn’t mean I want anything bad to happen to you.  Judge me however you want, but you don’t deserve to be thrown at Kamoshida’s mercy.”  Ryuji pursed his lips and absently tapped his foot.  He wasn’t quite sure where to go from here.  Akira himself was equally as lost for words.  “That’s all.”  She turned back to Akira with a downtrodden look in her blue eyes.  “See you tomorrow…”  Before getting a response, Ann swiftly walked away.  Ryuji’s comments had cut a bit deep, perhaps deeper than he intended.  The accusations of her imaginary misconduct with Kamoshida were things she could easily disregard before.  But after a while, it really became sore, even when it wasn’t true.

Ryuji shook his head and leaned against the wall with a poutful expression.

“Why’s she gotta be so aggressive all the time…?” he huffed.  Akira said nothing, instead folding his arms and leaning against the wall opposite of him.  Ryuji could feel his judgmental silver eyes upon him.  And he didn’t like it in the slightest.

“Seriously?” Akira inquired.  “You’re gonna attack her with the rumors?  Even after knowing my full story, you’re gonna do that?  Just accept baseless word as facts so you can get the other person?”  Ryuji chewed on his bottom lip and refused to make eye contact.  He had allowed himself to be swept up in his emotions again.  And now his only friend was upset. 

“Well, she… she was… I mean, she needs to get out of our business.”  Akira sighed and shook his head.  This day had been way longer than he planned.

“She was just concerned about her friend on the team,” he tried to reason.  “Is that an excuse?  No.  But you were stepping out of line yourself, you know.”  Ryuji sighed and reluctantly trailed an eye over to meet Akira’s.

“….Yeah, I… guess…”  His pride ached more than anything.  But he didn’t like people being upset with him.  Ryuji buried his face in his hand and slowly shook his head at himself.  “I shouldn’t have said those things.”  Akira merely nodded in agreement.

“You should apologize tomorrow if you see her.  Even if you don’t like her, it’s a good gesture on your part.  And we can always use less people that distrust us here.”

“I know…”  Akira was nothing like any other person Ryuji had known.  He had this sort of older brother quality to him.  Wise beyond his years.  Weird as they were both the same age.  Being the punching bag for so long, he had lashed out at someone who didn’t quite deserve it.  “I hate that you’re right.”  Akira delivered a dry chuckle, smirking at his friend.  Some progress was made at the very least.

“You two know each other?  Old flame?”  Now Ryuji chuckled, shaking his head and waved his friend’s query away.

“Nah, we just went to the same middle school is all.  But that’s not what we’re here to talk about.  I had no luck on my end.  What about you?”

Akira dropped their next target.  Mishima was a frail kid and seemed more susceptible to influence.  He could be their ace in the hole against Kamoshida.  The two boys ventured off to find him before practice.  Ann’s advice had gone unheeded, and both Ryuji and Akira dug themselves deeper into the rabbit hole.


	6. A Sliver of Hope In Despair

_4/14/17 – Thursday_

It couldn’t have been a more stressful day for Ann.  After butting heads with both Akira and Ryuji, she took great care to avoid running into them throughout the day.  She had to shoot down the former’s requests to talk during class a couple times.  He was insistent but knew when to back down.  It was too awkward to try and carry on like nothing had happened.  Though, she would rather have faced that discomfort than nearly tear her hair out worrying about Shiho.  Training for nationals had roughed her up here and there but not to the severe levels she was sporting now. 

Her dearest friend was now sporting a huge bruise on her left eye.  It wasn’t unreasonable to believe it had been a poorly aimed volleyball.  Shiho even insisted it was, albeit shakily.  The girl looked positively battered.  Even had she not seen Mishima being spiked in the face yesterday, there was no denying Kamoshida had massively overstepped his boundaries.  Even worse was the missing light in her eyes.  Like Kamoshida was crushing her spirit with each passing day.  And the way she described practice made it feel like a prison to the young blonde.  The one thing she can apparently do right. 

But she refused to say much about it.  Only that practice was the most important thing in her life.  Everything was fine.  It had to be.

Everything was fine.

Things couldn’t possibly have gotten worse for the young blonde.  But she was quick to feel salt sizzle in her fresh wounds as her phone was blown up by a new contact.  Despite her best attempts to keep isolated, he had managed to get her number.  How he had obtained it was beyond her.  Most likely, he got it from Shiho, which only made her skin crawl even more.

The young blonde ventured through Station Square by herself.  Just wanting to go home and sleep.  The stress she was enduring had killed her appetite.  No doubt Baba would be questioning why.  Ann began formulating an excuse ahead of time.  Stomach bug, school tests, rough day at her part-time job.  Anything not to tip her off that something was wrong.  Getting any adults involved would just make things worse.  Especially since Principal Kobayakawa would do anything to cover his rear and protect the shining Shujin star.  It made her just sick.

Ann jolted when she felt her satchel vibrate.  He was annoyingly persistent.  The third time today he had called her, ignoring any excuse offered.  The number made her eye twitch as she stared at it on her phone screen. 

“Hello?” she asked faintly, doing her best to repress any annoyance she felt.  Not like she needed him angry at her.

“Heeeeeeeeeey~” he purred.  Ann suppressed a sigh that threatened to slip between gritted teeth.  She could just imagine the shit-eating grin on Kamoshida’s face.  “How’s my favorite student?”

“I’ve been better…” Ann said, curling her lip while she glanced at her phone.  His slimy sleazy voice had her feeling in desperate need of a bath.  “What do you want?”

“Oh, come on.  You know exactly what I want…”  Playing coy was the only way she could make herself not feel like vomiting.  “You got my text, didn’t you?”  Ann had deleted it immediately after it sullied her screen.  He lived quite some ways in the city.  Definitely too far to walk.  No doubt he’d try to convince her to spend the night, feigning some concern about it being dangerous to go alone in the dark.  She huffed annoyedly through her nose at the mere thought.

“Well, my appendix is still giving me-“

“Please, Ann,” Kamoshida interrupted.  “We both know that’s an excuse.  You’re just stalling.  I’ve seen the way you look at me…”

 _In your dreams perhaps_ , she scoffed inside her mind.  Hearing him purr with desire at her through the speaker made her feel sick to her stomach.

“Like I said earlier, I’m not feeling well-“

“Takamaki, do we really have to keep playing this charade?”  The amusement in his voice was gone.  Her resistance had grown old, and he was losing patience.  “Didn’t your parents ever teach you to listen to your elders?”  Ann squeezed the phone in her hand with enough force to nearly snap it in two.  Now he was treading an ever-thinning line.

“Don’t bring them up,” she said sternly.  Her defiant warning earned a chuckle from the gym coach.

“Ooh, touchy,” Kamoshida teased.  His glistening smile had the blonde grinding her teeth with immense ire.  “All the more reason for you to come over.  I know your parents are never around.  Too busy working and all that.  Must be awful lonely.  A young girl needs a fatherly figure in her life.”  Ann was shaking with anger at this point.  She drifted between wanting to gag and chew his head off.  “I can be your daddy~”

“I’m really not interested…”  It was growing more difficult to keep her emotions in check.  Kamoshida had always been persistent but never to a point of hitting her up three times in one day. 

“Come on, Takamaki.  You gotta let loose just a bit.  Come on over. We’ll share a couple drinks.  Surely a teenager like you has touched alcohol before?  Your generation is the more adventurous type, I hear…”  The death grip she was choking her device with was starting to strain her hand, but the girl's anger was far too prominent to let herself relax.  Mentally, she continued to chant ‘for Shiho’ to keep calm.  But this nonstop harassment was driving her insane.  It was hard to sleep or even relieve herself.  “Pop a couple of bottles, get more comfortable, and you can saddle up on Daddy’s lap-“

“Will you please give it a rest!?”  The blonde could and would not tolerate any more.  “I told you, I’m not feeling up to it!”

“ _Excuse me?_ ”  All sense of teasing, amorousness, or amusement were gone in an instant.  To break that smug façade made her feel both exhilarated and a touch nervous.  “Don’t you get mouthy with me, you little bitch!  You oughta be lucky anyone bothers with you!  Especially me!  I’m the king of Shujin, and don’t you forget it!”  Ann had managed to sting his pride really good.  The Olympic gold medal spotlight had allowed his ego to run unchecked for quite some time.  Used to getting whatever he wanted on account of his celebrity status.  Shujin was his playground and kingdom, with all that talked within its borders his subjects to toy with.  Not today though.  “Next time you give me lip, I’ll take you by those pretty little twintails and fuck that smart mouth of yours!”  Ann pursed her lips and gulped apprehensively, now seriously reconsidering her boldness to refuse.  Kamoshida had always been forward but never this aggressive.  “Not much to say now, do you, you little whore?  Won’t have much to say when you’re gagging on this cock like I told you to before.”

Ann was feeling even iller now.  No one had ever threatened her before.  And her teacher – the man she was supposed to trust – was the first.  Even if she refused, she still had to go to school tomorrow.  And deal with him face to face.  Her knees trembled weakly as a cold sweat surmounted on her body.  At this point, she felt like she might vomit. 

“Ah, the hell with this,” she heard him say.  “You wanna act like you’re too good for me?  Fine, go ahead.  Go frolic all over town for all I care.  You’ll have plenty of time to now with Shiho off the team.”  The sound of shattering glass echoed in Ann’s mind.  It was hard to maintain her balance as the word began to spin.  Ann struggled to breathe.

_No… Not Shiho!_

 “W-wait, h-hold on!” she stammered as she tried not to start crying.  “That’s not what you promised!”

“I said I’d leave her alone if you agreed to sleep with me.  You refused.”  Ann felt her stomach churn as she remembered his previous call.  All the different acts he wanted her to perform.  How big he was and how he’d utterly “destroy her”, in his own words.  And now Shiho would be the one to take the fall because of her hesitation.  Her only crime just wanting to be a good volleyball player.  “You wanna act like you’re all grown up?  Well, here’s a hard lesson for you.  What you do affects others so now Shiho’s gonna suffer because you wanted to be a stuck-up little bitch!”  A shocked gasp slipped out, nearly resulting in the girl dropping her phone.  She couldn’t believe this was happening.  Not to her.  To Shiho. 

“You bastard!” Ann choked, feeling the tears well up.  “And you call yourself a teacher!?  This has nothing to do with Shiho!  Leave her out of this!”

“You’re the one that agreed to hang around my arm if I didn’t cut her from the team, remember?”  That was how it all had started.  Her accompanying him around school and town like some sort of trophy in order to prevent Shiho from being cut.  The rumors came flooding in that she was sleeping with him shortly after.  It was bad enough to be wrongfully labeled a slut while he toyed with her like nothing.  Groping her during school hours when no one could see.  “This is both your faults, you know.  If she was a better player, none of this wouldn’t have happened.  And if you weren’t so stuck up, she’d still get to play her absolute favorite game in the world.  Tck, some friend you are.”  Ann thought she might pass out from how scared she was.  She had to tell someone.  Do something.  But who or what?  Who would believe her word over an Olympic champion’s?  Kamoshida would use her promiscuous reputation against her.

“See you tomorrow, Takamaki…”

Before Ann could say anything, he hung up.  Panic shot through her like lightning.  As her blue eyes watered up, she thought to call Kamoshida back.  Beg for his forgiveness if only to spare Shiho.  She caved.  Ann called him up and feverishly clung to the phone.  Hoping to hear his voice, even if it consisted of vicious insults.  But nothing.  Three times back to back, and all she received was his voicemail.

“Shiho… starting position…”  Ann felt unable to stand.  The blonde fell to her knees and cradled them.  She hoped she wouldn’t throw up.  In front of everyone in the square.  Though, she knew it wouldn’t matter.  None of them paid any attention to her.  They instead went about their daily lives.  Completely ambivalent or ignorant to the goings on in the city.  Just another inconvenience in a world going ever more self-centered.  Ann let the tears fall down her face.  From this position, she could cry without anyone seeing.  Just stay huddled down on the ground.  Maybe she could disappear, and this nightmare would subside.  But Shiho had no such luxury.  Unceremoniously kicked off the team so close to finals.  What was supposed to be her big high school crowning moment now snatched out from under her.  All because she refused to give Kamoshida what he wanted.  It was too much.

Ann was ill-equipped to handle Kamoshida alone.  Shiho was her only friend.  No one else would stand against him.  He truly did have a death grip on Shujin’s throat.  She fought back silent sobs and desperately hoped for a miracle.  Someone, anyone to reach out to her.  To help.

“Hey, are you okay?”  Ann seized up from the mini heart attack that took over.  Slowly did her gaze trail up the plaid pants and black blazer to reveal a spectacled face with shaggy hair.  She nearly choked and swiftly wiped her eyes to keep him in the dark.  Of all the people that could’ve been sent to her, it had to be him.

“Uh, A-Akira!” she stammered, rising to her feet.  Heat ran down her neck at being caught in such a compromising and vulnerable fashion.  “Wh-what are you doing here?” 

Akira rubbed his neck sheepishly.  It didn’t take an A average student to sense something was wrong with her.

“I was on my way back home when I saw you,” the boy answered.  “You sounded really upset.”

“Wait… were you listening?”  She shook her head and attempted to turn it all around.  The blonde was still miffed at their argument yesterday.  “Haven’t you heard of privacy?”

“It wasn’t on purpose!” Akira said defensively.  By coincidence, he had come upon her on his way to take the train home from Shujin.  Today had been quite heavy on his mind.  The surprise visit from Morgana had thrown him for a loop.  Personified in the form of a little black cat with blue eyes, he had managed to enter their world from Kamoshida’s Palace and track them down.  Then there was the rundown on changes of heart.  They could potentially purify Kamoshida and make him repent for his ways.  But at the potential risk of his death.  As much as both boys detested the coach, murder was not something they wanted to subject themselves to.  For the greater good, he had to confess his sins and be brought to justice.

Even with the potential risks, this was their best bet.  They had to change Kamoshida’s wicked heart.  Just him, Ryuji, and Morgana.  Three really didn’t seem like much of a crowd, after all.

“Sorry for accidentally eavesdropping,” Akira said, holding his hands up.  He really was in no mood for a second day of arguing with Ann.  Making peace seemed the best option for his conscience. 

As much as Ann wished to remain annoyed to keep from breaking down, he made it quite difficult.  Akira certainly sounded earnest.  And she hadn’t exactly tried too hard to mask her upset while on the phone.

“No… I was out of line.  Sorry…”  Her pride took a hit at the admission of fault.  Being shown up by him twice in one week.  The blonde attempted to casually dry her eyes with her wrist.  This only served to make Akira further suspect.  “So much did you hear?”

“You were arguing,” Akira noted.  “Something about a friend.”  The boy opted to underplay his hand, at the risk of causing further upset.  Ryuji had managed to garner useful information on Ann earlier in the day.  Up and coming volleyball starter Shiho Suzui was apparently best friends with her.  She looked rough for just a starter.  Kamoshida had done an even worse number on her than he did Mishima.  Shiho was so kind.  Comforting and courteous to him.  Unlike the entire student body, she hadn’t written him off right there so callously.  It only made seeing the enormous black eye all the more disturbing. 

“It’s nothing at all.”

“Doesn’t seem like it.”  Ann didn’t have the strength to keep up the conversation with him.  Next time, she’d learn to be careful about what she asked for.  All she wanted was to go home and pass out in bed.  Definitely cry her eyes out into a pillow to get all the stress out.  It had been boiling over inside since the harassment started a couple months ago, and the blonde had done all she could to keep it under wraps.  But she was nearing her limit.  She needed to let herself be weak, at least for a little while.  “Ann, are you sure-“

“I said it’s nothing,” she stated.  “Nothing…”  She struggled to keep her eyes from leaking as long as she could.  But her resolve had been near shattered by Kamoshida’s gambit to bed her.  The blonde swiftly turned and abandoned Akira, rushing into the subway tunnels to head home.  She hoped none of the trains would be crowded.

Akira hadn’t expected her to rush off so swiftly.  But she was gone.  Off to deal with her own tasks.  Out of his hair.  By all accounts, his job was over.  All he needed to do was head back to Leblanc, eat dinner, and head to sleep.  Tomorrow, he could figure out the Palace situation with Ryuji and Morgana.  Yet he had this sensation in his legs pushing him to go forward after her.  A teacher involved with both Shiho and Ann.  It was quite obvious who had called her up, alright. 

But he was already pursuing a precarious path as it was.  Getting nosy in her business and further on her bad side.  She could make trouble for him at school.  He should’ve done as Sojiro said and stay out of her business.  Mind his own and go about his life.  It definitely would have been the safest venture.  Get involved in as less drama as possible.

Just stay out of it.  That was all he had to do.

“Stop following me!”  the girl said as he slowly approached her, Ann having been tracked to a remote corner in the station where she believed she would’ve ended up unnoticed.  “Just leave me alone!”

Then again, Akira was the Fool Arcana for a reason.

* * *

 “I don’t have anything to talk about with you.”

“Then why the fuck did you come with me in the first place?”

Things were once again tense between the two teenagers.  Ann still kept up her wall, remaining emotionally composed as best she could.  Akira folded his arms and gave her a flat look, eyebrow raised as he tried to figure her out.  Her stubbornness was getting on his nerves, to say the least.  All he wanted was to help her.  It may not have been his place, but his bleeding heart refused to turn away those in obvious need.  Even in spite of his promises to lay low.

Ann was just as unenthused as he was.  Despite pleading for someone to reach out to her, now she was shoving the opportunity away.  Her indecisiveness really drove her up the wall.  To make matters worse, Akira had her right where he wanted her.  A public area where they were surrounded by casual goers.  The Big Bang Burger would be inconspicuous enough for them to converse while public enough to keep them both civil.  There was no way she could rail into him like she had yesterday.  Even when keeping their voices down and in the back of the restaurant, they were both trapped.  By societal convention.  She had to give him credit.  Whoever Akira truly was, he was quite shrewd.

Though, Ann herself couldn’t figure out exactly why she came with him.  She continuously refused his plea to hear him out.  She even called him a stalker and threatened to get the police involved.  An empty threat she hoped would’ve worked.  But Akira was as stubborn as she was in that regard.  All she could do was scoff and fold her arms. 

“I told you before that it’s nothing.  It was just an argument.”  She glanced out through the window to her right while Akira gingerly sipped from his glass of water.  He had at least been courteous enough to buy them both drinks, she’d admit that much.

“An argument,” Akira flatly repeated.  “With Kamoshida.”  Her heart stopped at the boldness of his statement.  She wanted to fly off the handle at him, call him presumptuous, and lecture for his assertions.  But he was right, which only agitated her more.

By all accounts, she should just up and walk out of here.  All she wanted was to go home and cry in the safety of her room.  To blot out the world for the rest of the day.  It would only take a second to leave the diner.  But she just couldn’t.  The anxiety, the despair, the fear.  It was all killing her slowly.  Her heart felt like it would explode clear out of her chest. 

“Why do you care so much?” she asked with a defeated sigh.  Ann leaned on her hand, tracing the napkin with her finger.  “It’s not even your problem.”

“Maybe not,” Akira admitted.  “But you looked really broken down.  I don’t blame you for being pissed at my nosiness.”  He rubbed his chin with a finger as he looked her over.  It didn’t sit well with him to see her obvious discomfort, especially at his feeding into it with his intrusion.  The last thing he wished was to make people uncomfortable.  “But I just wanna make sure you’re okay.  Safe, you know?”  Ann side-eyed him with a sigh.

 _A regular heart of gold, this one_ , she thought to herself.  _Too damn nice for his own good.  What a dip!_ She ranted and raved about him in the confines of her mind, yet she still remained. 

“I don’t know what your ties are to Kamoshida, but he’s a goddamn psycho.  I’ve seen those he’s roughed up.  Mishima, Shiho, Ryuji.”  Ann felt herself seize up at the mention of Ryuji.  Shiho and Mishima she had come to the conclusion of.  But Ryuji had never even crossed her mind.  She had heard Kamoshida and him were at immense odds, but the blond had never divulged the true details. 

“What happened to Ryuji?” she inquired, dreading the answer as Akira’s gaze drew dark.

“You ever notice he walks with a limp?”  The statement hit her like a freight train.  The blonde pursed her lips and held all the air in her chest from the shock his words had created.  Akira did his best to keep his seething in line.  But the more and more he reflected over the injustice done to Ryuji, the more it irritated him.  He may have been expelled and sent to Shujin, but he could at least walk normally.

“You mean…?”  Ann didn’t want to say it.  Or even think it, for that matter.  No one could feasibly be so cruel.  Not even Kamoshida.  Right?

“Bingo.”  Akira’s confirmation went off like a bomb before her.  “The man _broke_ Ryuji’s leg and then blamed him for the fallout of the track team.”  Ann felt her heart break at Akira’s words.  Ryuji had distanced himself from everyone after Kobayakawa had disbanded the track team after supposed misconduct.  She wasn’t sure what to make of it, but Ann could never have imagined the lengths that it had delved to.  The blonde felt immense sorrow for him.  “If you wanna go, then go.  I won’t stop you.  But there’s a lot more here at work than you know.  Whatever your ties to Kamoshida are, just be careful.  We plan on bringing him into justice one way or another.”

This was a lot for the young blonde to take in.  A weary sigh slipped through her soft lips. 

“You don’t know when to quit, do you?”  Akira truly was a cut above the rest.  A person who actually wanted to be involved and fix matters, not content to let them fall to the wayside.  Though what he and Ryuji could possibly do to take Kamoshida down escaped the girl.  It wasn’t as though there was anything else for her to lose.  No sense in keeping secrets at this point.  “You’ve heard the rumors, haven’t you?”  More a rhetorical inquiry than an earnest one.  She’d have been more surprised to know he was completely ignorant on the matter.  “About Kamoshida.  Everyone says we’re getting it on…”

She grimaced and turned her nose up at the mere thought.  He repulsed her in every sense.  Mentally, physically, spiritually.  An unholy trifecta she had been forced to endure for months.  He was a toxic smoke that threatened to shrivel up her lungs whenever he entered her presence.  His perverse nature, the way he pummeled the boys during volleyball practice.  “Tough training” was his excuse.  An excuse perpetrated by an abusive bully still high on the glory days from his Olympic championship.  It was all so agonizing, like her teeth were being ripped right out of her head. 

“But that’s so not true!” 

“I knew it,” Akira muttered softly.  Ann fought a small smile from forming upon her lips.  His lack of harsh judgment felt cleansing.  Now she was much more grateful for his nosiness. 

Akira’s face twitched in displeasure as he recalled the cognitive version of Ann that draped herself over Kamoshida.  He glanced aside to the wall in embarrassment.  He had heard the rumors surrounding the Takamaki girl.  Nasty labels and uncouth rumors about her promiscuity.  Slut, whore, cunt, Kamoshida’s bitch.  He had heard nearly everything the peanut gallery had doctored up.  And those were the “nicer” ones,

“That was him on the other line,” Ann confirmed.  “I avoided giving him my number for the longest time…”  Her voice shook from the confession, having almost lost it right then and there.  Keeping her line private was the last shred of privacy she had managed to hold onto at Shujin.  Now, she had nothing.

“What did he want?” Akira asked, near breathless.  He knew good and well what she was going to say.  But by no means did he wish to hear it.  Ann enjoyed recounting it equally as he did listening.

“He told me to go to his place after this…”  Ann reviled at the recounting of his lecherousness.  The graphic sexual acts described, his hurling of slurs at her upon refusal, the usage of Shiho as a pawn.  “You know what it means.”  She crumpled the napkin up in her hand, fidgeting with it no longer easing her mind.  She felt disgusted.  At Kamoshida, at herself.  The girl delicately glanced upward from the napkin solemnly to see Akira’s face.  No longer did the stoic composed look rest there, replaced with a tense discomfort.  His mutual sharing of her feelings offered a sliver of solace.

“If I turn him down, he said he’d take my friend off as a regular on the team…”  The more she divulged, the harder it became to maintain her composure.  Her voice shook more and more, but she screamed inside her head to keep it together.  She didn’t want to cry; not in front of him.  Not here in public.  Their booth was nestled towards the back of the store, and it was a sparsely populated day.  Still, these things did little to ease her anxiety.  “I’ve been telling myself this is all for Shiho’s sake…”  Takamaki looked down at the table shamefully.  Her neck grew hot as he looked at her.  She felt so weak in front of this complete stranger.  A helpless little girl.  “I can’t take it anymore.”

A sob nearly broke through; her head screaming in pain as she did her best to hold the waterworks back.  One tear had managed to fall against her will.  Her eyes hurt tremendously.  They stung so fiercely, she’d swear she’d go blind.  But not here, not now.  Her thoughts drifted away from here.  To her good friend. 

“I’ve had enough of this!  I hate him!  And Shiho… she’s my best friend. She’s all I have left at that sorry excuse for a school!”  Each and every day at Shujin had her on the cusp of vomiting.  Kamoshida was whittling her away to nearly nothing, and she was content to let it happen.  If only she could protect Shiho, even for a little while.  The tears fell no matter how much she tried to fight them back.  Trickling down her soft cheeks, reddening those pure blue eyes of her.  Her anxiety had her keep her voice down.  She couldn’t bare it if someone saw her crying.  It was bad enough the new kid had to witness this.  But now that she was letting it out – albeit little by little – the pressure in her chest lightened its load.  The same could not be said for Akira, who felt it surmounting upon himself with each word.  “Tell me… what should I do?”

Akira suppressed a low growl forming in his throat as the right corner up his lip curled up in disgust.  Remaining as composed as best he could, but he felt himself growing perpetually angrier.  At Kamoshida and the utter lack of effort Principal Kobayakawa enforced to keep the students safe.  His fingers dug in as he tensely gripped his knees.  A low grumble resonated in his throat, jaw locked and sneering with great loathing.  Never in all his life had he felt this angry or sorry, not even for himself.  That bastard Kamoshida was ruining this girl.  He was ruining all of them. 

“Sorry,” Ann said, wiping her eyes.  “I shouldn’t have asked.  It’s not your problem.”  She felt utterly foolish to have divulged so much to him.  To beg for help.  Her face burned hotly at showcasing such vulnerability to him.  What was he expected to do?  Ann scoffed and shook her head as she attempted to regain composure.  “What am I saying?  I’ve barely even talked to you before.”  A few sniffles broke out, causing her further embarrassment.  Never had she felt so pathetic in her life.  A teenager and model now reduced to a baby crying for help. 

“Not like I have any room to complain about you venting,” Akira jested, rubbing his face.  He licked his dried lips as he tried to figure a way to lighten the mood.  The both of them could do with a good laugh or some casual friendly conversation, at the very least.  “I did drag you here, after all.”  A small smile manifested itself on Ann’s rosy lips.  “Brought this on myself.”  A small amused huff of air rushed from Ann’s nose at how nonchalant he carried himself.  In the face of all this, he was fairly well composed.  Akira leaned in and rested his chin on his balled fists.   “You know, I’ve read that it’s easier to talk to a stranger about personal issues than someone you know.  You’re less worried about them judging you since you don’t know them that well.  So if they say something you don’t like, you can always brush them off.  The hell do they know, right?” 

Ann felt herself inadvertently giving a half-smile, an amused huff of air escaping her button nose.  As awkward and embarrassed as she felt dropping all this baggage on him, it proved to be oddly therapeutic in a way.

“You’re so weird,” she said, shaking her head.  “Usually everyone just ignores me.”  She now sported a full smile, amused by her earlier wishes for him to leave her alone.  Ann caressed her sore head with two fingers along the brow.  To be such a mental mess.  She didn’t like this feeling of weakness, of a lack of control.  Even worse to have to pretend everything was fine because of Kamoshida keeping the school under his thumb.  To not worry her parents and make trouble for Shiho.  Yet, in all this, Akira managed to provide her with a small sliver of comfort.  To finally let it all out and confess what was happening.  That everything wasn’t fine like she would try and convince herself of. 

It was actually really interesting to read all the ways his face denoted what he thought.  To see all the little facial cues and twitches.  Her mind began to drift to other things as she watched him.  So many questions began to rise. 

“I spilled my guts out to you and haven’t given you a chance to talk.”

“I don’t mind.”  Akira still found himself struggling somewhat to open up, even to Ryuji.  Being shut out and down by everyone after his arrest had forced him to become distant. 

“But I wanna know about you.  Not some gossip or warning from a teacher.  Who are you really?  Are you really a bad person as the rumor says?  You just don’t seem like it…”  Akira sighed and absently tapped his fingers on the table.  His glum contemplative expression then bore a dry smirk.

“What have you heard specifically?” he asked.  A rhetorical question.  He knew good and well what he heard.  They had class together, after all. 

“That you assaulted someone.  That you almost killed them…”

“Is that all?  Surely there has to be more than I just beat a guy to a pulp.  Drink and smoke on the regular?  Carry a knife too?  What else are they saying?”  Ann chewed on her inner cheek apprehensively.  In spite of his calm demeanor, venom and ire dripped from each word as he pressed.  For him to get the toxin and disdain.  A mirthless chuckle escaped the boy, his face now sporting a disdainful scowl.  “It’s all a crock of _shit_.”  The blonde blinked in surprise at his hissing of the last word. 

“I kinda had a feeling they were all just exaggerations,” Ann said.  She had managed to get a smile out of him, albeit a sad one.

“You’d be in the minority on that one.  Even the teachers have written me off.”  Ann rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.  A feeling of guilt had cemented itself in the pit of her stomach.

“It really bugs you, doesn’t it?”  Akira glanced down towards the floor with a crestfallen look to him.

“I try not to let it.  But I mean you can only brush off so much before it starts to really sting.  And I’ve had to brush off a lot for the past few months.”  He took a sip of his glass in order to alleviate the dryness in his throat.  “You wanna know the real story?”  Ann gave him a fervent nod, more energetic than intended.  Though, she was finally being given a chance to learn about him.  “Okay, so here’s the deal.”  The boy held a hand up towards her, gesturing as he recounted his tale.  “I’m walking home one night, and this rich asshole is bothering this girl.  Drunk as shit and trying to get her into his car.  And she didn’t want to, so you can tell where this was going.”  Ann felt her stomach descend into further uneasiness at his tale.  Angry drunken men and nervous women never amounted to anything good.

“So what happened?” she delicately inquired.  Akira’s gaze glowered as he continued reflecting on that fateful night.  No matter what, it never failed to bring out the ire in him.

“I ran over to check things out, make sure she was okay.  Put myself between the girl, and the dumbass was so drunk that he fell over onto his face.  Cut his forehead up and everything.”  He clenched his fist in anger as he continued recounting the story.  “The guy apparently knew this girl.  Her secretary or something, I dunno.  He threatens the girl and demands she tells the cops I attacked him.”  He grinned disdainfully and scoffed.  “He apparently knew the cops as well because they took my ass into custody no questions asked.”  Ann scowled angrily, bunching up the crumpled paper in her fist.  “So yeah.  That’s my criminal record for you.”

“That’s such bullshit,” she scoffed.  “He can’t just buy the law and cover his ass like that.”  Akira gave a fake mocking smirk that dripped with intense contempt.  Ann couldn’t fathom ever seeing such a mirthless expression before.

“Oh, but he can,” the boy said, steepling his fingers.  “Isn’t it great how the law just means nothing?  The rich and powerful can just say whatever they want, and all you have is stolen right from under you.  Reputation, friends, your name is…”  The two stewed and seethed in silence together before the girl broke the silence.

“I’m sorry.  About all this.”  He gave a meager shrug in response.  “Kamoshida had warned me to stay away from you.”  She rolled her eyes and scoffed disdainfully.  “To protect me.  I would’ve tried to talk to you, but I really didn’t need to be on his bad side.”

“I can imagine.  And I won’t blame you for it either.  Hard to argue with people in charge.  They only hear one thing.”

“Themselves,” Ann finished.  “You try and speak out against it, your name ends up dragged through the mud.”  The blonde stared into the clear liquid being housed in her glass.  Her own reflection staring back at her with murky saddened eyes that lacked the charming blue she always sported.  “Pretty sure Kamoshida helped fuel all those rumors in secret to keep me in place.”

“That’s how it is, especially with adults.  With the rich and powerful that everyone looks to.  Give them one reason to distrust you, and it’s all over.”  His thoughts drew inward as he remembered seeing Kamoshida that Monday.  He looked kind and friendly enough, but it now burned him greatly to have been deceived by his façade.  Now he knew he was manipulating her into having sex with him.  A grown man preying upon a teenage girl.  He was a teacher, a volleyball coach.  Teachers were supposed to help and protect the kids.  A man they trusted was grooming them into his own little playtoys.  He clenched his teeth in anger to choke back the bile manifesting itself at the back of his throat.

“That bastard.  That… absolute rat fucking bastard!”  A growl rose in Akira’s throat, catching Ann by surprise.  “Complete unabashed dickhead!  Up and down and all around, stamped and tattooed right on his ass!  No good big ass shovel-chinned ratty ass afro-sporting two-bit dickless wonder!”  Ann stood in stunned silence, eyes wide and unblinking at his display.  And she thought she possessed a foul mouth.

“…PFFFFFFFFFT!”  The girl clutched her chest as she began giggling almost hysterically.  She couldn’t imagine the last time she laughed this hard.  Akira anger shifted to a reluctant amusement.  He wanted to remain angry and vindictive, but her laughter dissipated the outrage he had felt for both of them.  “Oh my God, where did any of that even come from?!”  Tears returned to her eyes, but ones of joy this time around.  “Shovel chin?  I’ve never heard anyone call him that before!”  Now the boy was laughing with her. 

“Okay, hearing it said back to me makes me realize how funny it actually sounds,” he said.  “I was so swept up in all my outrage.”  The welcome reprieve of laughter had the two teenagers feeling rejuvenated and fresh-faced.  From sharing misery to sharing anger to sharing amusement.  Ann had a good feeling about him.

“You’re pretty funny.”  He smirked at her with a shrug.  “‘Absolute rat bastard.’  That’s one of my favorites.”

“Rat _fucking_ bastard,” Akira corrected.  “Don’t forget the fucking part.  That’s important.”

“But you’re right though.  Eugh, he is so obnoxious.  Like, okay…”  Ann felt a growing excitement as she channeled her spite and agitation with Kamoshida into a chance to mock him.  “He hits on me all the time when we’re alone, and it is _so_ embarrassing.  He is absolutely dense and has zero game.  All of his come-ons are so painfully awkward, but he thinks he’s the shit.  It’s like one of those college frat boys but never grew up.  Just constantly acting like a meathead 24/7.”  Ann nursed the glass of water, its coolness feeling like heaven against her throat with each sip.  “Even worse is when he got me in his car and drove us around, he kept blasting love ballads from the 80s.”  Akira nearly choked on his drink.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me…”

“I wish I was.  Even worse are his pet names.  “Princess” and “Angel.”  Eugh…”  Ann nearly gagged from the mere act of repeating them.  How a man could think so highly of himself and yet possess such little sexual charisma was beyond her.  “You don’t know how therapeutic it feels to get this all off my chest.  Thanks a whole lot, Akira.”

“Trying my best is all.”  Her thoughts drifted back to his tale about the criminal record.  To think someone like him would be subjected to that. 

“You know, when I first saw you, you seemed lonely – almost like you didn’t belong anywhere.”  A sad smile fell upon her face.  “We’re the same in that regard.  Maybe that’s why it was so easy for me to talk to you.” 

“We’re also kind of in the doghouse when it comes to reputations,” Akira added.  Ann huffed with amusement through her nose. 

“The school criminal and the school whore.  What a pair, right?”  Akira winced and made a slicing motion with his hand.

“Hey, come on,” he said.  “Don’t talk about yourself like that.”  She raised an eyebrow at him and smirked wryly.

“What?  You get to insult yourself but I can’t?”

“That’s different.”

“Whatever.  Don’t even, simply because you wanna be Mr. Brooding Macho Dude.  You guys and your man angst.” 

“Man angst,” Akira repeated, amused.  “Or ‘mangst’, if you will.”

“I won’t.”  She rolled her eyes at him again and fiddled with the straw in her drink while Akira shook his head at her with an amused grin.  “The rumors don’t bug me all that much.  I know they’re all full of shit, and I just shake them off.  But it does get really annoying from time to time.”

“Any other rumors I should be privy to?” Akira asked, folding his arms.

“I’m sure you can guess,” Ann answered.  “I get hit on by a lot of guys, and they turn around and spread rumors that I put out for them after getting turned down.  Even going so far as to say I blow my teachers for higher grades.”  Akira cleared his throat in an attempt to keep his disgust on the level.  “Like, if I did, I’d have gone for something higher than a C average.”  Now Akira found himself laughing, trying not to spit his drink.  It brought a smile to Ann’s face to behold it.  The last thing she wanted was to darken the mood again.  The stress of it all was beyond exhausting.  Though, she couldn’t put it out of her mind now that Shiho had been involved.  Her thoughts began to drift back to her dear friend, now having been roped into her problems because of her apprehension.  The absolute last thing in the world she had wished to happen.  “Real talk, though.  I’m honestly not sure how to deal with Kamoshida.  Is there really no way for me to help Shiho?”

 Akira rubbed his chin in thought as he contemplated her situation.  It seemed he had no real solution to her problem.  He was just a regular teenage boy, and Kamoshida was a famous volleyball coach.  The pride of Shujin.

“I wish he’d just change his mind.  Like, forget about me and everything…”  She scoffed and smirked sadly at herself.  Now she was wallowing in self-pity.  “As if something like that would ever happen.” 

A sudden thought then pierced Akira’s mind at lightspeed.  Morgana’s words about the Metaverse, Kamoshida’s Palace, and the distorted wicked desires of his heart came flooding back.  It was true that he was no help to Ann here.  But with Morgana and Ryuji’s assistance…

“You never know,” he said, feigning ignorance.  “It could happen.  Have a change of heart.”  She huffed with amusement and rolled her eyes again.

“I wasn’t asking for a serious response.”  Still, his attempt to comfort her was charming in its own way.  “But I do feel a bit better now.  Thanks.”

“Good,” Akira said with a nod.  Ann slung her satchel over her shoulder and slid out from behind the booth.

“I’m gonna head home now.”  Today’s events had proven utterly exhausting for the poor girl.  Though, she didn’t feel like crying her eyes out anymore.  All thanks to him.  He rose from his seat and prepared to leave as well.  “Oh, and don’t tell anyone what I told you, okay?”  He nodded, granting her a reprieve from further stress.  The boy seemed nice enough, but the last thing she needed was more trouble coming either way for them because of his amateur sleuthing.  “I’ll try to think of a way to persuade Kamoshida.”

“Need any help?” Akira asked.  She was playing with fire.  The boy had seen Kamoshida’s twisted shadow.  If that was his inner self, then he was nothing to take lightly.  The burden of dealing with her unwanted suitor would fall to him.  Well, him and his comrades-in-arms within the Metaverse.

“I’d rather this not get too big.  Word spreads fast around Shujin, I’m sure you know.  You and Sakamoto weren’t exactly subtle yesterday.”  Akira rubbed his neck sheepishly as he recounted the previous events.  Not exactly their best foot forward in regards to dethroning Kamoshida.  “And you guys need to be careful, alright?  You don’t want any more heat on you from Kamoshida.  I still don’t know exactly what you’re up to, and I won’t ask.  Just be smart.”

“Back at you,” Akira said.  “You be careful as well.  And if you find yourself in trouble, you can come to me and Ryuji.  We can’t do much at the moment, but we can damn sure try.”  Ann huffed with amusement again.  Akira was nothing if not tenacious.  It along with his sincerity were quite admirable. 

“I will,” she said with a nod.  “I’ll see you tomorrow at school, okay?”

“Sure thing.  Seeya.”  She started for the door, awaiting the feeling of the soft satin sheets upon her skin when she could finally collapse in bed after this ordeal.  Akira watched her depart for home, feeling a little bit better about the day and the outlook on the future.  Things were starting to seem not so terrible in Tokyo. 

* * *

The majority of Shujin remained empty save for a few remnants opting to study or practice sports.  Plenty of teachers had departed as well, leaving the school operated and filled by a skeleton crew.  Though the self-proclaimed King of Shujin remained at his supposed throne.  The punching bag in his office was taking a beating more merciless than normal.  Kamoshida opted to use this one instead of someone like Mishima in order to avoid suspicion.  It was reserved for special occasions when he was really pissed off.  Ann's rejection had gotten under his skin something severe.  Always was he used to getting what he wanted.  After his years of Olympic triumph and hard scholarly work, he deserved anything his eyes fell upon.  Takamaki would see the error of her ways soon enough.

The three calls to his phone went unanswered as he threw himself into his impromptu routine.  The photo of Ryuji crumpled and falling apart from the seams after tons of abuse.  Just like the real thing.  Eventually, the anger was vented from his system.  A modicum of self-control had been restored to the unkempt teacher.  Not so much his lust.  He was still throbbing with desire in his sports trousers, only exemplified by the testosterone coursing through his veins.  He needed some relief.  But Takamaki was out of the running.  Kamoshida gently parted the shades of the little window in his office out into the gym. It was near empty save for one lone girl.  All by her lonesome, exercising her form to maintain her shape.  The coach was quick to recognize who she was.  And quicker to set his plan into action.

Suppressing the slimy grin upon his face, Kamoshida silently glided out of his office and approached her from behind.  The girl blissfully unaware of his presence even as his shadow cast itself upon her back.

"Oh hey, Suzui..."  The coach put on his most winning smile and charming voice.  He swore he should be an actor with the amount of charm he possessed.  The girl spun around, eyes widen in surprise and suppressed terror.  With just the two of them alone, she had to be on her absolute best behavior.  One slip-up could set him off.

"H-hello, Mr. Kamoshida..." Shiho timidly replied, clinging to the volleyball she had been playing with.  As though it served as some lifeline that would spare her from his wrath.  A futile effort, but the illusionary sliver of protection it provided helped quell her trembling form.

"Working hard out here, I see," he said innocently enough.  He circled her with a slow and calculating pace.  Like she was lost at sea and he was a shark waiting to strike.  His hands gingerly found their way onto her shoulders, rolling his fingers down.  "So tense, Suzui.  You can't keep yourself all tightened up like this.  You'll never keep up your pace on the team at this rate."

"Y-yes, sir..." She needed this position.  Volleyball had been her passion for years.  And the past few months, it seemed as though it would slip through her fingers.  Kamoshida had been subtly hinting at possible team cuts for those that didn't meet his high standards.  Always whenever she was around for meetings.  This was even before the beatings had taken place.  Shiho couldn't let herself be the weakest link.  Her parents and Ann were so proud of her for making the team.  If she was let go now, she'd have failed them.  Even if it meant suffering in silence, she would endure.  Whatever it took.  No matter how hard and soul-crushing the days became.  And they had swiftly started to eclipse her.  Her grades were starting to slip, and she could barely pay attention in class anymore.  Twice had Principal Kobayakawa had to talk with her about sleeping in class.  And the word found its way over to Kamoshida as it always did.  Who was quick to articulate his "dissatisfaction" at seeing his team be poorly represented outside the court.  "I-I've been practicing my form.  Think I'll really make a difference come finals."

"Yes... about that... I need to discuss your "performance."  I think there's a lot more you can do for this team that you don't realize.  A _lot_ more..."  Despite what he had told Takamaki, Kamoshida had no true intention of cutting Shiho.  She was rather good at volleyball.  Not that he'd ever admit it.  There was no way he would intentionally sabotage his team.  It was all just a ploy to get into Takamaki's skirt.  And Shiho was exploitable enough to bend Ann to his will.  Or so he thought.  But he needed to get back at the blonde for being so stubborn.  Shiho would make an excellent substitute.

"P-performance, sir?"  Her heart raced at the speed of light.  Shiho thought she might just faint from the stress.  The sweat that had already built upon her body from training had doubled.  "Something wrong? Am I... going to lose my position?"

"I wouldn't worry about that," Kamoshida purred with a cheeky grin.  "You'll find yourself in plenty of positions once I start "evaluating" you.  More than just the starting one."  The girl blinked at the man, completely missing his veiled innuendo.  Her naivete made her a prime target for Kamoshida since he had become so consumed by his desire.  "Just step into my office, and we'll discuss it..."  Shiho was herded along gently by the arm wrapped around her, heavy palm resting on her shoulder.  It was hard to read his intent.  His mood or tone didn't betray any sort of aggression.  She was thankful he wasn't going to hit her this time.  Shiho had no idea what was truly in store for her until it was far too late.

Kamoshida gently lured her into his office.  Built with a heavy door and thick walls that muffled the sound within.  And a heavy lock on the door that clicked into place behind them.

 


	7. A Last Desperate Gambit

_4/15/17 – Friday_

Friday was looking on the rather dreary side.  Not raining as of yet, and it would hopefully stay that way.  Akira wrote down his notes as usual while Mr. Ushimaru lectured about the varying branches of Japan’s government.  He wasn’t truly paying attention to it as his pencil seemed to act on its own.  Then again, it was difficult to pay attention with Morgana in his desk.  The cat had nearly given him a heart attack and gotten caught trying to interrogate him about his decision.  Akira’s phone had also been buzzing with Ryuji’s inquiries, furthering the difficulty Akira underwent to focus.  Thankfully, Mr. Ushimura was too swept up in ranting over the mystery cat skulking about Shujin.

**_Ryuji: It’s no use… I can’t think of any other way._ **

**_Akira: Concentrate on class._ **

**_Ryuji: I can’t deal with that shit right now.  I mean, what’re we gonna do about Kamoshida?  Do we just gotta go along with what that cat says?  Urgh, that damn furball…_ **

“If he only knew I’m reading this too,” Morgana said with folded ears, displeased to be regarded so callously by the boy.

“ _Quiet_ ,” Akira whispered through gritted teeth.  “ _You’re not even supposed to be in here in the first place._ ”  Having Morgana wandering around Shujin was bad enough, but housing himself in his desk was bringing things too close to home.  He had to get the cat out of here.  As to how would be a challenge.  There was no way he could sneak Morgana out of class without drawing attention.  Some sort of distraction would help, but what?

Ann was equally as disconnected from the studying as Akira was behind her.  She stared down at her phone housed between the notebook paper.  Shiho had yet to answer any of her texts from earlier today.  Nor had she answered the calls from yesterday after she went home.  They didn't even meet up before school like they always did.  It wasn't like her to administer the cold shoulder.  Shiho would be in class at this time, so she’d have a good enough chance to text back.  Though, she didn’t seem to like texting during class.  Not wanting to get in trouble and all. 

**_Ann: I’m gonna head to the bathroom.  Meet with me so we can talk, okay?_ **

No answer as expected.  Ann nervously tapped her finger against the edge of her desk.  The blonde sensed that something was amiss.  If they had walked to school this morning, Ann would be less nervous.  She wished she had snagged Akira’s number yesterday so he could calm her down.  A soft vibration drew her attention.  Shiho had finally replied.

**_Shiho:  Sorry, Ann.  I can’t._ **

**_Ann:  Please, Shiho.  I really need to.  It’s important, and I’m kinda worried about something.  I need to hear your voice real quick._ **

**_Shiho:  No._ **

Now Ann was really growing worried. Something was very wrong.  Though as to how wrong, she had no idea.  But she would soon find out.

“Hey!  What’s that?!”  Akira and Ann turned to see one of the male students on his feet, staring through the glass out into the hallway and outside.  Mr. Ushimaru fumed with anger at the interruption.

“Enough!” he bellowed.  “This is a classroom!”

“Wait!”  Another student had risen to her feet, this time a female.  She was watching the same spectacle as her male counterpart.  “She’s going to jump!”  At those words, the entire classroom flew into an uproar.  Students gathered around the class and crowded into the halls, with teachers struggling to regain control.  Ann turned back to Akira curiously with a look of complete loss.  Akira could only offer a bewildered shrug.  Mishima had gathered with the other students and had a look of terror upon his face.  He recognized the girl from so high up, even from her standing upon the ledge.

She was alone.  By herself atop the roof, having climbed over the fencing and standing precariously upon the edge.  Plaid skirt, white sweater, hair done up in a ponytail.

“Suzui?” he pondered to himself.  Ann felt her heart skip, and shock shot through her body like a bolt of lightning.

“Shiho?” she asked frantically, slamming her palms onto the desk and bolting for the hallway.

“Ann, wait up!” Akira said, sliding out of his seat.  The blonde had departed so swiftly, the boy swore he could make out a cartoon-like after image of where she once was.  Mr. Ushimaru bellowed and barked orders for the students to remain in their seats while he tried his best to figure out what was happening.  But his anger fell on deaf ears.  Ann was leaning on the window and staring up at the lone girl.  It was Shiho, alright.  Her mind reeled with fear at what was happening and why.  “Oh shit…”  The only comfort she could take in all this was that Akira seemed to be as afraid as she was.  She looked back to him, seeming on the verge of tears.  What she wouldn’t give for some sort of reassurance that this wasn’t happening.  But Akira could provide nothing.  His gut twisted with how useless he felt in providing comfort.  The scattered muttering in the hallway shifted swiftly to shrieks of terror.  Ann turned around to see what had scared the student body so thoroughly only to see her friend hit the ground at an incredible speed.

“ _SHIHO!_ ” Ann shrieked, nails dragging against the glass.  Never in all his life had Akira heard such immense passion and despair in a person’s voice up until that moment.  He, however, was too shocked to speak.  His jaw merely hung ajar, eyes widened while he took in all that transpired.  Shiho was lying on the ground.  Not moving, legs bent at irregular angles.  Now he felt his stomach growing further uneasy.  As though he might vomit.  Ann cupped her mouth and tried to choke back sobs.  They were slipping out regardless, being drowned out by the horrified ramblings of the teenagers.  “No… why?”

“Ann…”  Akira reached out to her but was nearly knocked over as the blonde raced past him towards the stairs.  She squeaked out her friend’s name, her voice sounding like it was straining to keep itself together.  Akira ran after the blonde as fast as he could, though she had swiftly eclipsed him in speed.  He swore she should be on the track team with this swiftness.  That is if they had one.

“H-hey!” Akira looked over his shoulder to see Ryuji keeping a steady pace with him.  “What’s goin’ on!?”

“Courtyard!” Akira said as he slid down the stairs.  He descended so swiftly, he almost flew off and hit the wall.  Time was of the utmost essence for the young boys.  Ryuji descended less gracefully down the stairs but still held his own.  Ann was nowhere to be seen in the crowd of people.  No doubt she had made her way to Shiho’s very side.  Anyone who stood in her way was definitely in over their head.  Akira and Ryuji had a less easy time getting to the front.  Shuffling and shoving their way through students while the teachers attempted to establish some degree of order until they caught sight of Ann and Shiho.

An emergency response team had arrived there before even they had.  Shiho was deathly still as she was placed upon the stretcher and draped in a blanket.  Eyes shut and not a breath to be seen rising from her frail chest.  Ann merely stood there dumbstruck.  The blonde was at her wit’s end, eyes full of tears and knees threatening to give out from her trembling.  The student body around there muttered gravely to themselves, some texting pictures to social media to inform the internet of what had transpired.  Others were calling their parents feverishly with worry in their heats.  School would be closing shortly after they regained some control, no doubt. 

“Shiho…”

The paramedics began carefully loading the girl into their vehicle.  Each movement being gingerly calculated so as not to disturb her.

“We need someone to go with her.  Are there any teachers around?” one of them inquired.  The teachers fumbled excuses to provide noninvolvement.  None of them were wholly prepared for a suicide attempt.  Without missing a beat, Ann volunteered to take their places.  Adult permission be damned, she was determined to remain at her friend’s side.  The paramedics hurried her along, and Ann crouched down by Shiho’s side.  The girl was faintly breathing, and her eyes fluttered open slightly.  The pain was beyond excruciating, Shiho struggling to speak.  But she was still very much alive.

“Shiho… why?”  Ann couldn’t fight the tears.  The sobs choked out of her with every minute.  Months of holding in all the pain were exploding out of her, and there was not a single thing she could do to halt it. 

“Ann…?”  Her vision was blurred from the pain coursing through her body.  That combined with the slight concussion she was undergoing made it difficult to focus.  Ann resembled a vaguely coherent blur, but Shiho could recognize her blonde friend anywhere.  Ann gingerly took her hand while Shiho attempted to squeeze it comfortingly.  But her strength was nonexistent at this point.  All she could do was twitch her fingers.  “I’m sorry.  I… I can’t take this… anymore…”  The girl lying on the stretcher weakly sobbed as she did her best to remain conscious. 

“But why?  Why do this?”  Shiho rose a shaky hand up to rest upon her hoodie collar.  She tugged upon it with as much strength as she could possibly muster, beckoning her forward.  Ann leaned in closely as her voice fell to a whisper.  She was slipping away little by little, and it wouldn’t be long until she was under.  But Ann needed to know the truth.  To not blame herself.

“ _K-Kamoshida…. r-raped me…._ ”  Ann felt her stomach sink and mind go white with shock.  She felt herself gagging and resisted with all she could to not throw up.  Her fears had all been proven right.  But what she wouldn’t have given to just be paranoid or worrying over nothing.  Anything but this.

“Kamoshida…?”  With that, Shiho’s head slumped delicately to the side, and the girl fell into unconsciousness.  “No!  Shiho?!”  The paramedics lifted Shiho and guided Ann into the vehicle and began driving away.  The teachers began the uphill struggle of herding the students back into class.  In the office, Principal Kobayakawa was on full damage control as his office phone buzzed with dozens of calls.  The student council had been called in to try and aid the teachers.  Though, there would be no organizing this chaos.  Akira was so overwhelmed with emotion, he couldn’t bring himself to move.  Sympathy for Ann, worry for Shiho.  His head was positively spinning.

“Look!” Ryuji whispered, pointing to his right.  Mishima was frantically making his way away from the crowd.  Tripping over himself with each clumsy step.  “That guy…”

“Grab him…”

* * *

In the span of only a few minutes, things had gone from bad to worse.  Mishima had confirmed their worst fears that Kamoshida was actively beating up students, selecting them like it were a mere lottery.  Shiho had been the last one to feel his wrath, though the gym teacher had remained as coy as ever.  According to his words, Shiho was now in critical condition.  Comatose with no chance of recovery.  It made Akira sick.  Sick and angry that they had been played so.  Their one eyewitness testimony was now unconscious with her awakening uncertain, if at all.  He couldn’t imagine how Ann felt.

Even worse was the news that Kamoshida had been the one to leak his criminal record to the student body, using Mishima as his errand boy.  Soon, they would also end up expelled, and Akira would be carted off to juvenile hall.  The young boy was fuming with his blond cohort in the courtyard, school having been let out early.  Mishima had scampered off to who knows where.  Akira had not been paying attention and was instead boiling in anger.

“Dammit!” Ryuji spat, slamming his fist against the vending machine.  “This is bullshit!  That son of a bitch got us!”

“Isn’t that absolutely goddamn perfect?  We’re up shit creek without so much as a paddle, swim trunks, or even a goddamn boat!”  Akira was livid.  Beyond livid.  Positively fuming at Kamoshida’s flippant attitude of treating the students like trash.  Part of him had wanted Ryuji to clock him right in the jaw.  But that would have just gotten the both of them expelled sooner.  Not to mention Kamoshida’s veiled threat about “self-defense.” 

“We can’t waste any time.  We gotta hurry up and go to that world and beat the shit outta that asshole!”  Morgana leaned forward upon the table behind Ryuji, as though ready to pounce.

“We’re not beating him up!” the cat reprimanded.  “We’re simply stealing his distorted desires.”

“As this point, I’ll take either or,” Akira growled darkly, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“Then can I assume that you’ve made your minds about this?  About how he might suffer a mental shutdown?”  Even with his anger, Akira remained ever mindful of his fate.  If Kamoshida perished, they couldn’t make him confess or atone.

“We don’t have much of a choice, do we?” Akira huffed.  He turned to face his blond companion, leaning on the vending machine with a twitching eye.  “You decided?”

“I have.  Someone almost died because of him!  I don’t give a rat’s ass what happens to him anymore.”  Morgana nodded.  Even without a personal stake in the fight, he sympathized with his compatriot’s anger.

“And you?”  Akira merely sighed.  He could go for a drink right about now.  The boy was parched from the anger that rolled off his body.

“It’s do or die time.  Whatever happens, happens.”  If there was one thing Akira didn’t like, it was uncertainty.  As much as he detested Kamoshida to the very depths of his core, killing him wouldn’t see justice done to Shiho.  Or to Mishima or any of the other students.  If they could, they make him confess and serve the rest of his life in retribution.  He leaned against the back wall, arms folded as he watched Ryuji and Morgana discuss Palaces and infiltration.  This was to be their first takedown of a Palace, all three of them.  Despite Morgana’s knowledge, he was just as green as the rest of them.  They were gonna have to be careful in doing this.  But being on such a limited timetable left little room for careful maneuverability.

“Is it true that you’re getting expelled?”  a familiar feminine voice asked.  Akira slowly turned to see none other than Ann standing behind him.  She looked absolutely defeated and exhausted.  “Everyone’s talking about it…”

“Why am I not surprised?” Akira mused flatly.  Kamoshida worked fast, he gave him that much.

“That asshole’s at it again…” Ryuji muttered while tapping his foot.

“For the last time,” Akira growled.  Morgana ducked out of sight as to not attract the blonde’s attention, though he did his best to take a peek at her.  “How are you holding up, Ann?  How’s Shiho-“

“Oh, forget about me!” Ann interrupted, hands upon her hips as she stared the two boys down.  “So are you two getting expelled or not?”

“Not if we can help it,” Akira answered.  Ann let out an anguished sigh and rubbed her sore eyes, red from crying.

“Goddammit, you two!  What did I tell you before about not attracting attention?  I told you this would happen!”  Ryuji clenched his jaw and choked back any biting insults.  He was in no mood for a lecture.

“So you came all this way to tell us that?”  They were wasting time discussing things, and time was a luxury neither of the boys could afford at this point.  Ann sighed and got herself together the best she could.  Everything had changed, and she was low on options.  Then again, so were they.

“If you’re going to deal with Kamoshida… let me in on it too.”  Akira and Ryuji blinked in surprise, exchanging perplexed looks at her proposal.  Her puffy blue eyes resonated with determination and shimmered with a fiery brightness Akira could perceive inhabiting her irises.  “I want in.”

“Whoa-hold on!” Akira said, holding up his hands.  “Time out!  Ann, this is a bit more complicated than-“

“I can’t just sit back and do nothing after what happened to Shiho!”  Akira hadn’t anticipated her to jump into the fray so swiftly, but he could hardly blame her.  But she wouldn’t provide any help to them in Kamoshida’s Palace without a Persona, and they didn’t have time to see if she found one.

“I understand that, Ann, but you don’t understand just how complicated this really is-“

“This has nothing to do with you,” Ryuji interrupted, catching Akira off-guard.  “Don’t butt your head into this.”  Ann scoffed in complete offense at the blond boy’s callousness. 

“Hey, uh, hold on there, Ryuji,” the frizzy-haired youth said, turning to give his friend and apprehensive look.  He was treading on very thin ice regarding Ann and Shiho.  “I think you need to watch your wording here, bud-“

“But it does!” Ann spat, stamping her boot and pointing a finger accusingly at Ryuji.  The tears were starting to well up. “Shiho’s my-“

“I said don’t get in our way!” Ryuji shouted back.  Ann felt a lump form in her throat from his yelling.  She tightly shut her eyes and felt the tears slip out.  A sob escaped the shaken blonde, and she swiftly turned away from the both of them.  She held an arm over her eyes as she ran away, letting the tears fall.  Ann was too emotionally devastated to care who did or didn’t see her cry at this point.  She had neither the strength nor the patience to hold it in. 

Akira watched her depart, crestfallen.  He couldn’t even begin to fathom how helpless and heartbroken she was, and now she had been shut out by the only people that cared.

“That was harsh,” Morgana said while bowing his head.  His furry little ears were folded down.  Ryuji shook his head and let out an agitated huff.

“I don’t like it either, but we can’t take her somewhere like that.”  Akira didn’t disagree, but Ryuji really needed to learn some sensitivity.  Ann needed someone to tell her things would be fine.  A shoulder to cry on, not a wall to divide her from others.

“I hope she doesn’t torment herself over this,” the cat said.  “When it comes down to it, women don’t hesitate.”  Akira had no capacity for quips at Morgana’s behalf.  He was too hurt over Ann at the moment.

“For once in your life, would it kill you to be a little sensitive?” he asked Ryuji before giving chase.

“H-hey!  Where you goin’?!” Ryuji called out.  Akira said nothing, instead fixated on finding her.  Time was of the essence, but Ann was also his friend.  And she was in dire need of one at the moment.  As to where she had ended up, Akira wasn’t quite sure.  He ventured all over school, making careful to avoid a second run-in with Kamoshida.  It wouldn’t be hard to find the blonde, especially now that school was out.  As he made it to the second floor of the building, his attention was drawn to soft sniffling from the girls’ bathroom as he ventured through the hallways.  Definitely a girl’s voice. 

“Ann?” Akira called out.  The sniffling stopped.  Instead, silence greeted him in response.  “It’s me, Akira. Can I talk to you please?”  Slow shuffling resonated from within the bathroom as he hovered by the entrance.

“What do you want?” Ann asked weakly.  Her eyes were red and puffy from the crying having started back up.  Akira hated seeing people cry.  Nothing made his heart ache worse than other people’s suffering.  The boy mulled over his words thoughtfully.  There was no way she could be of help to them over there, but he had to tell her something.

“Ann, I’m sorry about…. Well… what I mean is…”  His words fumbled over themselves as he tried to offer some degree of comfort.  Though what could he provide in the aftermath of Shiho’s suicide attempt?  “I can’t begin to imagine what you must be feeling-“  Ann interrupted him by pulling him into her and crying into his shoulder.  It was a hard and emotional cry.  Clearly, it had not been something she had done in a while.  So much pain leaked out of her.  Her face burned hot with embarrassment at showcasing her weakness in front of him.  But she needed to be weak.  She wasn’t sure how much more she could take.

“I kn-knew something was wr-wrong!” the blonde choked out between sobs.  “I tried to talk to h-her, b-but she w-wouldn’t let m-m-me!”  Akira said nothing, instead opting to embrace her.  Let her get it out.  She earned this.  “I’m s-so sorry, Shiho!  This is all my fault!”

“It’s not your fault, Ann…”

“Do you know what he did to her?”  Her voice had fallen to a whisper.  A scared and fragile thing.  Even without saying the name, Akira knew who she was speaking of.  And dread permeated over him as he awaited her answer.  “Shiho told me… h-he raped her…”  Akira nearly gagged as he felt his throat spasm from her words.  Bad enough that he had been beating the students.  Now he was sexually assaulting them?  Akira had no qualms about killing Kamoshida now.  But they needed him to confess.  And a corpse can’t speak.

“When did this happen?”

“Yesterday, I think…”  Ann was shaking like a leaf, her voice just as uneasy as her stability.  It took all her fortitude to speak to him in a coherent fashion.  “I knew something was wrong when she didn’t answer my calls.  When we didn’t walk to school together or text back.  I knew it!  It’s all my fault!  Dammit!  Dammit…”  She fell apart on him again.  The blonde gripped the collar of his blazer for comfort.  “I should’ve done what he asked and gone to his place.  I could’ve stopped this…”

“Don’t say that, Ann!” Akira said, gripping her shoulders.  He pulled her away and faced her directly with a stern look.  “You know Shiho would be feeling the same things you are now if you did.”  Ann dipped her head and shook as more pitiful sobs slipped through.  She didn’t have the strength to argue with him.  The blonde was such a mess. 

“Akira… I-I don’t know what to do…  Please, help me.”  The darkest chapter of the blonde’s young life had been opened before her.  But Akira couldn’t get her involved.  No matter how much she deserved to be.

“Ryuji and I have… a plan.  I can’t get into it exactly, but you’re just gonna have to trust me.” 

“Like what?” The silence lingered as Akira pursed his lips.  He hadn’t the time nor the capability to explain it to her.  “I want to help.  I can’t just sit by and let Kamoshida walk away.”

“And he won’t.  I can assure you of that.  We’ll make him pay.  But I can’t tell you what it is.  It’s too… well, I’m not sure exactly how to explain it.  You gotta trust us on this.”

“So I’m supposed to just sit here and do nothing?” Ann asked, glowering lowly at him.  Her hands were firmly planted upon her hips.  “You won’t even tell me what it is or let me help my only friend at this horrible school!”  Ann felt her resolve wavering again, a sob or two slipping to the surface along with her tears.

“I understand that, but you have to trust me,” Akira assured her.  “Have I given you a reason to distrust me?”

“You still haven’t told me why you were late on the first day.”  She did have him there, he had to admit.  But she’d never believe the truth unless he showed her.  Such a move would be far too risky with shadows lurking about.  Akira wasn’t even sure someone could enter a Palace without the app.  His attention shifted to the vibrating in his pocket.  As he withdrew the phone, he could see Ryuji’s name prominently displayed on the screen.

“I gotta get going.  Business to take care of.  Like I said, I’m really sorry, but you gotta let us do our thing.  We’ll fix this, I swear.”  He turned and ventured for the stairs.  They were gonna have to act fast to save their skins.  Ann helplessly watched him depart, too frustrated and downtrodden to press him.  The girl fell to her knees and cradled herself as she sobbed silently.  She was kicking herself for having not anticipated such a turn of events.  That Kamoshida would press Shiho for what he couldn’t get from her.  What would become of Shiho in the hospital?  And would Kamoshida come after her next?  At this point, she was too distraught to care what became of her.  Perhaps she should just let him.  As penance for Shiho. 

“Yeah, I’m sorry, dude.  I was busy doing damage control, alright?”  Akira’s words echoed up the stairwell and reached the blonde’s ears.  It had never struck her just how loud it was in there with no one around.  “We’re meeting at the alley again, right?  Cool, on my way…”

Ann jerked her head up and looked towards the stairwell.  They were enacting whatever plan they had today?  The blonde inhaled sharply and steadily rose to her feet, keeping the trembling in her chest from the sobs attempting to break free contained.  If they were doing it today, then they clearly had something definite planned and enough confidence in it.  There was no way she could let this opportunity slip through her fingers.  The girl stared forward with fierce shimmering eyes and trudged forward.  She would tail Akira to his meetup place and catch them in the fact.  If they wouldn’t involve her, then she would make them involve her.

The blonde descended down the stairs as fast and quietly as she could.  Her eyes peeked around the corner to see Akira exiting through the front entrance.  Ann darted to the closest wall and hugged it closely.  The boy kept on going, completely oblivious to her tailing him.  As she watched him, the gears began turning in her blonde-haired head.  She’d be spotted too easily if she followed him through the front entrance.  Ann slowly turned and ventured for the side exit.  Each step was delivered with the direst amount of precision and tact as not to arouse suspicion or noise.  She was a woman on a mission, and no pair of teenage boys would stop her.

Peeking out past the corner, she witnessed him slip into an alleyway across from the front entrance.  Ann silently fumed to herself as she crossed the street over, thankfully out of sight of the alley viewport.  The very nerve of Sakamoto to shut her out like that had venom boiling within her the likes of which rivaled Akira’s.  There was no way she would wait around like a maiden in need of rescuing while the two of them did all the work, getting themselves in trouble.  Her pride and her devotion to Shiho wouldn’t allow it.  No matter what.

* * *

 “So we just gotta say the school, Kamoshida’s name, and… castle? Then we end up in bizarro world, right?”

“Seems fairly cut and dry now that we know what to do.”

“But we don’t really though.  How the hell’s all this work?  Someone make it?” 

“Someone had to.  Things just don’t pop up on their own out of nowhere.  Honestly, I thought it was a virus the first time I got it…”  Ryuji and Akira both had their backs turned to the alley entranceway while they browsed their phones.  The unusual red and black app with the eye and star stared back at the both of them.  It really creeped the young boys out.  While they mused over how things would transpire, Morgana sat and twitched his tail impatiently.  The sooner they were able to do this, the sooner he could become human again. 

“We’ll show that effin’ Kamoshida!” Ryuji huffed, earning a nod of agreement from the spectacled youth.

The alleyway was bathed in red, the air around them being distorted with black wavy lines.  The two boys held their resolve but couldn’t deny the eerie feeling that came from transitioning from one world to another.  No longer was Shujin where it was, instead having been replaced by an enormous castle that towered into the clouds.  A drawbridge extended to the streets that led into a massive courtyard.  The sky was a miasma of blue and purple clouds silhouetted against the red sky. 

“All right!  Time to bust on through!”  Ryuji craned his arm with an eager grin.  This had been a long time coming for him, and he was eager to see justice done.  Akira inspected his pistol before sliding it back into his coat pocket.  After everything he had done to Ryuji, Mishima, Shiho, and Ann, he was fully committed to their crusade of justice.  No matter the cost.

“What is this!?”  Akira and Ryuji froze dead in their tracks, the feminine voice sneaking up on them and leaving them gobsmacked.  Slowly did they turn to see none other than Ann with them. 

“T-Takamaki!?”  Ann looked the both of them over.  With their extravagant outfits and being overwhelmed by this strange occurrence, it was difficult to determine who they were at first.  She had never seen such ornate garments outside of foreign fashion shows and anime.

“That voice… Sakamoto!?”  There was no mistaking the leather-clad boy for anyone else.  The blond short hair, the poor posture.  And if that was the case, then his shaggy-haired companion was none other than… “And are you Kurusu-kun!?”  Akira and Ryuji glanced back and forth between her and each other, stammering to form some sort of response.  Both boys were utterly dumbstruck by the turn of events.  Akira didn’t even know one could enter this reality without the app.  “What are you guys wearing?”

“Wh-wh-why are you here!?” Ryuji managed to utter.

“How should I know!?  What’s going on?  Where even are we!?  Isn’t this the school!?”  Ryuji and Akira watched her stumble over herself as she attempted to make sense of what she was seeing.  The blonde was more overwhelmed now than she had ever been.  Ryuji turned and narrowed his eyes at Akira suspiciously.

“You didn’t check to see if you were being followed!?”

“I didn’t expect her to!” Akira reasoned.  Though, in hindsight, he definitely should have.  Ann didn’t seem like the girl to just stand around and wait.

“Come on, dude!  That’s like the first rule of stealth or whatever!  Don’t get caught!  Haven’t you done this before?”

“No, actually!  I don’t normally sneak into alleyways to infiltrate alternate realities!  I normally don’t sneak into alleyways _at all,_ in fact!”  The boys turned to face their feline companion.  “Morgana, help us out here!”  Though the cat himself was lost for words.  His eyes were widened in utter surprise and rapture as he beheld himself to Ann’s visage.

“Whoa…” he purred, clasping his little paws together.  The way her twintails cascaded down like waterfalls, her angelic pure blue eyes, her slender form.  It was even better than the shadow doppelganger he witnessed draping herself upon Kamoshida’s arm.  Ryuji and Akira studied the cat curiously as he swayed to and fro like a leaf along the wind.

“Uh… what’s with him?” Ryuji asked while thumbing to the cat.  Akira scratched his shaggy head of hair while he watched Morgana’s pupils transform into big throbbing pink hearts.  The cat could hardly believe what he was looking at.  Akira and Ryuji’s attempts to reach out to him fell upon deaf ears.

“My goodness… she’s so beautiful~”  Slowly did Akira shut his eyes and lean his head against his hand, nursing his brow.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” he huffed under his breath.  Ryuji didn’t seem to grasp what had befallen Morgana.  “The cat’s got puppy love.”  Ryuji merely shook his head in contempt at their furry companion’s star-struck state.  To him, Ann resembled absolute heaven above.  To the boys, she resembled a frantic and fearful girl lost in a world even they didn’t fully understand.

“Her voice, her form.  She’s so utterly…“  The trenchcoat wearing boy felt his heart seize in disgust and apprehension as he realized where Morgana was headed.  His voice fell to a low whisper with the anticipation that the cat was about to utter something very cursed.

“Please don’t…“

“Meow-velous~”  Akira winced with great pain, biting down onto his finger with intense irritation.

“God.  Dammit.  I fucking _hate_ puns.  Especially cat ones.”  Akira had a great and vast sense of humor, able to appreciate all types of comedy, no matter how niche or varied.  Puns were not included.  It would be a cold day in hell before he ever acknowledged a pun that so much as even made him crack a smirk.  Akira took hold of Morgana and shook him slightly.

“Hey, Morgana, we kinda need you to get it together right now and explain why this happened.”  The cat blinked his eyes and rubbed them with his paws.  Ann was still beyond beautiful to him even outside of his lovestruck state.  But he was a phantom thief first and a lover second.  He would find time to court her later.  His big bug eyes gravitated towards the device resting in Akira’s hand they used to enter the Palace.  A phone, he recalled them naming it.

“Perhaps she was dragged in because of that app thing,” Morgana pondered.  Akira stared down at the phone screen.  The more they seemed to learn about this world, the less they seemed to understand.  “If multiple people can enter with the person who uses it, it stands to reason it’ll pull anyone nearby.”

“For real?” Ryuji asked.  Akira swore under his breath before stuffing the phone back into his trenchcoat pocket.

“We gotta be much more careful about this then.  I have no intention of making this a repeat performance.”  Ann sized up the castle more accordingly while the boys rambled on.  She hadn’t truly been paying too much attention to their words.  Whatever “bizarro world” as Ryuji had described it this was, it was unlike anything she had ever seen. 

“Wait, so _this_ is related to Kamoshida?” she asked.  What exactly “this” was, she still wasn’t sure.  Ryuji rubbed his neck sheepishly.  This was going to be a mess and a half for both him and Akira to explain.  But it would be a mess for later.  Much later.

“Anyways, you gotta leave!” he said.  Ann gave him a look of great offense and began to bicker with him.  Morgana waved his paws at the both of them nervously.

“The shadows are going to find us if you make a scene!”  As Ann diverted her attention from Ryuji to the cat, she nearly stumbled over in shock at what she was witnessing. 

“No way!  It talked!?”  Morgana once again motioned for her to lower her voice, but the blonde was only focused on his bizarre appearance.  “Oh my god, it’s a monster cat!”  Morgana let out an offended scoff and stared back at her with surprised widened eyes.

“Monster?” he repeated with slight indignation.  Though with his small body, round head, and big eyes, Akira could hardly blame Ann for her assumption.  Truth be told, even the both of them weren’t quite sure what Morgana was.  Definitely not some ordinary cat but not human.  At least not currently.  The cat looked down and fidgeted with his paws.  His ears folded at the wounding of his pride.  “I’m not a monster…”

“You guys better explain what’s going on!” Ann pointed a finger at the two boys and planted her boot firmly upon the cobblestone.  “I won’t leave until you do!”  Ryuji looked to Akira for guidance, but all he could offer was a flat and defeated look.  This had not at all been how he wanted the day to pan out, let alone their first big infiltration into Kamoshida’s Palace.  He rested his forehead against his fist and kicked himself for allowing this to happen.  Morgana had even less insight to offer and merely shrugged at the blond.  The leather-clad youth sighed and popped his shoulder.

“Looks like we gotta force her…”  Akira looked up warily to meet his gaze.

“I don’t like the sound of that,” he admitted.  Ann had said before that she’d scream if he attempted to move her.  He felt like keeping his eardrums intact as well as avoiding any more unwanted attention once they arrive back in the real world.

“She can’t stay here!  She doesn’t have powers.”  Akira couldn’t argue with him on that.  Or with much of anything at the moment.  He was already feeling exhausted, and they hadn’t even set foot within the Palace yet.  And with Morgana’s siding with Ryuji, Akira felt himself with no wiggle room.  It was two against one now.  “Can you lend me a hand?”

“I would prefer not to, but I don’t have much of a choice.”  The two boys approached Ann on either side while Morgana watched with a solemn look.  They had the right idea, but boy was he going to miss such a beautiful woman.  Ryuji wasted no time as he hoisted her up by her leg.  Akira took the other in her hand and helped balance the blonde on her shoulder.

“Hey! What’re you-“

“We’ll explain after everything’s over!” Ryuji attempted to reason.  Though Ann was having none of it.  She wriggled and swung her legs to free herself, but the boys kept their arms firmly wrapped around them.  It took both of Akira’s arms to hold one leg in place.  Ryuji seemed to be struggling on his end as Ann was attempting to climb over him.  Not one bit of her was happy to be manhandled like this.  Morgana followed the two boys and stared remorsefully up at the object of his desires.

“I hope you can forgive us, my lady,” he said while nervously fidgeting his paws.  Ann felt her eyebrow twitch at his attempt at chivalry.  Between being weirded out by the talking cat and his rather eye-roll worthy attempt at manners, all she could do was stare at him bewilderedly.

“Ngh!” Akira growled between gritted teeth as she pounded her fists against his back.  She was really putting up a fight to stay with the three of them.  God help anyone who catches her wrath, Akira surmised to himself.  “This chick is too heavy…”

“ _Excuse me!?_ ”  The youth immediately regretted his choice of words as she delivered a sharp elbow into the back of his head.  He had broken a rule his father had taught him early in life: to never mention a woman’s weight.  Now his eyes were rolling in his head from the blow.

“Jeez…”  His head stung fiercely from it.  Ann really could deliver a heavy hit for someone so slim. 

“Goddammit, just hold still!”  Ryuji pulled her down and reached to grab hold of her back.  Only he fell short of the mark.  Very short.  And Ann felt her face explode into an embarrassed and angered blush from his hands.

“H-hey!  And just where are you touching!?”  Akira saw where his leather clad hand had ended up and felt a deep sense of mortification on his behalf.  Yellow on red was quite the sharp contrast.

“Uhh, Ryuji?”

“Oh shit!”  The blond swiftly adjusted his grip.  “Whoa, sorry, I didn’t mean-“  As a reward for moving his ill-placed hand, he received a swift knee to the chest.  “Agh!  Chill out, will you?!”  Morgana stamped his little feet in anger at the display Ann had been subjected to.

“How dare you inappropriately lay your hand on a lady like that, Skull!  My lady, I am so sorry for his uncouth behavior-”

“Shut up, Morgana,” the boys said in unison.  Neither one of them was in the mood for his white knighting.

“You guys seriously better let me go right now!”  It was Akira’s turn to experience pain as he felt her fingers dig into his hair.  She had a good death grip on his shaggy mane with no intention of going.  Snaking his arm around her leg, Akira retrieved his phone and sent them back to the regular world.  As Ann processed the sudden scenery change and let go of Akira’s hair, much to his relief.  The blonde finally managed to wriggle free from their grip and beheld the sight before her.  Shujin was back.  Just a regular school as usual.  No distorted sky, no medieval architecture.  And both Ryuji and Akira were dressed in regular clothing again.  “H-hold on a second!  How did you do all that?!”  Akira nursed the back of his sore head to make sure he still had hair back there.

“I told you we’ll explain later!” Ryuji said, retrieving his phone.  The sooner they returned to the Palace, the better.  “Let’s get going already.”

“I don’t think so!” Akira found himself in the death grip of Ann once more, this time with her fingers tugging his sleeve.  His blond companion sighed and began rolling up his sleeves.  She was in need of more manhandling, it seemed.  He halted when Akira raised his hand.

“Hold on, just…”  A weary sigh escaped the young boy.  Not exactly the best start in striking back at Kamoshida.  “Let me try and talk to her.  I won’t be long, okay?”

“Seriously?”  From the stern looks of confirmation he got from the both of them, it was clear he had no negotiation room.  Ryuji shook his head and shuffled farther into the alley.  He trusted Akira wouldn’t keep him waiting too long.  Watching him fade away before their very eyes to the Palace sent chills down his spine.  Ryuji could almost have passed for a ghost as he passed into the other realm.  The boy turned to face Ann, who impatiently awaited an explanation.  And still had a firm hold upon his arm.

“You can let go now.”  Instead of obliging his request as he hoped – because her nails were now really starting to pinch – she merely quirked an eyebrow suspiciously at him.  “I’m not gonna run off.”  Ann lingered there before him, still holding on.  With great precision and deliberation did she release the hold upon his arm.  Akira rubbed the spot to make sure there was actually feeling still in it. 

“You better explain everything.  What was that place, how is it connected to Kamoshida, and how will this help Shiho?”  The blonde placed her hands upon her hips and tapped her foot as she awaited her explanation.  It had better be a good one in order to calm her nerves.  Akira rubbed his brow and thought about the best way to relay it all to her.

“I can’t fully get into it.  Mostly because we’re not entirely sure ourselves…”  Morgana’s expertise had only extended so far.  His confession of this being the first time he would help initiate a change of heart did not inspire the most confidence.  Flying blind like this only worsened Akira’s anxiety.  But Kamoshida had left them little choice.  Either take the plunge and change his heart or take the expulsion.  The choice couldn’t be clearer.  “But that Palace represents another world – one we recently just discovered.  It’s somehow tied to Kamoshida’s mental state of being.  Why he is the way he is.”

Ann was at a loss for words.  What he said sounded utterly ludicrous.  It all sounded like some sort of fever dream.  But there wasn’t a single experience she felt that could be denied.  The world warping before her as they were consumed by a miasmic void of black and red waves.  Never before had she witnessed something so alien.  The blonde was buzzing with significantly more questions now.  Though, Akira could answer a lot of them from what he told her.  This seemed to be new to him as well.

“If I hadn’t seen it myself, I’d think you were crazy.”

“You wanted to know why I was late my first day?  Well, there you go,” Akira said, managing to work up a dry smirk.  “Told you you wouldn’t have believed me.” 

“So what exactly are you doing in there that makes it so I can’t come with you?”  Akira slipped the phone from his pocket and eyed the time.  He had been keeping Ryuji waiting for quite the while now.  And each second wasted was inching them closer to expulsion.

“Look, I _really_ don’t have the time.  We’ve got to get this done-“

“Then I don’t see why I can’t come with.”  The boy huffed with slight frustration through his nose.  Of all the blondes that weren’t easily distracted ditzies, Ann had to be one.  She was tenacious, if not downright stubborn.  And rather perceptive as his frustration wasn’t lost on her.  “Don’t get mad at me because you’re being intentionally vague, alright?  I _have_ to bring Kamoshida down.”

“You have to be able to protect yourself in there.  And I don’t think you know how to fight.”

“Fight?” Ann paused, eyebrows raised in worry.  “What would you have to fight?  …Are you guys in danger?”  Akira pursed his lips and mentally kick himself for his sleight of words.  “Hold on!  You guys are already in enough trouble as it is!  You’re seriously putting yourselves in a position that can get you hurt?”

“What alternative do we have?”  Now Ann was the one left to linger in silence.  And as her mind raced to come up with a counterargument, everything seemed to fall flat.  Kamoshida would have them expelled at the end of the month without a bit of hesitation.  Nobody would stick up for them either if they went public.  Both Ryuji and Akira had their reputations buried.

“W-well… maybe I can talk to Kamoshida personally.  Convince him not to do this.”  Akira’s face darkened at the thought of her putting herself within his range.  If he raped Shiho and drove her to suicide, there was no limit to what he might subject Ann to.

“No way,” he stated sternly before pointing a finger at her.  “Put distance between him and yourself.  I don’t want you getting yourself hurt for our sake.”  Ann furrowed her brow before planting her hands on her hips, giving him an unimpressed look.

“You mean like what you’re doing now?”  He felt his eye twitch at her comeback.  She really could crack the whip when it came to comebacks.  “Maybe you wanna play the hero or whatever, but this isn’t the way to go about it.  Intentionally running into danger sounds pretty stupid if you ask me.  Especially when you guys don’t seem to have a plan.”  Akira merely shrugged and thumbed to the app while inching little by little back towards the alleyway.

“I’m not hearing any alternatives.  It may not be the most conventional way, but it’s all we got.  And I don’t have time to argue with you about it.”  Ann raised her voice in protest as his form dissipated before her very eyes, prompting the blonde to reach out and grab at his shirt.  But she was too late.  Akira had returned back to that cosmic realm.  The girl stood alone in the quiet alleyway and stared back at the spot where he once stood.  Ann was rather angry at being pushed away.  Shiho was her friend, and she wasn’t even allowed to be involved.  Kept in the dark by two boys determined to play hero.  If they got back, she’d be giving them an earful. 

If.

It hadn’t truly occurred to her that they might not come back.  All bets were off with what Kamoshida was capable of.  Ryuji’s broken leg, Shiho’s rape, the volleyball team abuse, the boys’ expulsion.  He was truly unhinged now.  Ann fought with herself that she should call him up and arrange a meeting.  Convince him to leave them alone.  But being alone with him was literally the last thing she needed.  There was no one else to turn to with Shiho out of the picture.  Ann had always hated this feeling of helplessness, of lacking direction.

Everything was out of her hands now.  Whatever Akira and Ryuji were planning, all she could do was hope things would turn out fine.

For them and for Shiho.

“Hmm?”  Ann’s attention was drawn to an unusual ping that came through her phone speakers.  It didn’t sound familiar to her, and as her eyes fell upon the screen, she could see why.  The source of it was an unusual red and black app with an eye at the center, its iris a star.  “What the…?”


	8. Panther's Awakening

_4/15/17 – Friday_

“Dammit, dammit, dammit!” Ryuji muttered softly to himself as he tore down the corridors of Kamoshida’s castle with Akira and Morgana. 

Progress into the heart of the Palace had been relatively smooth.  They were slowly getting the hang of this “Phantom Thief” business that Morgana had penned.  Thieves who would steal the hearts of the corrupt and wicked while donned in disguises and elaborate nicknames.  It was something Akira could definitely get used to.  Or at least it would be were the situation not so dire.

The day just grew increasingly worse for him at each turn.  Somehow, Ann had managed to reenter the Palace and was being escorted to Kamoshida’s shadow personally by the shadow guards.  If Morgana’s theory of Ann possessing the app was true – however – this could potentially change things.

Another setback on their way to changing his corrupt heart.  What little control they had of the situation was slipping through their fingers like loose sand.  And time was not on their side.  All of that would have to wait.  This was now a rescue operation.

Deeper within the castle, the newest arrival remained bound to an x-shaped mechanism.  On display like some sort of trophy.  Knights stood to keep watch over her, one clad in gold while the other two were mere silver.  They kept her surrounded with swords in hand as they awaited the arrival of their king.

“What’s all this about!?” she protested, tugging at the iron shackles fastened around her wrists and ankles.  “Seriously, I’m gonna call the cops!”  An empty threat on her part.  Her phone lay nestled in her pocket but with no hands to reach with.  It seemed Akira had been right to keep her out after all.  Of all things to transpire in this nightmare reality, she certainly hadn’t anticipated being kidnapped by medieval knights and left at Kamoshida’s mercy.  It was hard to stay focused.  Not to panic from the overwhelming flurry of emotions hitting her like a tidal storm.  Once she got home, she would sleep like a rock.  If she got home, that is.

If. 

That word again.  That foreboding sense of uncertainty.  That there was no guarantee she’d come out of this unscathed.  Or at all.  Akira had warned her of that as well.  If they were still inside, she was praying they’d somehow find her.  Each drop of dread that dripped into her soul made her regret using that mystery app. 

“So _this_ is the intruder…” 

Ann felt her skin crawl at the voice that taunted her.  It was slightly distorted with its ghostly echo reverb, but she was able to recognize the slime through it clear as day.  The knight to her left took a step to the side, saluting the arrival of the voice’s owner.  A musclebound man donned in a fur-trimmed red cape with pink hearts donned upon it sauntered over, his footsteps booming in the open chamber.  His only other articles of clothing were a pink speedo and a crown donned atop his shaggy head of hair.  The pain her eyes were undergoing from the gaudy fashion display was only surmounted upon by the teenage girl draping herself around him.  Clad only in a pink leopard bikini, high heel pumps, and a cat-eared tiara.  A mere trophy girl for Kamoshida’s pleasure.  One that looked exactly like her.

“Kamoshida?” Ann cried out in disbelief.  “And who’s that!?”  The blonde pelted him with questions to help her make some sort of sense out of all this insanity.  And to delay whatever the knights had in store for her.  The coach merely laughed at her scatterbrained state, shaking his head.

“I can’t believe you mistook _MY_ Ann for someone like her.”  Ann felt herself shudder in disgust at his taunting cackles.  And the way her lookalike doted over him, stroking his cheek and fluttering her eyelashes.  Was this truly how he saw her?  Some sort of bimbo that lived to serve?  Though her fear of what he had devised greatly outweighed her anger.  “Are you afraid?”  His taunting only further twisted the knife into her bleeding heart.  The blonde swiftly inhaled and stiffened her body.  There was no way she could let herself falter before him.  No matter what.

“What is that outfit?” she deflected.  “Have you lost your mind?”  Not only a rapist and a bully but a fashion victim as well.  Pink was _not_ his color.  Kamoshida seemed amused by her stalling.

“I do as I please here.  After all, this is my castle.  The world of my desires.”  Another world.  Tied to his mental state of being.  Just as Akira had said.  The castle stood where Shujin once was, and Kamoshida had certainly lauded over the school like it was his castle.  Feared by students, beloved by teachers.  Principal Kobayakawa bent over backwards to keep him satisfied.  It would make sense for him to see the school in such a light.  Though the more she learned of his inner psyche, the more fear wormed into her heart. 

The hall was adorned with chains and torture gear designed to fasten its prisoners to the ground, walls, and unscrupulous devices.  It was uncertain whether they were intended for sexual or hateful torture.  Even worse were the pink specters of female students draping and crawling across the floor.  Faceless and adorned only in tight black shorts, giggling and moaning like beasts in heat.  Oddly enough, none of them seemed to resemble Shiho.

“Is this some red-light district?”  His raging and perverted mind had gone above and beyond to create such a place.  Mixing pain as well as pleasure for his own twisted urges.  The girls with no identity outside of being his eye candy. 

“What a lively slave,” Kamoshida mocked.  “And observant too.  Though, just a bit too much thought in that little head of yours.”

“This isn’t funny!  Enough of the bullshit, Kamoshida!”  Even within the lair of the beast – tied up and at its mercy – she couldn’t believe any of this.  It had to be some sort of nightmare.  Any second, she had to wake up.  None of this had to be real.  Reason was fighting with her efforts to hold onto her sanity with bleeding fingertips.  Kamoshida merely chuckled, drawing further amusement from her discomfort and fear.  Like everyone else, she was just a toy for him to amuse himself with before breaking and discarding, taking up the next thing that graced his eyeballs.

“The girl’s decided to tell me off.  What do you think of that?” he asked, referring to his trophy girl.  A rhetorical question on his part.  He knew exactly how he would handle the disobedient Ann the moment the guards had informed him of her capture.  This was just another game.  Toying with the mouse before the cat buried its claws into it.  Though, the Ann doppelganger obliged his query wholeheartedly.  His tone completely went over her head, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Talking back is, like, totally unforgiveable…”  The cognitive Ann daintily swung her arms to and fro like an absent-minded child, her tone as ditzy as her mannerisms.   The true Ann felt her face flare up in anger and embarrassment at her bimboesque attitude.  Never had she been more insulted in all her life. 

“In that case… she should be executed!”  Ann felt her eyes grow white as the statement hit her full force.  He had knocked the wind clean out her, the fear rending her in actual physical pain.  The blonde felt utterly sick, as though she might throw up then and there.  “Now then, how should I play with you?  Shall I tear you into little pieces?”  In truth, he had no intention of killing her.  What was wanted was something far more depraved.  Something he had desired from her for months.  But she didn’t need to know his bluff.  She just needed to believe it.

“Ann!”  The sound of a creaking door and footsteps found her ears, and she bore witness to Akira leading the charge, growling through his teeth.  The gun in his hand cocked and ready.

“Takamaki!” Ryuji called out.  The guards closed ranks around Ann while Kamoshida stared at them with utter disdain.  He scoffed while the Ann doppelganger held him closely. 

“Just when I was about to start enjoying myself…” he sneered with an agitated huff.  “You three just don’t know when to quit, don’t you?  Scurrying back like rats no matter how many times you get caught.  How many times are we gonna have to do this?”

 Ann craned her neck as best she could to face the three of them.  Seeing the girl that resembled herself clinging to him with such adoration was sickening.  Having the boys seeing her body on display in such a skimpy fashion was the salt thrown into her wound.  Well, it wasn’t technically _her_ body.  Though, it didn’t make the experience any less mortifying.  Kamoshida turned to face her with a smug mocking look upon his face.  Her struggles against the iron bonds that held her wrists and ankles in place amused him.  The doppelganger Ann shared his sentiments and giggled, sticking her tongue out at the true Ann.

“I bet you’re just like those thieves,” he gloated.  “You came because you’re pissed at me, huh?  But, uh…”  He stopped to scratch at the hairy mane that crowned his head.  His thoughts drifted back to yesterday, of his latest conquest.  Though, it was difficult to recall exactly how it transpired, being drunk off his gloating and the impending expulsion of the boys back in the real world.  “Ah, I forget that chick’s name, but it’s your fault she jumped, you know.”  Ann felt herself choke at his words.  The callousness, the cruelty, and utter aloofness he exhibited.  Like what had transpired today was the most natural thing in the world. 

“Her name was Shiho, you rat fucking bastard!”  Ann’s gaze shifted from her tormentor to Akira.  He clenched his fist and stared with such intensity at Kamoshida, she swore his silver eyes would burst into flames.  Ryuji wasn’t far off himself.  His death grip on the baseball bat could snap it in two.  “She trusted you as her coach, and you treat her like nothing!  You raped her and try to wash your hands as though you weren’t involved?”  His lecturing fell upon deaf ears as the coach merely yawned.

“High school girls are a time a dozen,” he said flippantly while he cradled the cognitive Ann’s waist with his arm.  “I get older, they stay the same.”  Kamoshida turned back to face her prisoner with a gluttonous grin.  The tears of sorrow and frustration leaking from her eyes were so delicious, he could almost taste them.  “I don’t know why you’re getting upset at me for all this.  You could’ve prevented all this had you stopped being so stuck up.  You were so reluctant to throw yourself onto me that I had her take your place.”  Ann’s lips curled as she bared her teeth in anger while desperately tugging at the iron bonds.  Her fingers were gnarled like a cat’s claws, and she was determined to tear him to ribbons.

“ _You bastard!_ ” she shrieked.  Kamoshida chuckled with giddiness to himself as her protests were swiftly silenced by the knight’s sword to her throat.  Hearing her cry and scream at him made the act of breaking her down all the more exciting.  Especially with what he had planned for her. 

“H-Hey!” Ryuji beckoned.  The blond boy’s eyes bulged out through his mask.  “What’re we gonna do?”  Morgana’s round eyes locked with Akira’s, sharing that same frantic look Ryuji sported.   Akira seethed with anger at the roadblock they’ve hit.  Not a single one of them could move without the knights delivering Ann to a swift end.  Two silver knights to Ann’s side and a golden knight at her front.  If he was quick enough on the draw, he could shoot Kamoshida in the head and save Ann.  But at the cost of bringing him to justice.  Could he even bring himself to murder a man?  He was enraged at the flippant rapist who treated the school and its students like stepping stones.  Kamoshida deserved his punishment and more.  Yet his hand stayed.  The ghostly yellow eyes of the coach met the Phantom Thief’s silver irises.  His grin only seemed to grow deeper and more gnarled.

“Go ahead,” he mocked, turning his gaze to the golden knight with a nod.  His minion tapped the flat of the blade against the bottom of Ann’s chin.  “Try something.  Whatever you want.  I dare you.  But take one more step, and I’ll kill her on the spot.”  Akira locked his legs in place as though they had been glued.  Kamoshida hadn’t drawn blood yet, but it only took a single inch to give for Ann’s end.  Ryuji was trembling in both fear and anger at how helpless he felt.  Even after all their powers and growth, they were still back to square one.  At his mercy.  “That’s right.  Isn’t this easier?  Just doing what you’re told?  If you had this attitude before, none of you would be in this mess in the first place.  Now just sit back and enjoy the dismantlement show.”

“N-no!” Ann cried, hyperventilating as the steel swords closed in around her neck.  The cold metal grazing her soft skin.  Not drawing blood just yet but there to tease.  To drain her of her resolve even further.  “Don’t!”  As she struggled and squirmed in place, Kamoshida’s mind went to work at all the possibilities to toy with her.

“Maybe I’ll start with her clothes~” 

“You’re suuuuuch a perv~”  As the approving giggle of her doppelganger reached Ann’s ears, her spirit withered away.  The boys helpless to stop the events unfolding without her death, and now she would be forcibly stripped right in front of them and the man that haunted her life for months.  And there was no doubt he would just stop at just this.  It wouldn’t be enough to humiliate her.  He wanted to break her.  There was nothing she or the others could do to stop it.  The blonde’s head drooped down to gaze solemnly at the floor, resigning herself to her fate.  She let her muscles slacken and was held up only by her iron bonds. 

“That’s more like it.  You should’ve looked like this from the start.”

“Is this… my punishment for what happened to Shiho?”  This realm, the monsters that skulked its hallways.  It had to all be there for a reason, right?  Three times had she been given to comply with Kamoshida’s orders.  Had she just listened, Shiho would be fine.  And maybe both Akira and Ryuji wouldn’t be getting expelled.  It was all too late now.  Shiho was comatose because of her fear, her pride.  Now, Ann was to die here in this strange parallel dimension at the hands of Shiho’s rapist.  The fiery heart that burned within had fizzled out, and all she could spare were tears and soft sobs like the coos of doves.  “Shiho… I’m so sorry…”  If she could take it all back, she would in a heartbeat.  Her own life be damned, she just wanted to be able to see Shiho again.

“Don’t give in!”  Ann jerked her head upwards, pulled from the mire of misery she was trapped within.  All eyes were turned to none other than Akira.  Still held at bay by Kamoshida, he reached out to her the best he could.  The coach himself seemed nonplussed and merely tapped his foot impatiently.  “You’re just going to listen to him?  Let yourself be thrown at his mercy and have him walk all over you?  What happened to all that stuff from before?  About not letting anyone get in your way to gain Shiho her justice?”

 _What can I do?_ Ann thought to herself.  Chained to the wall, her options were limited.  And she didn’t at all understand this world to the extent the others did. 

“You’re wasting your time, you know,” Kamoshida mocked.  Still, he found the gesturing quite amusing.  It would make crushing the lot of them all the more enjoyable once they got it out of their systems.  Nevertheless, Akira persisted.  He would not be deterred after all they’ve been through.  At all they’ve lost and could lose.   

“You’re not alone in this, Ann.  We’re here!  And we’ll take Kamoshida down!  But that won’t matter if you just give up like this!  If you surrender, you’ve already lost!  And given up on both yourself and Shiho!  I know you’re strong than that, Ann.  You wouldn’t let the both of us stop you before, no matter what!  Where’s that vigor from before gone?  He only has power over you if you lie down and take it.  We didn’t!  Now, look at us!  We’re standing here fighting!  You can too!” 

Shiho.  All of this had been to protect her.  She had failed.  Shiho sat in the hospital comatose.  While Kamoshida would walk away from all of this like it were any other day.  To him, this was all just an inconvenience.  A minor hindrance in his cycle of indulging himself.  Shiho would just become a forgotten memory for him, and he would move onto another girl.  And another after that once he had his fun.  Exploiting the girls while the boys were treated as his punching bags.  If she faltered here, Kamoshida would never see justice.  The cycle of abuse would continue with no end in sight.  Everyone was too ignorant or too afraid to speak up.  Those that did were put in their place.  And Ann couldn’t take it anymore.  She wouldn’t take it anymore.

“Joker, what are you planning?” Ryuji asked.  Morgana shared the blond’s sentiment.  Ann possessed a strong will, but she was no fighter.  But the wheels in Akira’s head were turning.  He couldn’t let that spirit of goodness within her wither into nothing.  Like his almost had.  He had to keep it alive in her as he did in himself.  But there was something else at work.  Morgana’s words from earlier still lingered in his head.  That and the memories of his transformation.  His awakening as well as Ryuji’s.  There was a pattern there.  Or at least, he hoped there was.

“We’ll see…”  Kamoshida rolled his eyes and delivered an annoyed sigh, craning his neck from side to side.  He had quite the busy week ahead of him, both in the Palace and in the real world.

“Yes, well this is all very exciting, but if you’re quite done, I’ve got an execution to-“ 

“You’re right.”  Kamoshida turned to look over his quarry, perplexed at her change of tone.  Her voice was quiet now, less consumed by despair and franticness.  Now cold.  And calculating.  “Letting this piece of shit toy with me.  What was I thinking?”  The coach’s eye twitched as a scoff of amusement passed her lips. 

“So you got an attitude now,” he noted before cracking his knuckles.  “You were crying hysterically earlier, and now you wanna put on a show because some brats want to play hero?  You kids never learn.”  He nodded to the knights surrounding her, in which the two lining her sides lowered their swords while the third raised his high into the air.  “It’s like I always say.  Slaves should just behave and-“

“Shut.  Up.”  Kamoshida blinked in surprise at the sudden spark that returned to her.  Akira couldn’t hide the soft smirk forming at the corner of his mouth.  He had managed to get through after all. 

“Excuse me-“

“I said _shut up!_   I’ve had enough of this!  You’ve pissed me off, you son of a bitch!” 

_My… It’s taken far too long…_

A voice graced Ann’s ears.  Sultry and commanding all at once.  But there was no other woman around beside her.  Her thoughts were interrupted as a searing pain shot through her spine.  Her blue eyes widened and shifted to a glowing gold.  The breath left her slender body while she writhed in pain.  Her protests descended into groans of intense agony.  Sweat cascaded off her brow while she tugged fiercely upon the iron bonds.  Each surge felt like she was being stabbed.  Never had such pain befallen her before.  Tears of pain fell from her eyes as she tried to choke back the anguish. 

_Tell me… Who is going to avenge her if you don’t?  Forgiving him was never the option.  Such is the scream of the other you that dwells within…_

“Joker!”

“Lady Ann!”

“Hold it,” Akira ordered.  Ryuji and Morgana looked to him, utterly lost but stood at attention and watched Ann twist in pain.  To stand there like dead weight was as agonizing as the pain the blonde underwent.  Kamoshida still had the edge on them.  It would only take one word for him to have her cleaved in two.  Both he and his guards watched her curiously.  The coach seemed to delight in her suffering despite not knowing what caused it.  Akira studied the struggling Ann closely.  The twisting motions, the glowing yellow eyes.  He had seen this before.  With both Ryuji and himself.

_I am thou, thou art I.  We can finally forge a contract…_

“I hear you… Carmen.”  Her voice raised to resonate with raw power as she lifted her head to face the room.  What awaited the lot of them was a red mask adorning her face.  Shaped like that of an animal.  Shivers ran down their spines as they bore witness to her ghostly yellow stare.

“Whoa!  Lady Ann is wearing a mask!”

“For real!?”  While his companions stammered on in surprise, the smirk returned to Akira’s face.  This time, blossoming into a confident smile.

“ _I knew it…_ ”  Her obtaining the app as Morgana theorized was no accident.  Ann possessed the same power the three of them did.  The balance of power was being shifted right before their very eyes.

“You’re right.  No more holding back!  I’ve had to choke back all my pain and disgust at everything because of you!  Because of you, I’ve had to spend many nights without sleep feeling ashamed of myself!  And I’ve had to lie to everyone and pretend everything was fine!  No more!” 

Everything wasn’t fine.  To finally admit that, to shrug off that burden.  It felt like a complete rebirth.  Her lungs swelled with fresh air, and strength surged through her veins.  The perfectly manicured nails she sported unsheathed into cat claws as her hands were engulfed in a magical light.

_There you go… Nothing can be solved by restraining yourself._

Carmen.  The mysterious voice of reason and rebellion that dwelled within her head.  So new, so foreign.  And yet familiar all at once.  Perhaps she had truly been there all along.  Just dormant, awaiting for her to finally snap and let loose.  Well, whoever or whatever this Carmen was, she would have what she desired.  And as Ann snapped the iron shackles around her wrists like mere paper, so would she.

“Wh-what in the…?”  A cold sweat descended down Kamoshida’s face as he slowly backed away.  His guards closed ranks around him and his trophy girl, who clung to him nervously.  The bitter taste of fear haunted him once more.  “What is happening?”  Akira turned to face the cowardly rapist with Ryuji and Morgana in tow.  The cat pointed a condemning paw at him while Ryuji eagerly rolled his sleeve up.  Akira’s Cheshire cat grin shined with great intensity, watching Kamoshida squirm with the same sadistic delight he took in Ann’s suffering.

“Your ass is grass, Kamoshida.  And we’re the fucking weed whacker!” 

_You understand now?  Then I’ll gladly lend you my strength!_

“I’ll do anything you ask,” Ann muttered, ripping her legs free from the shackles.  Whatever power Carmen had gifted her, the blonde had no intention of ever going back.  No more quiet and subservient girl to the adults who would turn blind eyes or laud over her.  But despite the ferocity she felt, something was holding it back.  The thing on her face.  The mask.  She hadn’t noticed it at first.  It fit like a glove.  Carmen’s voice resonated in her head once more, pushing for her to remove it.  To tear off the last barrier between the justice she desired so fiercely for Shiho and everyone else at Shujin.  As her clawed fingers wrapped around the edge, she ripped it off with a pained shriek.  It had somehow fused to her skin, and blood leaked down her pale cheeks.  But she didn’t care.  Kamoshida’s end was upon her.  A blue light filled the room and emanated from her body.  Fire rose to the roof and spiraled out of control. 

“Is that… her Persona?” Ryuji asked, enamored by the godly light that resonated before them.  Morgana gave him a confident nod.

“Correct.  Lady Ann has awakened the rebel beneath like the both of you have.”  A low chuckle slipped from Akira.

“Damn right…”  As the light gave way to physical form, an extravagantly dressed woman stood atop the backs of shadowy men adorned in suits and helmets shaped like hearts.  They were bound to her with leashes made from vines.  The dress of pink, red, and black flowed up into a corset adorned with hearts, parting down the middle to reveal the Persona’s ample cleavage.  A face of pure yellow eyes that stared out at them with catlike irises sat beneath a mask like Ann’s.  Even her hair was done up in twintails like its owner, albeit black as night.  A cigar hung from the corner of her mouth.

Carmen beheld herself to them in all her sensual and commanding glory.  A woman without barriers or limitations.  The sky was her limit.  The raw power that emanated from her was quite palpable to Akira.  Such a sense of inhibited energy rivaled that of Arsene himself.

Though, the show was swiftly stolen once Ann came into view, parting the blue flames.  With pure anger and great vengeance did she stare out at Kamoshida, quivering in fear from behind his knights.  The awakening had changed her outfit as well, like theirs.  Hugging her body fiercely was a catsuit of red latex, with maroon boots all the way up to the thigh and pink gloves.  And lots and lots of zippers.  Extending from the front all the way to behind her, a red tail clipped onto the back.

“ _Holy shit…_ ” Akira breathed silently to himself.  Angry, thirsty for vengeance, and now clad in latex.  She had managed to become even more attractive than before.  The teenage boy shook his head before returning attention to Kamoshida.  Reckoning had come at long last.

“D-don’t just stand there, you idiot!” Kamoshida yelled to the knight behind Ann.  “Kill her!”  His faithful servant snapped from the trance of amazement and raised his sword.  Ann – however – had endeavored to help him raise it further with a swift kick to the hilt.  It flew right out of his hand and spiraled up into the air.  With unmatched speed did Ann leap into the air to catch it.  And did she gracefully so, latching onto the hilt with a death grip that rivaled Ryuji’s.  Her killing eye honed in on a single target as she swung it down towards the ground.  And it wasn’t Kamoshida.

The coach backed himself up against the wall, his guards scattered as Ann cleaved her doppelganger right down the middle.  Before she could even fall to her knees, her form dissolved into ash.  Kamoshida felt feverish as sweat blanketed his face.  Even behind his guard captain did he feel no sense of safety.  Ann’s latex shimmered in the light with each step she took towards him.  The carpet was sliced from the sword being dragged along the ground.

“You know what?  I’m not some cheap girl you can toy with, you scumbag!”  Kamoshida shook his head and rose to his feet.  This was _his_ domain, and he would not cower within it so easily.

“Bitch!  You’re gonna wish you remained locked up!”  Akira and Ryuji fell into place beside her, ready to end this once and for all with Morgana bringing up the rear.  The blonde let the sword clatter to the ground at her feet.  She needed no weapon to tear him to pieces.

“You stole everything from Shiho.  You destroyed her… and now it’s _your_ turn _!  I will rob you of everything!_ ” 

* * *

 

The battle between the teenage thieves and Kamoshida’s guard captain had been one of the most intense encounters of Akira’s life.  He had never seen anyone fight with the unmatched ferocity that Ann had brought to the forefront.  All the pent-up frustration, pain, anger, sorrow, and regret were funneled into every crack of the whip and every pillar of fire the shadowy knight was subjected to.  Both he and Ryuji were struggling to keep up in the chaos she ensued.  Akira had made a huge mental note not to get on her bad side.  And from the glance he exchanged with Ryuji, he shared the same sentiment.

Alas, their change of heart on Kamoshida would be delayed.  Ann had expended all of her newfound energy into that one fight, and they had to take her back.  Akira tried his best to calm the annoyance Ryuji wore at her intrusion, but it was hard for him to blame the blond.  After all, neither time nor the school was on their side.  The sooner they could make this happen, the better.  But Ann was a priority as well. 

Ann leaned against the wall of the subway, nursing her brow while Akira did his best to further explain what Morgana had taught him.  It wasn’t easy, and even half the things he said sounded ludicrous.  But she seemed to be keeping up relatively well.  Ryuji had gone to grab her a drink.  No doubt she’d be dehydrated from all that fire.  Thankfully, getting her out of the Palace had been less arduous this time around.  She was too weak to resist, and everybody managed to watch their hands.

“Have you calmed down, Lady Ann?” Morgana inquired, perched upon Akira’s shoulder with complete fascination of the blonde.  She gave a meek nod while still piecing together everything in her head.

“Uh… Morgana, right?”  There hadn’t exactly been a lot of time for introductions during their castle escapade.  “I really am talking to a cat.  This feels so strange…”  Watching the feline form words and actually move its lips to speak them at her.  It all still felt like a dream somewhat, though she was a touch lightheaded from the roller coaster of emotion she had undergone.  “Sorry, you’re not a cat, right?  Like, not actually.”  In response, the feline merely chuckled.

“It’s only natural that you’re confused.  Demanding that you understand all of this right after what you want through is asking too much.”  Were it Ryuji, he’d jump at a moment’s notice to correct them.  Akira couldn’t _possibly_ imagine why Morgana would roll over for Ann…

“So what’s your stake in all this, Morgana?  I can’t imagine you’d have a grudge against Kamoshida.”  This time, Akira took to answering the questions.

“Morgana used to be a human.  Or so he says.  He doesn’t quite remember.  It was because of him that we got out of Kamoshida’s Palace in the first place.  Once we change his heart, we’ll be helping Morgana become human again.”  Morgana turned his focus back to Akira with a surprised look about him.

“You’re actually gonna help me?”

“It’s only fair,” Akira reasoned.  Morgana volunteered for their cause with nothing really to gain of his own.  Kamoshida had imprisoned him, but revenge seemed so beneath the cat.  It was an obligation on his part to do so.  Rather smart thinking.  “Hey, what exactly did you call us again?  Before Ann snuck up on us?”  Morgana’s eyes lit up as he took center stage for the conversation.

“Phantom Thieves!” the cat reminded.  “Vigilantes of justice dedicated to stealing the hearts of the wicked with style and grace!”  Morgana had certainly given this a lot of thought.  Perhaps he had more time to himself than he should.  Still, Akira couldn’t deny how cool it sounded.  That and the name complimented his ensemble perfectly.

“I like it,” he admitted.  “Kick ass and take names while sporting the finest duds in all Tokyo.  I can get used to this.”  Ann sheepishly began to rub her neck as she recalled taking in her outfit for the first time.  To lecture and condemn Kamoshida for his sexual gaze of her only to be dolled up in such a provocative outfit.  Her bosom on display to the world, albeit not to the level of Carmen’s. 

“Mine was… weird.”  Akira pondered his chin as his mind reflected back to her performance against Kamoshida.  Damn did she look good.

“A bit.  But you looked great.”  A nervous huff of air escaped Ann’s nose as she tried to address his humor.  “The outfits supposed to represent something about our inner selves or whatever.”  He was met with a flat look from Ann, merely raising an eyebrow at him.  “Hey, that’s what Morgana told me.”

“It is a mirror to your true self, Lady Ann.  Without limits or the pressures of societal norms.”  Ann was less than convinced.  It sounded as though he was just making it up on the fly.

“I highly doubt my inner self is some kind of weird sex pervert thing,” she said, a hand on her hip.  Morgana shook his furry head fervently.  

“It’s not a sexual thing, Lady Ann!  Despite its appearance, it represents a hidden inner facet of yourself.  Something _you_ might not even know.”  To be fair, his words didn’t sound completely absurd.  It wasn’t as though she wasn’t sexual in her own time.  But Kamoshida had killed that for her.  It was hard to relax without seeing his smug face haunting her and ruining the mood.

“Maybe?” Akira chimed in.  “I mean, Ryuji’s outfit is like a biker because he’s tough and kind of a punk, right?  Yours is like a… a dominatrix’s.  They control who they do and don’t have sex with, putting people who act out of line in their place.  It’s all about the power and control.  Reversing the norm of subservient women and dominant men.  Or at least that’s my… theory…”  Morgana smiled and gave a nod of agreement.

“Very astute, Akira.  I didn’t know you were so knowledgeable on the subject.”  The boy felt a fine heat beginning to rise up on his neck, and he averted his gaze from the both of them.

“Well, it’s just a guess anyway,” he dismissed swiftly.  Which wasn’t entirely untrue.  Though, he did let on a bit more than he intended to be known.  Being a teenage boy with raging hormones, his mind and interests did tend to wander from time to time.  To rather unorthodox places.  It was only natural, he tried to assure himself of.  Though Ann’s suspicious squint did little to quell the self-consciousness he felt.

“Anyway, I’m still trying to make sense of what we just saw.”  Akira was thankful for them sidestepping that little moment.  “So the Palace is how Kamoshida views the school?”

“It’s all based on delusions of grandeur and his ego,” Akira said, doing his best to stick to what Morgana had taught him.  “Because of his self-importance and the special treatment he receives at Shujin, he’s interpreted himself as the king of the castle.  And because that realm is tied to dreams and the inner subconscious thoughts somehow, his beliefs were taken form in the most literal sense possible.  That sound about right, Morgana?”

“No one is entirely sure how Palaces are truly formed and all the rules that go into constructing them.  It’s best to just accept it and not question it too much.”  It all still sounded like utter nonsense, even after having experienced it for herself.  Though Morgana was the strangest thing of all.  Talking and interacting with them in the real world.

“So… about what happened in there…”  Ann nursed her neck apprehensively.  “I just wanted to say thanks… for all that stuff you said.  For giving me that pep talk.  And… sorry for kinda getting in your way.”  Akira merely smirked and delivered a nonchalant shrug.

“No big deal.  We gotta look out for each other when it comes to Kamoshida.  What else was I supposed to do?  Let you blame yourself?  Fuck that, we’re already miserable enough when we’re just at Shujin.”  Ann glanced down towards her boots and felt a soft smile growing on her face.  The levity, she was more than grateful for.  To just finally slow down and be given some quiet time to merely breathe.  “Plus, you were pretty badass out there.  The way you lit that shadow up.  I’ve never seen anyone get so into it before.”  The blonde beamed pridefully at his comment.  Remembering how she cleaved that imposter down the middle was exhilarating. 

“Yeah, I was pretty rad, wasn’t I?”  The whip was certainly an unusual weapon of choice.  Granted, not exactly _her_ choice.   Though it did fit with her dominatrix theme.  That was going to take some getting used to.

“You were absolutely captivating, Lady Ann.  Such elegance that few dare to dream of.  Know that the Phantom Thieves will protect you and help bring justice to Kamoshida!  You have my word.”  Akira bit down on his bottom lip to suppress the snicker threatening to slip out.  The cat was trying his absolute hardest, but his physique combined with his high-pitched voice undersold his attempts at wooing her.  Ann seemed to share his sentiment but had a bewildered look about her.

“Laying it on a bit thick, aren’t we?” Akira teased, smirking at their feline companion.  Morgana, however, seemed blissfully unaware of the jesting at his expense, instead proceeding to showboat even further.

“A true gentleman lets a lady know how dependable he truly is.  Willing to go above and beyond the call of duty to oblige her.  You stick with me, and I’ll teach you how to court a lady almost as stunning as Lady Ann is.”  Akira merely eyed the cat with a flat and mirthless smirk.  Morgana was hamming it up so much, Akira could taste the pork on his breath.

“Didn’t know you were a white knight of the round table there, Sir Lance-a-Little?”  Ann snickered while Akira gently patted the head of his small furry friend.  Morgana grumbled at being gotten in front of the girl he was sweet on.  But he was taught that a gentleman never falters before the odds.  Self-taught.

“You’ll see.  Once I become human, you won’t be mocking my stature once I’ve swept up Lady Ann with my debonair charms.”  Ann rolled her eyes so swiftly, she thought she was spinning for a moment.  Akira held a hand over his mouth and shook his head while he chuckled silently.  He had to give the cat credit.  He had ambitions.  Incredibly wild, presumptuous, and lofty ambitions.  But they were ambitions nonetheless.

“Yo!”  Ryuji shuffled forward with three soda bottles in hand, one blue with a dark liquid while the other had clear liquid in green.  The third was orange and had already been half emptied.  “Which one you want?”

“Whichever’s not carbonated,” Ann stated without missing a beat.  She remained quite health conscious to keep her slim figure.  Strict dietary guidelines she enforced, saving anything sugary for cheat days.  Ryuji set to work inspecting the labels, brow furrowed as he came to a realization.

“Uh, they’re both actually…”  Ann wasn’t too privy on diverging from her diet plan.  She loved favoring a routine, though some of that had come from growing up in a proper household.  Her parents weren’t strict in the slightest, but they had a sense of etiquette about them.  Conducting themselves elegantly and accordingly from years of work in the fashion industry.  An interesting contrast as Ann herself favored vulgarity, something her parents greatly detested.  Probably why she gravitated towards it, out a sense of rebellion.  Ann took the darker dark and left Akira with the lighter beverage. 

“What about me?” Morgana asked, reaching his paws out eagerly.  Ryuji eyed him up and down with a confused look.

“But you’re a cat.”  The soft giggle Ryuji had elicited from Ann made the cat flush with embarrassment.  Luckily his black fur obscured such a sight from them.  “So what’d I miss?”

“Just been filling Ann in about our situation,” Akira said between swigs.  The caffeine had him feeling rejuvenated after such an arduous day.  Ann definitely shared his sentiments, though her sips were more poised and less like the huge gulps the shaggy-haired boy took.

“Honestly, I still can’t believe what happened.  And that power… my Persona…”

“It’s the will of your rebellion, Lady Ann,” Morgana said as he climbed into Akira’s satchel.  It provided him with an odd sense of comfort.  “With it, you’ll be able to fight in that other world.”

“Does the will of my rebellion really have to look like _that?_ ”  Ann asked.  Carmen’s appearance was dazzling, she’d admit.  But it was also quite erotic in its design.  Men tied up and leashed at her disposal, the thigh-high leather boots, the corset bursting at the seams with her Persona’s extravagant bust.  It was just so bizarre to her.

“I think it looks cool,” Akira commended in earnest.  Ryuji grinned and gave her a thumbs up of approval.

“Hell yeah.  She was badass!”

“Wicked and beautiful as you are, Lady Ann,” Morgana purred sweetly.

“You guys are only saying that because you liked looking at her huge boobs.”  With her accusation did the boys feel the heat creeping up on their necks.  She wasn’t entirely wrong, but how does one casually confess they’d get with a Persona?  Ryuji stammered and sheepishly rubbed his neck.

“N-no!  That would be weird, checking out a Persona.  Right, Morgana?”

“C-certainly!  No true gentleman would ogle such a beautiful lady after being subjected to Kamoshida!”  Ann merely gave them a knowing look, complete with a contemptful smirk and a shake of her head.  If there was one thing she was good at, it was seeing through people.

“Hey, I’ll admit that’s part of it.”  Ryuji and Morgana eyed Akira in complete surprise.  Ann blinked and ended up laughing.  She respected that straight up honesty even if his lust was aimed at a questionable target.  At last, to finally have some levity again.  It felt like a lifetime ago since she was able to smile or even relax.  Though, the worst was still ahead of them.  Especially for the two boys.

“So if what you told me is true, we can make Kamoshida have a change of heart, right?”  A way to bring him to justice for the world to see.  To free Shujin at long last.  It sounded almost too good to be true.  “Is it really possible?  Can we actually force him to confess his crimes?”

“It won’t be easy,” Ryuji interjected.  “Like you said, the volleyball team’s keepin’ quiet about this.  Kamoshida’s got ‘em in deep.  While teachers and parents turn a blind eye.  If guys like us try and complain, they’re just gonna shoot us down.”  The Palace had escalated things to a whole new level.  Ann had only a glimpse of the true direness of their situation from the outside.

“Are we even sure this will work?” she pressed.  “What if we go all out and nothing happens?  And what if one of us gets hurt?  Kamoshida wasn’t exactly playing with kiddie gloves in there.”  Ann was feeling the same apprehensiveness Akira had.  He dreaded uncertainty, of not having a myriad of options to explore.  It made him feel caged.  Certainly explained the layout of the Velvet Room though.

“There’s no guarantees of anything,” Akira agreed.  “But it’s our best bet.  There are no other ways at our disposal.  Morgana seems to think this’ll work, and I’ve got no reason to doubt him.  He hasn’t steered us wrong before.”  The cat delivered him a gracious nod, grateful that at least one of them appreciated his counsel.  “We got until May, and then we’re expelled.  I’m off to juvenile hall, and I have no clue what’ll happen to you, Ryuji.  Or you, Ann, without us or Shiho at school.”  Ann gave an apprehensive gulp.  Shujin was already soul-crushingly oppressive enough with just Shiho.  If all three of them were gone, the blonde wasn’t sure she’d be able to make it.  Just the thought of being trapped there at Kamoshida’s mercy had her stomach sink into the earth.

“It’s a risky gamble, but such is the life of a Phantom Thief,” the cat interjected.  “I can’t guarantee any of what we do, as this will be my first changing of heart as well.  But unless we have another trump card up our sleeve, changing Kamoshida’s foul heart is our sole option.”

 “Goin’ all in on this plan is the only choice we got.”  Ann saw the look of determination on Ryuji’s face as he spoke.  There was no way he’d back down from this.  Nor could she blame him.  Kamoshida had ruined his life just as much as Shiho’s.  And now he was gambling with Akira’s.  Her blue eyes narrowed as her soft face darkened, mirroring the same level of determination Ryuji sported.

“Then let me help too.  I want to make him pay for what happened to Shiho.”  The blonde clenched her fist and crumpled up the soda bottle in her iron grip.  It felt like wringing Kamoshida’s neck, and it bore her more satisfaction than she anticipated.  “He just keeps going like nothing happened, even after what he did to her.”  Ann inhaled sharply, struggling to regain composure.  She felt her emotions start to boil over again, though there was no way for her to incinerate anything to ease her stress.  The blonde’s heart still ached greatly, and she had been keeping it all inside as much as she could.  She needed to release it.  To go home and cry in the privacy of home.  Shed her tears, and then deal out the pain of justice.  “I’ll never forgive him.”

Without a single second of hesitation, Akira offered his hand.

“Welcome aboard.”

“Wha-hold on!” Ryuji protested, gaze darting back and forth between Akira and Ann.  “Did you just say “let me help?”  You mean you want us to take you along?  But you don’t know even half of what we do!”  Ann scoffed in offense before planting a hand upon her hip.

“Neither do you guys!  You don’t even understand half of what Morgana explains to you.  Even Morgana doesn’t even understand, and he’s supposed to be the expert.”  Ryuji winced and painfully nursed his neck.  He hadn’t counted on that rebuttal.  “And don’t act like I’m going to drag you down.  Weren’t you watching?  I can fight too.”

“You got captured!”

“By accident!  And I didn’t even _have_ my Persona yet!”  Ryuji sighed and nursed his sore brow.  Arguing with Ann was like arguing with a more feminine version of himself.  It suddenly made sense why they butted heads in nearly every conversation.  He already knew Morgana was onboard for her recruitment.  The cat would’ve done anything to be close to her and flirt some more.  It was Akira that concerned him.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked.  “Like, I know we’re low on options, but she ain’t as experienced as we are.”

“We’ve only been doing this a couple days, Ryuji,” Akira reminded.  The blond couldn’t deny such a counterpoint either and gave an admitting nod.  “None of us are exactly in a position to be picky right now.  The more aces up our sleeves, the better.  Plus, she knows fire magic, and we’ll need that versatility in combat.  You know electricity, and Morgana has both wind and healing spells.”

“I agree as well,” Morgana added, perching himself upon Akira’s shoulder.  “We are lacking in manpower, after all.  If you’re concerned for her safety, don’t worry.  I’ll protect her.”  Ryuji gave the cat a flat look while Akira side-eyed him precariously.

“ _This is gonna be a recurring thing, isn’t it?_ ” he muttered to himself.  The courting gentleman bit would grow old super-fast at this rate.  If Ann shared his rising annoyance, she didn’t make it known.

“Even if you said no, I’d just go in alone.”  There really was no stopping Ann now.  She had everything she needed to go after Kamoshida, consequences be damned.  Ryuji muttered his annoyances to himself at being put into place a third time.

“I guess it’d be more dangerous turnin’ her down,” he resigned.  “Fine…” 

“Then it’s decided.  Well, I hope we get along!”  Ryuji still wasn’t too thrilled at being outnumbered on the vote.  It wasn’t as though he disliked Ann.  He just wasn’t keen on their progress being halted again to have Ann take her baby steps.  Ann, however, couldn’t be more eager to get started.  “I’m going to make Kamoshida atone for what he’s done.  Not just for Shiho’s sake but for everything he’s done.  I won’t let any more people suffer because of him.  I’ll do whatever it takes!”

“We still don’t know exactly what’s in that Palace.  Kamoshida hasn’t played his whole hand yet, and we need to tread lightly.  Running in like we’re banging pots and pans will just end up getting our asses turned inside out.  If we’re gonna do this, we do it together.  No going in alone, no rushing on ahead, and we work as a team.  Got it?”  The nods of approval Akira garnered from his short speech managed to ease the worry that ate away at the back of his mind.  It hadn’t exactly been his choice to become the leader of their little group.  Though, he couldn’t deny he was more qualified than Ryuji or Morgana because of his multiple Personas.  Still, it didn’t make the pressure feel any less intense.  They were counting on him to get them through this.  And he had to, no matter what. 

Ryuji definitely saw why Morgana had chosen him to be their leader, even though he’d never admit it.  Give that cat the satisfaction once, and he wouldn’t live it down.  But they were definitely in good hands.  No way he could live up to the pressure leadership would provide.

“I’ll be counting on you then,” Ann said as a beaming smile made its way upon her face.  “Same goes for you, Morgana.”  To finally have a group of people that made her feel welcome.  She had wanted this her entire life.  All that was missing was Shiho.  If luck continued lingering on her side, that might just change.  Her best friend might be out of her hands, but this wasn’t.  This was something she could change.  The cat gave a bashful smile and bowed his furry head.

“The pleasure is all mine, Lady Ann.”

“I should be getting home soon.  My nana is probably waiting on me.”  The blonde gave the boys her number before departing.  She’d either sleep like a rock or keep herself up all night with worry over the future.  Either way, tomorrow was another day.  The boys exchanged silent glances of worry over their new female companion.  Morgana didn’t seem to share their sentiment exactly, nearly drooping off Akira’s shoulder as he watched Ann escape from him like a dream.

“What a kind girl,” he sighed, eyes fluttering longingly.  “Such admirable consideration for others.  And the innocence to cast herself into the jaws of death to achieve her goal.  She cares about her friends, and she’s beautiful to boot…  What a girl!  She’s captured my heart…”  Akira and Ryuji exchanged glances once more.  This time of disgust and contempt.  Akira felt he might nearly gag from how much Morgana jerked himself off as he waxed poetic.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me…” Akira said, shaking his head.  If Morgana was a cat, he was certainly some sort of parasitic cat that was sucking the mental fortitude out of him.

“Dude,” Ryuji said, quirking an eyebrow.  “Do you hear yourself?”  The cat merely turned his nose up at his blond companion.  Turned high enough to be in the clouds, that is.

“Mock me if you wish, but a true gentleman knows how to commend a lady.  Lady Ann is such a strong figure with a kind soul this world is undeserving of.”  Akira felt as though he might gag.

“I mean, you’re not wrong in that she’s strong-willed, deserves better, and is a genuinely kind person.  But you can be less of a pretentious ass about it, just saying.”

“She’s not gonna put out for you, bro.”  Akira grimaced and shook out the mental image Ryuji had inadvertently put in.  Morgana would not be deterred by such putdowns, however.

“I’ve already charmed Lady Ann with my sophistication and wit.  Sounds like you’re just jealous to me.”

“Jealous of what?  A man with no thumbs?”  Ryuji nearly choked on his drink at the swiftness of Akira’s quip.  Morgana even found himself a touch winded at having the proverbial rug stolen from under him.  But the cat kept on a brave face regardless.

“If you’re so sure of yourself, why not a wager?  To see which of us can win Lady Ann’s heart first?”  Akira wrinkled his nose in disdain and shook his head.

“Yeah, that’s not really cool, man.  Competitions involving girls just cause trouble.  Especially with friends and organizations like ours.”  Even without the literal trophy girl personification of Ann within Kamoshida’s Palace, he still found the subject to be of poor taste.

“He’s right,” Ryuji nodded in agreement, arms folded.  “Don’t let chicks stand in between the boys’ camaraderie.  Bros before hoes.”  As Akira opened his mouth to respond, all that left him was an exhausted sigh after a moment of dead hair hanging from his maw.  He leaned into his hand and stared flatly at his palm.  

“No, fucking-goddamit-no, we’re not having this conversation.  We need to talk about something actually important.”

“Like where I’m gonna stay!” Morgana piped up, drawing a curious eye from both boys.  “I can’t contact you from inside a Palace, so I’ll stay in this world.  That being said, I’ll need someone to take care of me.  And I’m personally nominating _you!_ ”  Akira flinched in surprise at feeling Morgana pat his head with his paw.  “You should feel honored.”

“Wait a minute, hold on.  Hold the fuck up.  Don’t _I_ get a say in this?  Ryuji-“

“Oh no,” Ryuji said, holding his hands up.  “This’s _all_ you.  There’s no way I can at my place.”

“I don’t even _have_ a place!” Akira protested.  “I live in a fucking attic!”  So much for privacy and peace of mind.  And there was no way he’d convince Ann to come back and grab Morgana for catsitting duty. 

“Come on,” Morgana begged sweetly, folding his ears.  “You wouldn’t let a poor innocent cat sleep out on the streets all by himself, would you?”  Soft purrs vibrating out, nuzzling his cheek, pulling out all the stops.

“So you’re a cat _now_ of all times for convenience, huh?”  His protests were ultimately sandbagged as Morgana and Ryuji began discussing plans for a potential hideout.  To make plans for raiding the Palace and organizing meetings.  Akira had tuned them out, instead fixated on how he was possibly going to convince Sojiro to let this happen.  He didn’t even want _him_ around.

 _Goddammit…_ he thought to himself.


	9. The Calm Before Storming the Palace

_4/15/17 – Friday_

By the time Ann made it home, her limbs felt like solid concrete.  The walk itself hadn’t been the problem but rather the weight of her emotional stress.  Even dinner didn’t sound appetizing.  She might even skip a shower and just head straight for bed, as repulsive as the thought was to her.  The lock clicked opened, and Ann slipped inside her penthouse suite. 

“Ann!”  Not a second after stepping inside was Ann swept up into Baba’s arms.  The surprise was swiftly overturned by her desperation to be held and comforted.  Her resolve collapsed almost immediately upon reaching the safety of home.  “Honey, I heard everything from Shiho’s parents! I’m so sorry!  How did this happen?”

It didn’t surprise her that word would spread to her household.  Her parents and Shiho’s were close friends.  She choked back a sob as Baba cradled her.  The blonde couldn’t possibly imagine what they were feeling right now.  And Shiho was woefully unaware of all of it.  Comatose with recovery uncertain.  Did Shiho feel pain in her condition?  Could she think?  Dream?

“I just saw her on the roof today during class.  And… sh-she jumped…”  It was all she could muster before her soft little sobs slipped out.  Baba merely held her, letting her get the sorrow out.  Part of Ann’s upset was caused by the inability to tell the truth.  What could she possibly say?  No one would believe her that Kamoshida was responsible.  Shiho certainly couldn’t testify, and the only four people willing to support her were three boys whose expulsion was pending and a cat.  Without any proof, Kamoshida was untouchable. 

Ann and Baba conserved with one another as best they could, the former keeping her waterworks under control before heading to bed.  Her nana’s offers to make her favorite dish fell on deaf ears.  No doubt her parents would be calling her later when they could to offer their condolences.  She hoped they could help once they made Kamoshida confess.  But it would be a long wait until then.  The blonde collapsed onto her bed and wept quietly into a pillow, hoping exhaustion would take care of the rest.  But despite her tired body and weary head, sleep wouldn’t come.  Too tired even for sleep.  What cruel irony. 

Ann unfastened her boots and let herself dangle off the edge of the bed.  Twintails coming undone and her golden locks cascading down past her cheeks.  She had never felt this lonely before in all her life.  There was no one for her to reach out to.  Everyone she knew was either not in the know or out of commission, in Shiho’s case.  Except for one.

Akira.

She pulled him up in her contacts lists and hovered a thumb over the virtual keyboard.  But what could she say to him?  Despite being classmates and now teammates, she still didn’t know him that well.  He was a nice person.  Very trustworthy, but their friendship was still so new.  Barely explored.  She didn’t want to come off as overbearing, but her heart ached with loneliness.  And he was so approachable.

 _Just don’t be too overbearing_ , she thought to herself before mustering up the fortitude to type.

**_Ann: Hey… Thanks for everything today._ **

A simple conversation starter.  And an expression of gratitude.  Akira had really come through for her today, more so than anyone else she had ever known.  Ryuji and Morgana were definitely a big help as well, and she made the mental note to thank Ryuji later.  But for now, she was focused on Akira.

**_Akira: No problem.  Just glad you’re okay._ **

A soft huff of air escaped her nose as it accompanied a soft smile.  His humility was refreshing, as was the concern for her well-being.  Akira really did seem to possess a heart of gold.  But his casualness also seemed to put her off in a sense.  Not negatively, but it all seemed to feel mundane.  Like the risks he was taking weren’t that important when they truly were. 

**_Ann:  No, seriously.  I owe you a lot.  You saved me, and I didn’t even thank you properly enough.  I wanted to let you know, at least._ **

**_Akira: Don’t sweat it.  We’re in this together.  No way I’d leave you out to dry.  Though, you should make sure to thank Ryuji as well._ **

Her smile only grew.  Selfless as well.  Even through text, she could feel that charm that emanated from him.

**_Ann: Oh, I will.  How’s Morgana?_ **

**_Akira: He says “Hi.”  He’s now sort of become my roommate, which isn’t so bad.  Just trying to convince him to pay rent and not be a lazy little shit.  :P_ **

Ann couldn’t help but snicker at the banter.  He had a wit about him that could make her laugh or get under her skin if they were at odds.  Not exactly her best foot forward for either of them back then.  Though, Akira wasn’t the type of person to hold a grudge.  Thankfully, neither was she.

**_Ann: LOL!!!_ **

**_Akira: Anyway, I’m about to turn in for the night.  Me and the boys got your back through thick and thin._ **

**_Ann: I got your back too.  I’m not gonna let someone get hurt again because of me._ **

**_Akira: Just don’t blame yourself for what happened to Shiho.  Kamoshida was full of shit.  He was the wrong at fault, not you._ **

Those were the words that cut the deepest.  What Kamoshida had said.  Since hearing them, they hadn’t left her head.  Had she done what he asked, Shiho wouldn’t be in the hospital.  What would’ve become of her, Ann wasn’t sure.  But she didn’t care as long as long as Shiho was fine.  But would such a solution really have been the right one?  It just meant Kamoshida could continue his behavior in secret.  Ann sighed and reached for her pajamas.  The girl was too tired for such a moral dilemma.

**_Ann: Thanks. Good night. See you tomorrow.  And tell Morgana I say thanks too._ **

She clutched her phone close to her person and headed for the shower.  Her aversion to being unclean greatly overwhelmed her exhaustion.  Not to mention the hot water would be therapeutic on her skin.

And she deserved at least one little thing today out in the real world.

* * *

 “Morgana?  Huh… I was hoping I’d get to name it…”

_You’ve gotta be kidding me…_

Akira’s eye twitched as Sojiro returned downstairs, preparing to head home for the night.  The soft giggle from behind him only threw salt onto his singed ego.

“Looks like the chief likes me better than you,” Morgana teased as he made himself comfortable on his bed.  His host narrowed his eyes at the cat with great ire.

“Don’t fucking remind me,” he said before removing his school uniform.  After today, he’d sleep like a rock with or without Morgana present.  “This is the most conversation I’ve gotten out of him since I got here.  And it was to give me another lecture.”  The cat let his paw dangle over the edge of the bed.

“So where am I sleeping?”  There wasn’t much in the way of comfortable living space for anyone other than him.  The couch existed, but that thing was rather old.  And musty.  Plus, Akira didn’t any spare blankets.

“On my bed, I guess,” Akira said with a sigh.  It wouldn’t be right to resign him to the floor.  Morgana may have been an inconvenience, but he wasn’t gonna mistreat him.  Though it didn’t make forfeiting his privacy any more bearable.  “Just don’t make it weird, okay?”  The uniform was neatly folded and stacked onto the small nightstand by the bed.  His pajamas felt like heaven as they hugged against his slender frame.  He would’ve preferred to go without pants but having long-term company would impede such a fashion statement

“We should clean this place up and make it presentable when we have company over.”  Akira looked up from his spot in the corner where he was brushing his teeth.

“We?  You act like you’re paying rent here,” he said before rising his teeth with the cup of water.  “Then again, I don’t either.  Also what makes you think Sojiro will let me have people over?”

“It’s a coffee shop, isn’t it?”  Little by little did the cat’s eyes drift over to the plate of tuna Sojiro had laid out for him.  It meant nothing to him at first, but the smell invaded his little pink nose.  And he felt an odd growling sensation in his chest.  “I don’t think I’ve ever had food before.  Come to think of it, I didn’t get hungry over in that world…”  Akira merely gave him a smile as he rinsed his toothbrush in the glass of water.  To experience the joy of food.  Those late-night snack hunger pangs were edging up on him while he watched the cat dine.  Tuna was a meat that repulsed him.  At least when it was canned.  Actual choice cuts, seasoned and cooked with lemon, tartar, garlic, and grilled onions?  Positively to die for.  Morgana sat backwards and patted his stomach.  The fish felt as though it were glowing inside of him.  Fish and milk were a cat’s first loves.  Akira took the plate downstairs along with his glass to wash.  A few chores before sleeping wouldn’t hurt him.  Plus, it was an easy way to get on Sojiro’s good side.  Or whatever consisted of a good side.  At least he had been kind enough to feed the cat for him.  “Besides, you’d probably feel better with a more open and tidy living space.  Though to be honest, this place is heaven compared to Kamoshida’s cells.”

“I’ll take care of it once we get this change of heart over with.”  The water in the sink bubbled up as Akira put the soap in, scrubbing the dishes thoroughly.  He was a bit of a germophobe when it came to dishes.  Food had to be cared for and presented as cleanly as possible. 

“Good,” Morgana said with a content smile.  “Because Lady Ann will require the most immaculate place to frequent.”  A soft snicker slipped through Akira’s lips. 

“You’re gonna invite Ann over to my place?”

“It’s _our_ place now technically.”  Akira delivered the cat a dry smirk.  He had some quick wit, that much he could appreciate.  This courting of Ann could only end in disaster one way or another, and he wasn’t sure whether to try and intervene or just watch the dumpster fire. 

“So what does that leave me?  Third wheeling it doesn’t sound like my type of fun.”

“You’re my wingman, of course.  And understudy, to learn the ways of courting a woman.”  Maybe Morgana had been trapped in Kamoshida’s cells too long.  Delusions and reality were starting to bleed over.

“I’ve seen politicians with less confidence than you.  I don’t know whether to applaud or worry.”

“A lady can’t resist a man with confidence, you know.  Lady Ann will swoon at my feet… once I become human again, that is.”  He had good taste in women, Akira wouldn’t deny.  Though, two Phantom Thieves dating one another sounded sketchy.  Conflicts in the personal and work life would no doubt arise.  And that would spell trouble.  “Hey, Akira.  About earlier when you told Lady Ann you’d help me?  Did you mean it?”

“Of course.”  The dishes were promptly dried and placed away with his response.  One by one, Akira hit the lights, and he guided the cat back upstairs.  “You’re helping us so fair is fair.  I always keep my word.”

“But what about Ryuji?”

“I’ll convince him if he drags his feet.  One thing at a time, though.  We still got a whole month ahead of us.”  The boy collapsed onto his bed face first, the pillow thankfully cushioning his glasses.  Morgana curled up at the foot of the bed and sank into the mattress.  This would be his first good night’s sleep in forever.  At least that he could remember.  That would all change once Akira helped him become human again.  Again.  As though there was a first time.  Was there?  There had to be.  He could talk and interact with the world around him like a human.  And cats don’t talk.  At least not to humans.

“You really think I’m human?” the cat asked.  Akira placed his glasses atop his clothes and got himself comfortable.  For being such a bare-bones bed, it felt mighty comfortable.  Then again, after the day they had, the grave probably would’ve felt just the same.

“You’re the one that said you were.  Don’t see why not.”  He wasn’t wrong.  Though it had been a viewpoint embraced from both logical thinking and desperation.  If he wasn’t a human, what else could he possibly be?  That uncertainty chilled him straight through his black fur.  He despised being kept in the dark.  Especially when it was about himself.

“Well, it’s just… remember how you guys asked me before about what I am?  To be honest, I don’t remember anything about my birth.  I think the Metaverse’s distortions made me lost both my memories and my true form.”  Akira gazed down curiously at the cat.  So that other world did have a name.  And it could do more than just make Palaces’ from one’s subconscious.  He knew so much about the Metaverse despite knowing nothing about himself.  And yet not enough.

“How’d you learn all that stuff about Palaces and Personas anyway?”  The cat ducked down into the sheets with folded ears as the uncertainty paved the way for the creeping insecurity.

“I don’t know.  I just do…”  Ryuji had been right after all.  Morgana took the cake when it came to the curiosities presented by the Metaverse.  If Igor gave more than cryptic hints, he’d ask him.  Akira was in no mood for a long-lasting riddle.  But it looked like he was getting one regardless.

“Well, you can’t be a shadow, that’s for sure.  They can’t come into the real world, right?  And you certainly aren’t a cat either.  So all that’s left is human.  That’s gotta be it.”  The cat kneaded at the sheets while mulling over Akira’s words.  He made it all sound so simple.  Cut and dry.  Though he was an outsider looking in. 

“It… it has to be!”  He had to keep up a brave face.  The way of the true gentleman was to face every situation head-on without falter.  “I mean, why else would a cat be able to talk like this?  You’re right, there’s no other possible explanation.  There’s no doubt that the distortions were what caused me to lose my real self.  I’m sure that once they’re purged, I’ll finally be able to get that self back.  And I have a pretty good idea on how to do it too.  That’s why I was in the castle in the first place.”

“Pretty lucky we found each other,” Akira noted, leaning back onto his pillow and staring up at the ceiling.  Both of them drawn to the same Palace was one hell of a coincidence.  A bit too convenient of a coincidence perhaps, but now wasn't the time for conspiracy theories.  At least not this late at night.  He’d prefer them during the school day to stave off the monotony of schoolwork.  “I got your back regardless, Morgana.  Just don’t eat all my food or shed everywhere, alright?” 

The cat gave an amused chuckle at his companion’s relaxed demeanor.  Akira really did seem to take everything in stride.  He would make a fine Phantom Thief. 

Akira half listened as Morgana began explaining how he’d earn his keep around here.  Something about infiltration tools like lockpicks.  He wasn’t quite sure how they’d help in Kamoshida’s Palace, but he had always wanted to pick a lock at least one.  Plus, learning an unorthodox skill set was always a neat little challenge.  But his thoughts were soon drawn to the vibrating phone on his nightstand.  Someone was texting him this late at night.

**_Ann: Hey… Thanks for everything today._ **

This was certainly unexpected.  A pleasant surprise.  He had been thinking on and off after leaving Ryuji about how best to talk to her.  Get to know her a little better.  Not just because he had a casual interest.  If they were to cooperate as a team, they’d have to learn about one another.  Know strengths, weaknesses, what made them tick.  Luckily for him, she came to him once again.  He’d count his blessings, as approaching women hadn’t ever been his strong suit.

“Hey, it’s Ann,” he said absentmindedly to himself.  A hair’s breadth after it slipped from his lips did Morgana pounce onto his chest.  He nearly hit himself in the face from how hard he jerked back in surprise.

“Lady Ann!  Tell her I said hi!  You guys send messages to each other with that thing, right?”  The cat tried to lift the phone from Akira’s hand and respond to the girl of his dreams personally.  But the tragic trick of lacking thumbs kept him at bay.  A situation Akira was grateful to exploit as he took his phone back.  “I want in too, so I’m gonna have to ask you to type for me.”

“Yeah, I’ll get right on that…” Akira said dryly, smirking to himself as his sarcasm flew right over the cat’s furry head.  Morgana kept trying to steal a glance at his red screen, but each time Akira would tilt it away.  “Come on, man.  Privacy.”  Reluctantly, the cat backed down.  But he still sat poised at the end of the bed, tail twitching.

**_Akira: No problem.  Just glad you’re okay._ **

**_Ann:  No, seriously.  I owe you a lot.  You saved me, and I didn’t even thank you properly enough.  I wanted to let you know, at least._ **

**_Akira: Don’t sweat it.  We’re in this together.  No way I’d leave you out to dry.  Though, you should make sure to thank Ryuji as well._ **

**_Ann: Oh, I will.  How’s Morgana?_ **

“Come on!” the cat whined impatiently, having slithered up next to him.  Akira had been so engrossed in conversing with Ann that he failed to notice.  “Tell her I said hi!”

**_Akira: He says “Hi.”  He’s now sort of become my roommate, which isn’t so bad.  Just trying to convince him to pay rent and not be a lazy little shit.  :P_ **

**_Ann: LOL!!!_ **

“Hey!” Morgana protested as he swatted Akira with his paw.  The boy merely chuckled, nodding to himself confidently at getting her to laugh.  His charisma managed to transition to text quite well, apparently.

**_Akira: Anyway, I’m about to turn in for the night.  Me and the boys got your back through thick and thin._ **

**_Ann: I got your back too.  I’m not gonna let someone get hurt again because of me._ **

**_Akira: Just don’t blame yourself for what happened to Shiho.  Kamoshida was full of shit.  He was the wrong at fault, not you._ **

**_Ann: Thanks. Good night. See you tomorrow.  And tell Morgana I say thanks too._ **

Akira wished her goodnight and hit the lights.  Phone and glasses were placed accordingly upon the nightstand next to his folded clothes.  Today was a victory for them, and for that, he’d sleep well.  With the four of them together, Kamoshida would be dethroned from his ill-gotten seat of power.  If not, this would be the shortest school year ever.

Morgana curled up next to his feet and hummed with satisfaction to himself.  Ann’s expression of gratitude was a step in the right direction for the cat.  Akira paid little attention to his delight and instead stared up at the ceiling through the darkness.  There wasn’t much to see even through the rays of moonlight that wafted through the window.  Even if there was, his nearsightedness would offer no help.  His eyes fluttered in his head as he closed them, mind going back to Ann.  It didn’t take a genius to figure out she was attractive.  Both in her school uniform and that latex outfit, the blonde had him enraptured in a sort of infatuation.  She was kind, spunky, attractive, witty, and had a great body. 

Pursuing relationships had never been his strong suit.  Never been in one himself.  There were movies and anime, but fiction wasn’t entirely helpful to his real-life struggles.  Though, he definitely wasn’t the first person to take an interest in her, even factoring out Morgana.  Plenty of boys at Shujin sported pretty low brow opinions of her.  Kamoshida was the worst of it all.  He couldn’t imagine what Ann had been subjected to by him.  Nothing as bad as Shiho, he hoped.  All that attention and fixation on her sexuality.  And here she was trying to overcome that obstacle.

He sighed and turned over in his bed to face the wall.  His crush would have to remain just that.  A crush.  Hitting her up so soon after all she’d been through would be in such bad taste.  Plus, it didn’t help Morgana was trying to hit on her at all times.  Any awkwardness brought onto his team by making his attraction known would break up their flow, maybe even drive a wedge between them.  And they needed that camaraderie.  Plus, he’d be back home this time next year.  A long-distance relationship would not be his forte. 

Just puppy love and nothing more.  This would blow over after the dust from Kamoshida settled, and they could go back to being normal teenagers.  As normal as they could be with a talking cat.


	10. The Change of Heart

_4/17/17 – Sunday_

The past couple of days had consisted of Akira and company running around Tokyo to prepare themselves for the assault on Kamoshida’s castle.  They needed everything and anything at their disposal to save the boys’ hides from expulsion and obtain justice for the girls.  Akira had made some rather strange bedfellows during his Phantom Thief moonlighting.  The surly manager of the Untouchable airsoft store and the languid doctor from the clinic with rather unique fashion choices.  Guns and medicine.  A rather unorthodox combination, but one that would see regular use.

Kamoshida was going down as swiftly as possible.  They’d spend the next two days helping ease Ann into the Phantom Thieves.  Then they’d finish the job and free Shujin from the coach’s vice grip once and for all.  Baby steps.  The lower layers of Kamoshida’s Palace would be cleaned up, with them slowly making their way upwards.  Another setback in their plan but necessary.  Time wasn’t on their side, but it would’ve been far too risky and negligent to jump right into the fray with Ann so wet behind the ears.  And Akira had no intention of living up to his arcana’s namesake as the Fool.

It would be the busiest week in Tokyo for them.  The little evening reprieve Akira was taking would be the last time he’d know some semblance of peace until Kamoshida’s heart changed.  He perused the chapters of the small book in his hands while Morgana slept by his feet.  Though, it was hard to focus on the words while his mind wandered.  The prospect of failure lingered at the back of his mind.  One misstep of his would take the others down with him.  Morgana would never become human, Ryuji would be expelled and left alone while Akira was carted to juvenile hall, and there was no clue as to what would befall Ann.  Left alone with Kamoshida at that school.  Disgust slithered up his spine at the thought of what he would try to pull. 

The phone vibrated on his nightstand, offering a greatly appreciated break from the mental anguish.  To his surprise, it was Ann once again. 

**_Ann: Hey, you got a sec?_ **

**_Akira: Of course.  What’s up?_ **

**_Ann: So I went to see Shiho in the hospital…_ **

**_Akira: She okay?_ **

**_Ann: Mm-hmm.  Her condition is stable.  They don’t know when she’ll regain consciousness though._ **

A chance, albeit a brief one.  Shiho was one of the few people that had been nice to him at Shujin.  Even had she not been, nobody deserved what Kamoshida had done.  At the very least, she’d make it.  Though the rest of it was out of their hands.  The Personas’ power only extended so far.  And Akira found it highly unlikely they could successfully kidnap Shiho from the hospital and heal her in the Metaverse. 

**_Akira: I’m sure she’ll be okay.  Call it a hunch, but I got a good feeling._ **

**_Ann: Yeah.  She’ll get better, I know it.  I just need to believe in her.  But I’ll never forgive Kamoshida.  He’s going to pay for what he did, no matter what._ **

**_Akira: Damn right.  We’re gonna kick his ass into next week.  For you, Ryuji, Mishima, Shiho, and anyone else he fucked over.  No matter what._ **

**_Ann: You’re part of that lineup too, you know.  Don’t leave yourself out._ **

**_Akira: Hey, I’m worried as shit about getting expelled, but I’m more concerned about letting you guys down.  If I can help you guys, everything else will fall into place._ **

**_Ann: Akira, can I just say I’m glad you’re in charge?  I feel a lot more at ease about all this._ **

**_Akira: Don’t be too confident in me now.  We haven’t even done anything yet._**

**_Ann: Not true. I count saving my life as something. :P_ **

In the meager lamplight that cast his room in a cozy glow, Akira caught himself smiling at their quippy exchange.  Ann was something special alright.  In spite of everything, she still kept her head held high.  Ann, Ryuji, Morgana.  It was beyond refreshing to be surrounded by such positive people after the cloud that had hung over Akira’s head for the past couple months. 

All the more important that he succeed.  To go back to all that choking negativity, to that bleak apathetic outlook on life.  Had it not been for that fateful day where Ryuji led him astray into the Palace, he’d still be there.  Just looking to get by. 

There was no way he’d go back.  Not without a fight.

* * *

_4/20/17 – Wednesday_

“A calling card…?”

“I heard it was already posted by the time everyone got here this morning.”

Shujin was ablaze with activity at the newfound discovery.  Students were flocked all around the bulletin boards to behold the postings.  Ann made her way past the group to investigate further.  All along the walls and lockers were tiny calling cards, red and black with lettering done in calligraphy.  It reminded Ann of her and Akira’s outfits with the color scheme.  Very fitting, she had to admit.  A logo hovered above the text, with a sharp-toothed man grinning wickedly from beneath a top hat.  “Take Your Heart” was scrawled beneath it in pen.

 _Is that supposed to be Akira’s Persona?_ Ann thought to herself with a quirked brow.  Ryuji may have been ambitious, but he had no talent for the arts.  Though it was a rather good idea to avoid using his handwriting.

“‘Sir Suguru Kamoshida, the utter bastard of lust.  We know how shitty you are, and that you put your twisted desires on students that can’t fight back.  That’s why we have decided to steal away those desires and make you confess your sins.  This will be done tomorrow, so we hope you will be ready.  From, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.’” 

Ann merely closed her eyes, slowly shaking her head.  Ryuji also didn’t possess a talent for the pen either.  Next time, she would be sure to proofread his work beforehand.  Though hopefully there won’t be a next time.

“…Wow.”  The blonde slinked away from the group of students to join Akira and Ryuji in the far corner of the hallway, who had been idly observing the chaos.  Ryuji was grinning like a parent at their child’s graduation while Akira looked over the card in his hands.  He wasn’t quite sure what to think of it.  Very amateur, but it got the job done.  It did deliver him a twinge of pride to see his “bastard of lust” line utilized.

“Not bad, eh?” Ryuji gloated, leaning against the wall with a smug grin.  “I looked up a bunch of similar stuff online for reference.  And how about that callback?  ‘Utter bastard of lust.’  Eh?  _Eh?_ ”  He playfully nudged Akira with a cheeky wink.

“I do dig the calligraphy angle,” Akira admitted before tucking the card into his satchel.  “Very picaresque.”

“Um… Yeah…”  Ann was debating on whether or not to pull the rug out from under him.  She valued her honesty, but they needed this confidence high right now.

“Not impressed?” Akira probed, earning a perturbed look from Ryuji.  Ann merely shrugged with an awkward wince.

“I know what you wanted to say, but it just sounded like an idiot trying to be an adult.”  Ann’s criticism prompted Morgana to pop from his satchel with his critiques as well.  As though he truly needed a reason to rag on Ryuji.

“Your logo’s a little lacking, too.”  With that statement, Akira bore witness to the most offended expression Ryuji had ever mustered.  Even rivaling his tale of his wrongful expulsion.

“Hey!  Okay, you know what?  That ain’t true!  I worked very hard on that!”

“But you suck at it,” the cat piped up before Akira shoved him back into the satchel.  Morgana wasn’t even supposed to be here in the first place.  But the cat insisted, and Akira would rather not have gotten into trouble before doing anything yet.

“And no offense, but that ‘utter bastard of lust’ line was really eye-roll worthy.  I almost gave myself whiplash.”  Ryuji’s mouth hung agape in complete offense, as though he had been gobsmacked right before them.

"Man, you guys are harsh," Akira said, nursing the back of his neck. 

“Hey, wait, but that was his-“  Before Ryuji could rat Akira out, Kamoshida stormed down the hallway and tore the cards from the wall with wild abandon.  For the first time, Akira was grateful for his intrusion.  However these calling cards truly worked, they seemed to be doing just fine.  Kamoshida was pissed.  Beyond pissed.  Akira had never seen him this angry.

“Who’s responsible for this!?” he demanded, throwing fistfuls of the cards to the ground.  The students warily withdrew from him as none of them wished to be the recipient of his wrath.  “Did you do this!?  Or was it you!?”  Morgana peered out through the small opening in Akira’s satchel, cackling softly to himself.

“Look at that.  A predictable reaction for someone who knows what we mean by distorted desires.”  The students swiftly fled to their classrooms, for once craving the monotony of the curriculum.  As Kamoshida turned around in a blind rage, only Akira, Ryuji, and Ann stood before him.  Unblinking, unflinching.  And that lack of fear seemed to twist the knife even further.

“Was it you two?” he huffed, baring down on the boys.  Ann clenched her fist and took a step forward, but a glance from Akira through his peripheral got her to back down.  What she wouldn’t give to tear into Kamoshida right here and now.  She’ll have her chance soon enough.  Then she can focus on healing with Shiho.  Ryuji deferred to Akira for judgment, whose brow was equally furrowed with disdain.

“There a problem?” Akira replied coyly, a flat but smug expression upon his face.  Kamoshida merely huffed while glowering down at the boys.  Ann was no concern of his.  To him, she was just a mere plaything for him to eventually make his move onto.  Once the boys were gone.

“Eh, it’s not a problem,” he said, taking a step back.  “You’re be expelled soon enough anyway.”  As the coach walked away, the gauntlet had been thrown down.  They had one chance to make this a success, or they were all finished.  No room for errors or mistakes.  Oversights or overconfidence.  Strictly by the book.  That is if there were a Phantom Thief playbook.  The three exchanged determined glances and split off to their respective classrooms.  It would be the longest school day of their lives.  And hopefully not the last.

_Come… Steal it if you can!_

* * *

At the very top of the Palace had the battle raged.  The four Phantom Thieves engaged in battle against Shadow Kamoshida’s twisted and grotesque form, Asmodeus.  Their toughest fight yet, with too many a close call.  Yet even in the face of the overwhelming odds against them, they stood firm, unwavering.  And their determination paid off as Kamoshida was now forced out onto a balcony.  Desperately clinging to his giant crown after his defeat.  Forced out with nowhere to go, he peered down at the courtyard below.  He had never truly known just how tall his tower was, and he felt his stomach starting to sink.

“Dammit…” Shadow Kamoshida muttered, a fine sweat upon his brow.  His knees buckled from the fear that grasped at his soul.

“End of the line, Kamoshida,” Akira said, pointing a finger at him.  The Joker, the Skull, Mona, and the Panther had him surrounded.  There would be no escape this time.  No magic spells, sleight of hands, or guards to bail him out.  “Your kingdom has finally come.  And you’re gonna be buried with it.”  The smugness and haughtiness the shadowy doppelganger once carried with him had been dashed.  He had no strength left to fight.  No more allies.  Nothing.

“No response?” Ann inquired.  “What’s wrong?  Nothing to say? Not running away?  Why don’t you run?  You could surely get past a couple teenagers.  I mean, aren’t you a great athlete?”  Her tongue dripped with ire and venom, hot enough to burn a hole through the floor.  With each word, she took a step forward.  Her boots echoed throughout the hall as she brought her heel down. 

“It’s always been like this!” Shadow Kamoshida barked, mainly to himself.  The life he had lived was now catching up to him.  The people he had stepped on.  What had driven him to such a state.  To be the best, that if he worked hard, he would earn everything that he wanted.  Look out for number one, to hell with anyone else.  If he proved himself in the eyes of everyone, he would be loved and adored as he deserved to be.  “All those goddamn hyenas forcing their expectations upon me!  I was always supposed to be the best since day one!  To show the world I was great, that I could do anything!  Shujin had the highest standards of any school in Tokyo!  Why do you think they hired a champion like me?  I did everything to keep this school on the map like they wanted!  I’m doing this all for them!  What’s wrong about demanding a reward for that!?”

“Now you’re makin’ excuses?” Ryuji asked, shelving his hands into his pockets.  A low sigh escaped Akira as he shook his head.

“A bully’s a bully up until they’re called out.  Suddenly they’re a victim.  You think you’re the only person who was held to high expectations?  That wanted something for themselves instead of just for others’ satisfaction?”  Akira shelved his hands into the pockets of his trenchcoat and glared down at Shadow Kamoshida.  Pity, contempt.  The things that stung him the most.  But this time, all he could do was take it.  “You’re not special.  And it certainly doesn’t mean you deserve anything.  Admiration, friendship, power, security, love.  These are things you earn.  Not things you step on the backs of others to get.”  He scoffed and spat upon the red carpet beneath his feet.  “You honestly make me sick.  You’re pathetic.  A manchild still living in the past, clinging to days gone by.  And your immaturity has cost everyone greatly.  Especially my friends here.”

“We’ll do something about that distorted heart of yours,” Ryuji said.  Seeing Kamoshida like this.  Reduced to a fumbling fool at the end of his rope.  It made all the anger he held for him since he was kicked from track and had his leg broken feel so trivial.  As though he were angry with a child.  He had wanted revenge for the longest time against him.  For everything he had done to the Shujin populace.  Hard to believe he had ever let this man push him around.  That anyone had, for that matter.

“Scared?”  Ann’s voice grew deathly low.  Cold and calculating.  Whatever sentiments Ryuji wore, she did not share them.  Kamoshida stared down over the railing to behold the vista below once more.  It only seemed to grow ever further into the clouds the longer he looked.  “Right now, you’re seeing the same view that Shiho did.”  Ann left the other two behind and glided slowly towards Kamoshida, footsteps now silent like she were a ghost of vengeance.  Akira had to admit that he even found himself somewhat intimidated.  “You remember her now?  Shiho Suzui.  Second year, volleyball player that you instructed.  That you _raped_.  _Remember now?_ ”  Ann kept her voice under control through gritted teeth, though Akira could sense the anger that raged in her heart.  It was so palpable, he could taste it on his tongue.  “I’m sure she was scared too… except she had no choice but to jump.  What will you do?  Will you jump?  Or would you rather die here?”

“Uhh… Joker?”  Akira glanced over to Ryuji who bore the same worried expression he did, visible even beneath the mask.  The name of the game had been to make Kamoshida confess.  To change his heart and make his crimes known to the world, that no one would have to live in silence of the exploitation they endured.  Death had been something that they hadn’t confronted before.  It had been fairly possible that Kamoshida might die, but they had never anticipated they would kill him directly.

Akira was at a crossroads.  Raping Shiho and exploiting all the students was unforgivable.  He would shed no tears if he passed.  But to outright kill him?  Act as his judge, jury, and executioner right then and there?  Maybe he did deserve it in the boy’s mind.  But they weren’t murderers.  They were just kids.  This was the last threshold of their innocence.  Something Akira still treasured and wished he retained more of.  Was this a line he was willing to cross, even if it seemed just?  But it wasn’t his decision regardless.  Ann seemed to be willing to carry that weight for the lot of them.

Carmen strode boldly behind Ann, juggling balls of fire in her gloved hands.  The flames danced before Kamoshida and singed the carpet beneath their feet.  His entire life flashed before his eyes as the very real possibility of his demise unfolded before him.  And no matter what scenario he tried to run through his head, there wasn’t an escape plan.  Not for him.

“Do you want to finish him off?” Morgana asked, deferring to Akira.  “It’s your call.”  Akira said nothing, even as Ann peered briefly back at him.  This wasn’t his fight anymore. 

“No, please wait!  I beg you!  Just forgive me!”

“ _Shut up!_ ” Ann spat, fingers gnarled as the fire raged in her palms.  “I bet everyone told you the same.  But you… you took everything from them!  You’re afraid, you’re sorry?  You don’t _get_ to be!  Carmen shot forth a fireball that nearly set Kamoshida flame.  Instead, it melted the stone railing behind him.  Kamoshida shook and cradled his crown, pleading for his life.  Ann was toying with him now.  Like he had done to her. 

“I accept defeat!”  Kamoshida swiftly took a knee in admittance.  The last of his pride had been sacrificed in an attempt to spare his meager life.  “You want this?  Take it!  It’s yours!  All yours!”  He tossed the crown to Akira, who caught it nonchalantly in his hand.  What they would do with it was beyond him.  But none of that mattered at the moment.  They were juggling a man’s life in their hands.  A man now reduced to silent tears.  His fear now slowly being eclipsed by reluctant acceptance.  A man coming to terms with his end.  “Go ahead and finish me off.  You do that, and my real self will go down too.  You have that right since you’ve won.”  Ann clenched her fist in anger, the fire rising to the very roof of the central chamber.

“I don’t need your permission.  I can do whatever I want.  Sound familiar?”  With that did Ann hurl her fireball towards Kamoshida’s form.  He closed his eyes in acceptance and made whatever peace he could as the seconds clicked away.  But death didn’t come.  The fireball whooshed right past him.  Carmen faded away behind her as the two boys and Morgana watched on in surprise.  He clenched her jaw, still shaking with anger.  “But I won’t.  Because I’m better than you.”

“Ann…” Akira muttered softly.  She looked back to him for a fleeting moment.  Her angered and pained expression fading briefly.  Before she turned back to face Kamoshida. 

“If his mind shuts down, he can’t admit his crimes.  But don’t mistake this for forgiveness.  I’ll never forgive you – Kamoshida – and I hope you burn in whatever hell awaits us.  And if there isn’t, then I’ll make one all my own just for you.”  It seemed Ann possessed a spirit for theatrics like Akira did, in the heat of intense emotion.

“You’re kind, Lady Ann,” Morgana said.  Ryuji wiped his brow with relief.  For a second, he truly thought Kamoshida was done for.  Not that he would miss him.  But they needed that confession for all of Shujin to witness.  He reminded himself never to get on her bad side.

“I’ve lost.  You’re through when you lose…”  A broken man.  A shell of his former arrogant self.  Falling from grace after flying too close upon his wings of wax.  And he would hit the ground hard once he confessed.  “What am I… what am I supposed to do now?” Directionless and lost.  No more goals in sight.  A lingering fear that had haunted him all his life.

“Spare me your tears,” Akira said.  “You haven’t earned them.  Had it not been for Ann’s decision, you’d be toast where you stood.  And I wouldn’t miss you.  As for what you need to do, you tell me.  You’re the adult here.  The king, as you so please.  You never had trouble figuring it out before when you let your ego and dick guide you.”  Slowly did Kamoshida raise his head to meet them, the tears gone from his eyes.  The ghostly yellow slowly beginning to fade as his form dissipated into the light.

“Alright.  I will leave now and return to my real self.  I’ll make certain that I…”  In those brief moments before he faded away completely, Akira swore he could see a smile on his face.  One of gratitude and relief.  To be allowed to keep his life and to be relieved of his burdens.  Of the anger and selfish desires that ruled over him.  Perhaps in a way, they had done him as much a favor as the students.  A heavy sigh left Ann’s soft lips as her head drooped down.  The weight of the world seemed to come off her shoulders.  But it wasn’t over yet.  Not by a long shot.  Akira slowly reached out, tentative to touch her.  In response, she turned to him with a tired look.  Tired and relieved.  At last, it seemed to be over.  Though they all knew there was still a long way go.  Just not the extent of it.

* * *

Out of all the things to occur within the Palace, none of them could’ve anticipated the mad dash out while it collapsed around their ears.  They were all very lucky to have made it out, especially Ryuji with his bad leg.  Akira was definitely worried about him keeping up in there.  But Ryuji was tougher than he looked.  His injury never stopped him from routinely practicing track, even with nowhere to practice it.  Even with everything looking up, Akira still felt himself apprehensive about the future.  It all seemed to go well.  But twelve days was a long time to wait.  He considered himself a patient man but not when his future was on the line.

He’d have to find some way to relax in his spare time while he counted the minutes away.  No doubt it would only make the days seem longer.  Akira sighed as he lounged about in his room in the Leblanc attic.  Sojiro brewed his coffee and tended to dishes as expected.  Akira was surprised Sojiro wasn’t the one living in the café. 

“Today was good,” Morgana said, curled up at the foot of the bed.  Soon, they would sell Kamoshida’s medal and have a celebration party.  At least, Akira hoped they would.

“Don’t celebrate too early.  Kamoshida hasn’t confessed just yet.” 

“You worry too much.  Have faith.  Would I have steered you wrong?”  Akira merely smiled, huffing through his nose with amusement.  Morgana had been on the money with them so far.  It wouldn’t be too much to ask to put his confidence in the cat for a little while longer.  His attention swiftly shifted from Morgana to Ann as a text graced his screen.

**_Ann: Today was pretty crazy, huh?_ **

**_Akira: Tell me about it.  You had Kamoshida scared shitless.  That was pretty cool._ **

**_Ann: Thanks.  You were absolutely great too.  I finally got to avenge Shiho because of you guys.  I’m pretty sure there was no way I’d have been able to do anything on my own.  So seriously.  Thank you.  I owe you so much._ **

**_Akira: You pulled your own weight too, you know.  We wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.  We did it all together._ **

**_Ann: You think?  I’m glad to hear that.  You’re really humble, Akira.  I respect that a lot.  Did Morgana teach you that? :P_ **

**_Akira: Yes, M’Lady Ann. ;P_ **

**_Ann: STOP!!!!!!_ **

Akira snickered quietly to himself and swiftly earned the attention of Morgana.  The cat wormed his way up to him, but Akira kept his phone out of his line of sight.

“Are you talking to Lady Ann?” Morgana inquired as his tail twitched eagerly.  “Did she mention me?”

“Oh yes,” Akira said with a smirk.  “She was telling me how much she admires that you taught me how to be such a gentleman.”  This put a real spring in Morgana’s step as he paced up and down the bed, showboating about all the ways he knew how to court a woman.  Akira let him have his fun and tuned him out, instead focusing on speaking with Ann.

**_Ann: Anyway, that cognitive world was pretty crazy, huh?  What a mysterious place.  I can’t believe we actually stole someone’s heart._ **

**_Akira: We won’t know for sure until May 2 nd.  I’m not too thrilled about the prospect of waiting so long._ **

**_Ann: Me neither, but don’t stress yourself out.  You did your best, and we saved Shiho.  Try to keep yourself relaxed._ **

**_Akira: I’ll feel a lot better once we put this all behind us, and we can focus on helping Morgana._ **

**_Ann: Morgana is more mysterious than the Metaverse, I have to admit.  When we were turning back, didn’t he turn into a cat even though we were still at a Palace?_ **

“Lady Ann sure is sharp.  I’m impressed.”  Morgana had managed to blindside Akira and was perched up on his nightstand, reading his screen.  “Basically, the treasure changes the shape of things.  Once that’s gone, that power no longer works.  Though the real reason I changed quickly back then was because I’m so incredibly skilled!  How’s that?  Isn’t that amazing?”

“Humble to a fault,” Akira said with a smirk.  It was either his infatuation for Ann or his desire to mock Ryuji that got him into these moods. 

**_Akira: He says he’s amazing._ **

**_Ann: Oh yeah, I forgot Morgana is reading these messages too.  How nosy of him. :P_ **

**_Akira: It’s only your texts that get his attention.  Can’t possibly imagine why._ **

**_Ann: LOL!  To be serious though, I think I feel a little better after talking to you.  Thanks.  We still haven’t seen any results, but it feels like a weight’s been lifted off my shoulders.  I hope you don’t mind talking to me too much._ **

**_Akira: Not at all.  I’m glad to talk to you anytime.  It’s good to have someone from my class that I’m good friends with.  Makes it so less tedious._ **

**_Ann: Wouldn’t be tedious if you paid attention. :P_ **

**_Akira: I pay attention all the time, first of all. :P Who do you think I am?  Ryuji?_ **

**_Ann: I don’t remember Ryuji getting hit in the forehead with chalk._ **

**_Akira: Don’t remind me. He’s got a mean right arm.  Shit clocked me right between the eyes._ **

**_Ann: Get good at dodging, nerd. :P See you tomorrow._ **

**_Akira: Psh, whatever. Seeya._ **

Morgana mentioned something about Akira increasing his proficiency as he plugged his phone in and snuggled into bed.  His words were lost on him as his mind wandered to the uncertain future.  What was in store for all of them.  If they really did change Kamoshida’s heart.

Only time would tell.


	11. Thy Kingdom Come

_4/21/17 – Thursday_

It had only been a single day, and Akira was already greatly impatient.  He could barely focus on his schoolwork, his mind wandering to the big day.  May 2nd.  Judgment day.  One way or another, things would change forever.  How Akira would pass the time until then was still up in the air.  He hated having too much downtime, being squandered by doing nothing.  Becoming Ryuji’s workout partner had definitely helped take a little of the edge off.  Running track and dining on ramen afterward.  Quality bonding time, good food, and keeping in shape.  Akira couldn’t complain nor would he.  As long as he was moving in some capacity, things would be fine.

He had considered getting a part-time job after school and in the evenings.  It would keep him busy and line his pockets with money.  Sojiro’s cooking was delightful and all, but he had a healthy appetite.  And the store owner didn’t seem too keen on him snacking.  They’d have plenty of opportunity to eat like kings once it was time to celebrate.  After he diverted some of the cash into upgrading their weapons and armor, as well as pilfering some medicine from that doctor Tae Takemi. 

Though, he’d have to convince Sojiro to let him wander out late.  Wouldn’t be that hard as it would mean he’d spend less time in Leblanc and taking up his space.  But one thing at a time.  His attention was drawn to his phone.  The group text had started to flare up again.

**_Ann: I went to go see Shiho, and I told her we settled things with Kamoshida.  She still hasn’t regained consciousness… but I had to go make amends._ **

**_Ryuji: Whaddya mean?  You didn’t do anything wrong, Ann.  Right, Akira?_ **

**_Akira: It’s not your fault in the slightest, Ann.  Kamoshida was the one who did wrong._ **

**_Ann: But I wasn’t there when she needed help.  I’m a failure as a friend._ **

Akira felt his heart sink at her words.  It wasn’t fair of her to do this to herself.  Shoulder blame for something beyond her control.  Then again, he’d have done the same were it any of them. 

“Lady Ann doesn’t deserve such injustice,” Morgana said, leaning atop Akira’s shoulder as he viewed the screen.  “Damn that Kamoshida.”

**_Akira: You know that’s not true, Ann.  What were you supposed to do?  Nobody was going to help us, and they’d all cover for Kamoshida.  The odds were rigged against us._ **

**_Ann: Maybe so, but I have to do all I can to make up for that, starting now.  Otherwise I don’t think I’ll be able to move on.  I’m not gonna let anyone else get stepped on because I was scared._ **

**_Ryuji: Man, I didn’t know you were so passionate.  I totally didn’t notice that back in middle school._ **

**_Ann: I think it’s because of you guys.  I’m a little embarrassed though.  Anyway, Ryuji, Akira… I hope we can keep helping each other out from now on too._ **

**_Akira: Don’t ever apologize for wanting to improve yourself or being passionate.  I admire that drive of yours, Ann.  It’s inspiring and serves as a good light for the rest of us._ **

**_Ryuji: You can always count on ya boys here._ **

**_Akira: Once you’re in the Phantom Thieves, you’re in for life.  We got your back till the very end._ **

**_Ryuji: Damn right!_ **

**_Ann: You guys are the best.  Seriously._ **

Akira’s attention was diverted to Sojiro as the old man requested his help with the store.  In exchange for aid, he’d be taught how to brew the perfect coffee.  He did enjoy cooking in his spare time, though he wasn’t much of a coffee drinker.  Perhaps Ann was, however.  It was an opportunity he put in his back pocket for later.  It would give him something to do while he waited for the days to pass.

For May.

* * *

 

_5/02/17 – Monday_

The wait leading up to today had been excruciating.  It became less easy for the Phantom Thieves to retain their composure.  To convince one another that they weren’t worried and everything was fine.  Everything was fine.  But the cracks were starting to show.  It was difficult for any of them to remain still and pay attention in class, not just Akira.  Akira and Ryuji threw themselves into their workout routine while Ann took as many modeling gigs as she could, spending any spare time looking after the unconscious Shiho.  And now things were the tensest they’ve ever been.

Principal Kobayakawa had organized a morning assembly to do some damage control after Shiho’s suicide attempt.  The students chatted amongst themselves curiously about it.  Some expressed annoyance, others expressed gratitude at being absent from class.  Either way, the tension was palpable for the three Phantom Thieves as they lingered in the crowds.  Akira and Ryuji were farther back in the crowd while Ann had gotten herself separated farther up.   

“Let’s begin this school-wide morning assembly,” Kobayakawa droned on.  “As you all know, a tragic event took place the other day.  Thankfully, we have been informed that she has pulled through, but it will take time until she recovers.”  Ann managed to draw some satisfaction from knowing Shiho wasn’t being swept under the proverbial rug and forgotten by the Shujin faculty.  There was no way they could.  She wouldn’t allow it, even to her dying breath.  The principal continued on with his speech, something about the importance of life and thinking about the future.  Reconsidering any decisions to throw it all away.  Ann scoffed silently to herself.  It was all an act to feign concern for them in the event something actually could be linked to Kamoshida. 

Though, Kobayakawa found himself interrupted by the squeak of a door.  All eyes diverted to focus on one solitary figure standing by the back entrance.  None other than Kamoshida.  It was a shock to see the disheveled shape he was in.  He was pale, hair a messy and uneven fright.  Dark circles underlining his eyes heavily.  Kamoshida had been absent from school for the longest time since his treasure had been stolen. 

“Mr. Kamoshida, what’s the…?”

“I… have been reborn.”  His voice was very low.  Soft and calm, though the exhaustion that lingered at the back of it could be felt deep in their chests.  He couldn’t even raise his head to face them, instead staring down at his own two feet.  “That is why I will confess everything to you all…”  Ann felt her heart seize in her chest, Akira and Ryuji way behind her catching the breath in their throats. 

And he did.  He confessed.  All of it.  Every single detail about his misconduct with regret and despair dripping from his voice with each syllable that left his mouth.  Verbally abusing students, physically abusing his team, and sexually harassing the girls.  Most of all, Shiho.  Loud and with great shame did he admit his sexual violation of her and the push to commit suicide.  With the words finally leaving, he fell to his knees and wept in shame.  The gymnasium was in a complete uproar with the students proclaiming their shock, anger, and offense at what they had just heard.  Kobayakawa was in complete damage control mode as he tried to convince Kamoshida to leave the stage, but the coach wouldn’t budge.  The teachers looked in in absolute shame and disgust.  None of them had any idea of what Kamoshida had been up to on account of his secretiveness, the students’ silence, and Kobayakawa’s efforts to keep it under wraps.  The castle that seemed to be Shujin was crumbling down.

Kamoshida didn’t stop, no matter what.  He pressed on and poured on the confessions.  Threatening students with expulsion, some even actually expelled.  Breaking Ryuji’s leg and sabotaging the track team.  Even past students having long since graduated had been victims of his abuse.  It had gone on for far too long.  But not anymore.  This would be the last time Kamoshida ever tainted Shujin with his presence.

“I am truly sorry for putting innocent youths through such horrible acts!  I am an arrogant, shallow… and shameful person…”  He just heaped on the self-loathing and self-deprecation for all the school to see.  Ann could barely process that this was happening.  Even after watching his shadow disappear before her very eyes, she still had trouble believing it.  Part of her even felt this would just end with nothing at all.  But she was wrong.  Dead wrong and couldn’t be more satisfied with it.  “I will take responsibility and kill myself for it!”

The gymnasium flew into an even bigger uproar at Kamoshida’s declaration.  Nobody knew how to feel about anything anymore.  The shock and upset at Kamoshida’s misconduct was still prevalent, but this movement to take his own life left everyone conflicted.  Akira and Ryuji whispered among themselves with surprise and confusion in their voices.

“Is this good?  Is this bad?” Ryuji pressed.  “Is this what we wanted?”

“You’re asking the wrong guy,” Akira said in turn.  “I mean, I’ve never wanted to push a person to suicide, but now I apparently have.  What do we do about this-“

“You don’t get to decide that!”  The panic of the teachers’ orders to calm the kids and the students’ bewildered mutterings were swiftly silenced.  All eyes fell to Ann, who stood proud and tall.  The students stepped back and watched her unleash her frustration out.  And she would, no stopping this time.  No more holding back and pretending everything was fine in Shujin.  “You’d just be running away from your shame if you killed yourself!  Don’t run, you bastard!  Shiho’s still alive even after all the things that made her want to die!  You have no right to run from this!”  The silence Ann had rendered was deafening.  The boys themselves were taken back by her passion and anger.  Akira swore that she might summon Carmen right here and now.  Principal Kobayakawa stood frozen in shock at her bold declaration, hands hovering over Kamoshida in an attempt to pull him up and off the stage.  Though he remained still like a deer caught in the headlights.

“You’re right.”  The principal’s gaze shifted down to the volleyball coach.  Though after this, he wouldn’t be anything at this school anymore save for an unpleasant memory and a stain on their sterling reputation.  “You’re absolutely right.”  Despite Kamoshida’s reduction to a pile of tears, he would gain no sympathy from either Ann or anyone else.  “I should be punished under the law and atone for my crimes.  I did horrible things to Takamaki-san as well.  In return for giving Suzui-san a position on the team, I tried to force her into having relations.”  With that, the crowd sparked up again and voiced their disgust for Kamoshida and sympathy for Ann.  A lot of the people that spread rumors of ill repute about her now found themselves repenting.  But the blonde paid them no heed.  She was instead focused on bringing Kamoshida down.  For Shiho and everyone else.  “As of today, I will resign from my position as an instructor and turn myself in.  Someone, please call the police!”

The teachers attempted to organize the chaos that had befallen upon them, but nothing would get accomplished today.  Kobayakawa made an impromptu decision to cancel the school day and send the students home early.  No doubt an attempt to save face when the police start investigating.  As the students began flooding out, the rumor mill began its work once more.  Everyone remembered the infamous calling card situation from before.  The Phantom Thieves had some legitimacy to them.  The future of the volleyball team and many of the staff’s positions were now up in the air.  Once this took to the news and the internet – and it would in a heartbeat – Shujin would be underneath the spotlight for a few months’ time.

Akira, Ryuji, and Ann had managed to slip away unnoticed, lingering out of sight until the gym was completely empty.  The three of them conversed in utter surprise among themselves at the turn of events.

“Wow… I can’t believe it…” Ryuji breathed silently.

“I had my doubts too,” Akira confessed, scratching at his shaggy mane of hair.

“His heart really did change…” Ann whispered.  To herself more than them. 

“Seems like it.”  Ryuji leaned on his bad leg, hands shelved into his pockets as he mulled it all over.  They had seen the entire turn of events together, and yet it all still seemed like a dream.  “But was this really for the best?”  Akira seemed blindsided by the rather odd question.

“What other option did we have?  Today could’ve ended with you, me, and Mishima getting shitcanned.  Ann would’ve been here all by herself with Kamoshida.”  Ryuji nursed the back of his neck.  “This was the best possible outcome.  We don’t get expelled, and Kamoshida goes to jail.”

“Yeah… it’s gotta be.  But things are happenin’ way too fast.”  Akira took off his glasses and retrieved the microfiber cloth from his satchel.  Even with his blurred vision, the stand where Kamoshida had his fall from grace was clear as day.

“Maybe that’s for the best,” he said, voice falling to a low and serious pitch.  “We have the power to make real change now.  Everything’s gonna catch up and fix itself, whether people like it or not.”  Ryuji remained silent and instead opted to mull over his words.  “Huh?”  Ryuji’s curiosity drew the interest of Akira and Ann, who turned to see the people approaching them.  “What the…?”  It was none other than Mishima and two other girls from their class.  One taller and with long brown hair, the other with short black hair.

“Takamaki-san!  I’m sorry!”  Mishima gave a humble bow of reverence to the perplexed blonde.  “We all knew, but we pretended we didn’t.  We were scared he would hurt us or cut us from the team, but we just kept our mouths shut.  You and Shiho had to suffer in silence for it.  And you too, Ryuji.”

“Takamaki-san, I had you all wrong!” the taller girl proclaimed.  “I’m sorry that I spread rumors about you!  I was disgusted by seeing you and Kamoshida together but had no idea!”

“I didn’t know at all,” the short-haired girl added.  “None of us did.  Kamoshida was forcefully pushing himself on you.  It must’ve been so hard for you!  And I can’t believe what he did to you either, Ryuji!”  The blond boy merely shrugged and played it nonchalant.  Sure, it felt nice to finally be vindicated by the student body.  But he was content to let Ann have the limelight.  A trait Akira found quite admirable.

“I’m sure there’s a ton of people who want to apologize to you.  We’re so sorry!”  Ann found herself quite overwhelmed by such grandiose displays of sympathy on her behalf.  After wanting justice and validation for so long, it felt so foreign to finally obtain it. 

“No, it’s okay,” she replied in an attempt to pacify their upset.  “The same goes for me too.  Besides, that’s all in the past now.”  Ann wasn’t one to linger on what happened before.  Only to look to the future with hope that thing will improve.  And with Kamoshida gone, they certainly would. 

Akira nodded to himself as he watched Ann meet Mishima and the girls on common ground.  She was both level-headed and headstrong.  Then again, so was he.  One of the teachers caught them lingering and hurried them out of the gymnasium.  The girls uttered another apology and went their separate ways.  Mishima offered his sincerest apologies to Akira as well, for leaking his criminal record at Kamoshida’s behest. 

“I can’t apologize enough for what I did to you.  I swear I’ll make it up someday.”

“Not your fault,” Akira said, hands shelved into his pockets.  “Kamoshida twisted your arm.  Plus, the record is technically true so I can’t be too upset.  Don’t beat yourself up over this, alright, Mishima?”  But the frail boy would hear none of it.  He continued up and down about his promises to do right by Akira, who merely resolved to let him have his sense of vindication.  At the very least, it would give him something to strive for.  But Akira wasn’t looking for any sort of reparations.  Seeing Ann and Ryuji get theirs, seeing Kamoshida be kicked to the curb.  Being seen as the criminal and problem child of Shujin still stung, but there was the real victory. 

* * *

 

The hospital doors slid open, and Ann walked along through the intensive care unit.  Despite all the good news coming their way, Shiho still wasn’t conscious.  The one thing that seemed to dangle victory out in front of her was the wellbeing of her best friend.  It robbed the satisfaction of the confession and the resulting apologies.  The one singular piece to her puzzle was still absent.  And it might just be that way for a while.  Their string of good luck could only stretch so far, after all.

Though what Ann wouldn’t give to arrive at Shiho’s room and see her up and conscious.  To tell her everything that happened, that Kamoshida had confessed to everything.  The blonde would’ve given literally anything in the world for just one more miracle today.

Luckily, she wouldn’t have to.

Her heart nearly seized up in her chest as she approached the window, her friend lying in the bed hooked up to machines and surrounded by nurses.  Her eyes wide open as she conversed with them.  A familiar twinkle in her eye Ann feared had been long since snuffed out by Kamoshida’s exploitation.  And only lit up brighter when she turned to see Ann staring at her through the glass.  A warm beaming smile found its way upon her soft angelic face.  Like that, Ann felt everything crawl to a standstill and broke down.

She fell to her knees with tears welling up in her eyes.  Tears of joy, happy sobs escaping the blonde.  All the troubles, trauma, and tension she had shouldered for the months that Kamoshida had lauded over her evaporated in a single second.  With one smile from Shiho, the smile that weathered the storm.  Shiho was strong.  Stronger than strong even.  Strength even Ann doubted she possessed.  She wanted to burst right into the room and embrace her.  Hold her tight and never let go, but there was no way she could face Shiho in such a state.  She hated people seeing her cry.  To reveal that weakness of herself.  But she let herself be weak in that moment.  She had earned it.

Ann tried to fumble with her phone to text the others that Shiho was okay, but she couldn’t see the screen through her watering eyes.  The blonde was way too much of an emotional incoherent mess to text them anything.  Instead, she just let herself weep.  It was a good weep, for once.  Of victory, acceptance, and peace.  For the longest time, Ann couldn’t remember being this happy. 

And she never wanted it to go.


	12. Changing Times

_5/02/17 – Monday_

For what felt like the first time in forever, Ann walked along with her head held high and hope in her heart.  It felt like a dream, all of today.  The comeback of the century for all of them.  Akira had wanted to arrange a meeting on the roof, but she couldn’t bring herself to attend.  She was too much of a teary-eyed mess to properly face them.  He had seen her cry before, granted.  But it wasn’t really something she was proud of.  Though, she did offer her apologies.  Akira was thankfully an incredibly understanding person and postponed the meeting to tomorrow.  Now all that was left to do was treat herself to a well earned and heavy night’s rest. 

She unlocked the penthouse door and slipped inside, seeing Baba standing over the oven with a phone in her hand.  And from the look on her face, she was greatly angered by something.

“Oh, thank goodness,” she said, taking notice of the young blonde.  “She’s here, dear.  Your mother wants to speak with you.”

“Everything alright?” Ann asked, warily taking the phone in her hands.  Baba merely scoffed and shook her head.

“I should be asking you that.”  The heavyset woman turned back to tending the food she was cooking, ranting and raving to herself.  “I just got off the phone with Shiho’s parents.  They told us everything that happened.”  The TV on the counter was running the story in question, with Kamoshida’s mugshot on display for the world to see.  The titles onscreen before the reporters weren’t flattering in the slightest.

 _Word got out fast_ , Ann thought to herself as she raised the phone to her ear.

“Mom?”

“Honey, I just heard about the news, and your father and I are absolutely furious!”  She had never heard her mother this angry before.  “Your father is on the phone contacting a lawyer for Shiho’s parents right now.  Shujin doesn’t know how lucky it is that Shiho is conscious again.”  Ann felt a sadistic spark flicker in her soul at the thought of them making Principal Kobayakawa pay for Kamoshida’s transgressions.   “I’m so proud of Shiho for having the courage to come forward and say something about it.  I just wished she had done it sooner.  Poor dear…”

“It wasn’t her fault,” Ann said, twirling a finger around her twintail.  “Kamoshida had everybody scared at Shujin, and people were covering for him.”

“Oh, you don’t have to tell me, dear,” her mother continued.  “Your father is reading the news report online now.  Beating up children, sexual assault.  I’ve never been more disgusted in all my life! I-oh, hold on, dear.  Your father wants to speak to you.”

“Honey?”

“Hi, Daddy.”

“Honey, don’t worry a single hair on your head about Shiho.  We’ll be helping her parents take care of everything.  Ooh, once we’re done with them, they’re gonna have to sell that school to pay for the lawsuit.”  Her father was prone to exaggeration as part of his eccentric personality and occupation, but from the tone of his voice, he might just go that far.  “And, honey, I need you to be honest with me, okay?”  Ann knew what was coming next.  Her father’s low and delicate tone had supplanted his vindictive and angry disposition from second ago.  “Did that man touch you in any way?  I swear on my life, we will sue that school for every penny they have to their name if they laid a single finger on you.”  From the number of fingers Kamoshida had laid on her, Principal Kobayakawa could be paying even in the afterlife.  Caressing her hair, groping her thighs and breasts, squeezing her rear.  One thing she had managed to avoid was his kiss, thankfully enough.  Sometimes, she would scrub extra hard in the shower to remove the imaginary stain that lingered on her from his touch.  Ann wasn’t quite sure she’d ever feel a hundred percent comfortable in her skin again.

“…No.  He didn’t.”  But this wasn’t about her.  This was about Shiho.  Always had been.  Her time to be taken care of.  Ann felt guilty at the prospect of taking away any focus on her.  She had suffered as well at the hands of Kamoshida but would sacrifice her voice so Shiho could heal. 

“You’re telling the truth?  It’s not your fault, and we won’t get mad at you.  You did nothing wrong.  You don’t have to be afraid anymore, dear.”

“He didn’t touch me,” she lied reluctantly.  Her silence was the price to pay for getting Shiho the retribution she deserved.  At least in her mind, it was.  Though, it didn’t make her conscience feel any better.

“Oh, thank goodness,” her father breathed with great relief.  “Your mother and I can’t tell you how lucky we are.”

“Count our blessings,” Ann said, peaking over to her nana with a smile.  “Just like Baba says.”  For a brief moment, the caretaker cracked a smile.  Even in these times, Ann never lost that optimism.  A trait Baba had grown more and more thankful for over the coming years.  The conversation switched back and forth between her parents and with Baba while the caretaker took dinner off the stove.  At first, Ann hadn’t been that hungry, but it hit her like a ton of bricks once Baba set it out upon the table.  It had been the busiest in the penthouse it had been in a whole year.  And she ate what felt like a year’s worth of food.  Ann winded down the rest of her day by taking a nice long shower and snuggling right into bed.  The warm blanket felt like heaven’s embrace around her body.  She sank like a stone into the center of the mattress.  Though even with everything, it was hard to sit still or get comfortable.

Too many things were now on her mind.  For all the peace Kamoshida’s fall from grace seemed to bring, uncertainty and worry began to subset it.  Shiho still had a long way to go – both emotionally and physically – before she would be able to rejoin them at Shujin.  Even then, it wouldn’t be easy.  What she had been subjected to wasn’t something one could just walk away from.  The blonde resolved to be at Shiho’s side and push on towards the road of recovery.  She owed it to Shiho for putting her in this position to begin with. 

This was to be a second chance for both of them.  Never again would Ann put a friend in such a position.  Their struggles were each other’s, and they were in it together.  For better or worse.  For Shiho and for her new Phantom Thief friends.

* * *

 

_5/03/17 – Tuesday_

School couldn’t have been more awkward for the teachers.  Principal Kobayakawa was nowhere to be found the entire day, laying as low as possible no doubt.  The teachers had to press on like everything was somewhat normal.  But nothing would ever be the same at Shujin again.  Kamoshida had blown the doors wide open on that one.

Ann hovered outside Shiho’s ward after school and waited for the nurses to finish.  She wanted to visit her before attending the meeting on the roof.  Akira had bestowed her another kindness in letting her be late for this one.  She owed him for a lot.  The nurses vacated, and one gave her a confirming nod of approval to head in.  Ann needed little prompting as she flew to Shiho’s side in the blink of an eye.  The girl embraced as gently as she could her bedbound friend, but it was hard to resist the urge to squeeze her tightly.  Despite coming in calm and collected, Ann felt the waterworks bubbling to the surface.

“How have you been?” Ann asked, clumsily wiping her eyes in the hopes Shiho wouldn’t notice.  If she did, the girl refused to say anything, instead choosing to offer a warm and beaming smile that restored the happiness Ann felt.

“A little stiff,” she confessed.  “Not in any position to start physical therapy just yet.  But the doctors say I’m getting close.”  Ann clasped her hands and gave a soft sigh of relief.  She couldn’t wait to see her walking again.  They were gonna have lots of plans once she got out of here.  “To be honest, I’m kinda bored.  I never thought I’d miss school.”

“Believe me, you’re not missing anything,” Ann said with a flick of her hand.  “Only thing at school to miss is you.  I’ll be here at your side to support you once you start your therapy.”

“The doctors say it’s gonna be rough.  Really painful too.”

“You can do it, Shiho.  You can do anything.”  The thought of Shiho struggling set Ann at slight ill ease.  But she’d weather through anything for her.  If Shiho could still trudge on through after her rape and abuse with a smile, Ann could retain hope as well.  “So how’s the food here?”

“Sucks,” Shiho said with a snicker.  Ann felt herself giggling alongside her.  The first genuine and good laugh in what felt like years.  “I can’t have sweets just yet.  I’m craving some crepes something severe.”  Ann felt herself beaming at the thought.  They would always grab crepes after school to unwind.  Though that had fallen out of practice since her inception into the volleyball team.  And being put under the thumb of Kamoshida.  “Tell Akira I said “hi.”  How’s class with him?”

“We’re actually friends now,” Ann said with a prideful beam.  “And with Ryuji too.”

“Sakamoto-kun?”

“Mm-hmm!  When you come back, we can all hang out together.  The first thing we’re doing is grabbing crepes.  My treat!”  Shiho’s gaze faltered, and the girl looked down to her hands.  The smile disappeared as the news her family was planning came to the forefront.

“About that… you see, my mom doesn’t want me to go back to Shujin…”  A surprised and pained whimper rose up in Ann’s throat, quickly pushed back down.  “Because of what happened… and I don’t really want to go back either.  It’s too… well…”

“You don’t have to explain to me, Shiho,” Ann said, crestfallen.  It deflated her completely to hear the news, but it wasn’t surprising in hindsight.  Expecting her to willingly return to Shujin after what Kamoshida had done would be too good to be true.  It was strange to have to imagine.  Shiho permanently gone from Shujin.  Though maybe things would change between now and when she can fully walk again.  She hoped.  She prayed.

“No, I do, Ann.  I’m sorry for all this…”

“For what?  You didn’t do anything.”

“If I had been a better player, you wouldn’t have to hang around with Kamoshida to keep me on it.”  Shiho shook her head with disappointment at herself.  The girl enjoyed volleyball immensely but wasn’t exactly in the top spot.  Kamoshida had high standards, and his discipline was even higher when those standards weren’t met. 

“It’s not your fault,” Ann said, leaning in with a stern look.  “I chose to do what I did.  Kamoshida exploited us both.”  Hypocritical it was to reprimand Shiho only for her to blame herself in secret for her condition.  It wasn’t lost on Ann nor did it sit well.  But there was no way she’d allow for Shiho of all people to throw herself under the bus in such a way.  “I’d kick his dick in if I could.”  Shiho couldn’t help but snicker at her friend’s ire.  Ann’s profanity always managed to spice up her mundane life.  Though it had never managed to rub off on her.  Shiho found herself too soft-spoken and self-conscious to swear.

“I’d give him one too if I could.  But I gotta ask: what made Kamoshida confess?”  Ann paused and nursed her neck.  She hadn’t counted on that question despite being a painfully obvious one.  Kamoshida feeling guilty of his own volition was too far a stretch to convince Shiho with.  She was a bit naïve but not a fool.

“The Phantom Thieves.”

“The… who?” 

“They’re like crusaders of justice and stuff.  Make corrupt people confess to their crimes by making them publicly known.  At least I think so.”  Ann had to make sure to underplay her hand in what she knew.  “I got a calling card of theirs they sent to the school.”  Ann removed the red piece of parchment and handed it to Shiho, who analyzed the fine detailing and calligraphy that went into crafting it.

“”Sir Suguru Kamoshida, the... bastard of lust?””  Shiho couldn’t retain her composure and started snickering.  “You’ve got to be kidding me.  That’s so lame!”

“Oh my God, right?” Ann said, giggling.  “It’s ridiculous!”  The two girls lost themselves in laughter, and for a moment everything seemed as it always had been.  That Kamoshida had just been a bad dream and they were little girls again at a sleepover or on the playground.  Simpler times, ones that Ann would find herself missing more and more in the coming months.

* * *

 

Akira lounged in his seat on the rooftop of the school, listening to Ryuji and Morgana talk amongst themselves.  On the table before them was the gold medal stolen from the Palace.  Akira had an idea of who he would pawn it off to, but that was hardly any of his concern at the moment.  He peered out over the horizon to stare at the sunset.  It had been a long time since he found himself appreciative of such a simple vista.  Everything seemed to be a lot brighter and cleaner now with Kamoshida gone.

“So we can get ‘em to confess with no bad stuff?” Ryuji asked.  “Hey!  That works for me!”  Akira hadn’t been paying them any attention.  He registered their words but wasn’t in focus.  Something about how killing the shadow wouldn’t trigger a mental shutdown. 

“Do you have to be so loud?”  Upon hearing her voice, Akira immediately snapped back to reality and turned to see Ann approach the group.  “Sorry again for being late.  I wanted to catch up with Shiho.”

“Eh, don’t worry about it,” Ryuji said, leaning back in his chair.  The blond boy was feeling atop of the world.  “So how’d it go?  With Shiho, I mean.”

“She says “hi”,” Ann said with a solemn smile.  “She’s happy to hear we’re friends.  It was only for a little bit, but I got to talk to her.”  The blonde took a seat to recuperate.  This week was proving to be more emotional than desired.  “I was able to tell her that Kamoshida admitted to what he did.  Shiho, she… she told me she was sorry.  Looks like she found out that I was flirting with Kamoshida for her sake.  And here I was, wanting to apologize to her.”  A sad laugh escaped her.  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring the mood down.”

“It’s quite alright, Lady Ann,” Morgana said, leaning on the edge of the table closest to her.  “Kamoshida’s at fault for all this.”

“I know,” Ann said as she took a deep breath to regain composure.  “Shiho’s mom is thinking of transferring her to another school after she recovers.  The whole sexual harassment and attempted suicide… people will label her after that.  Sounded like Shiho had the same idea too.”

“Ah, jeez…” Akira muttered to himself, nursing his neck.  It made sense, but it would suck to see Shiho go.  To have to pick up everything and move away because of someone else’s cruelty.  It wasn’t fair. 

“It’s gonna get lonely…” Ryuji said with a downtrodden look.  Looks like they couldn’t fix everything.  Unsurprising but still disheartening to face.  “Well, at least you got us, right?”  Ann gave a small smile of acknowledgment and nodded.  These three goofball boys were her friends now too.  And she wouldn’t trade them for the world.

“Yeah.  You’re right.  Plus, it’ll be a while before Shiho can leave the hospital.  They might change their minds before then, but if they don’t, I think it’s for the best.  I’m sure it’ll be hard if she stays here.”

“She’s alive,” Ryuji said.  “That’s what matters in the end, don’t it?  You can see her anytime.  She might be goin’, but she’ll always be your friend.”

“Get in as much time as you can with her, Ann,” Akira spoke up.  The boy had sat in silence for the longest time, listening to her speak.  It was uncertain what to say or how it should be said.  Delicate subjects like this weren’t his forte.  Like handling a puzzle made of glass.  “Spend every day with her if you need to.  Don’t worry about waiting up for us.”

“Heh.  Finally decided to speak up, huh?  You’ve been awful quiet.”  Akira smirked at Ryuji’s playful ribbing, turning back to face the sun.

“Had a lot on my mind.  Everything feels different now.  We’ve all changed in some way.  It’s… it feels good.”

“ _I need to change too_ ,” Ann muttered to herself.  Far too much had occurred to relapse into her old life again.  Of remaining quiet and pretending everything was fine despite the contrary.  There was no going back.  Though in what way would she move forward?  Living a sheltered life, lingering so long in silence.  She wasn’t sure exactly how to proceed. 

“That aside, I was surprised you could hold yourself back against Kamoshida’s Shadow.”  Ann blinked and turned to face Ryuji.  It hadn’t occurred to her until now just how truly angry she was with him.  How much hate she harvested in her heart for such an evil man.  It fed something deep inside her soul to put him onto his knees, groveling for his life.  To be in a position where she could reduce him to ashes with a flick of her wrist.  Intoxicating and also pretty scary.

“I’m glad you did.”  Akira gave a soft smile while leaning forward in his seat.  “I couldn’t blame you in the slightest if you had decided to finish him off.  It took a lot of restraint and control to make that decision.  I’m really proud of you, Ann.”  Ann felt the heat swell up on her neck from his words.  She hadn’t really been told that by anyone else besides her parents and Baba.  To hear it from someone else was odd.  In a good way.  She sheepishly rubbed her neck and face as the blush started to creep around the edges to her cheeks.

“Th-thanks,” she clumsily offered.  The blonde cleared her throat to regain her lost composure.  “I didn’t want to kill him.  It wasn’t like that.  I just wanted Kamoshida to apologize himself.  Just… I’m not a murderer.”

“You’re so kind, Lady Ann,” Morgana said.  “Your mercy is as heavenly as your beauty.”

“No matter how much of a shit bag he was, finishing him off woulda left a bad aftertaste, huh?” Ryuji added.  He hadn’t reflected much on how to properly and responsibly use their powers.  They had to exercise some degree of restraint. 

“Huh?”  Ann glanced between the cat and the other blond, rather baffled by their words.  As they sank in, she couldn’t help but laugh just a bit.  It was a rather cold sound, rather uncharacteristic of Ann.  The two boys and the cat felt a chill run down their spines as her amusement met their ears.  “Oh, no.  That’s _not_ it.  I think revenge is better served if I make him repent.”  Her voice slowly fell in pitch, growing more calculated and dark.  And her blue eyes were as ice cold as the words she spoke.  “Realizing what he’s done, he’ll grovel for forgiveness for the rest of his life, you know?  Even if he gets out of prison, he’ll have nowhere to go.  No job will take him, no friends to help him when hard times fall on his shoulders, nowhere to go.  Take everything from him like he did to Shiho.  If he dies, no one will ever know what a piece of shit he was and Shiho could never get the justice she deserves.  I just believe there are fates worse than death.  Way worse.”

The silence that lingered was positively deafening.  Each of their hearts hung in their throats from her tirade.  Morgana had slunk down beneath Ryuji’s chair for cover.  Ryuji felt the hairs on his arms stand on edge.  It was hard to breathe, she had rendered the atmosphere so tense.

“Holy shit…” was all he could muster.  If this was her being “kind” according to Morgana, he prayed he never got to see her unhinged and angry.  Akira was feeling something much more different.  The passion and drive with which she spoke had his heart racing.  Both in the Metaverse and outside of it, she had a fiery drive that made her someone to be respected and feared.  It was impressive, scary, and even arousing.  Akira clenched his thighs and avoided eye contact, brushing a little of his hair in front of his face to mask the blush.  For safekeeping, he tugged the front of his uniform slightly down to obscure his crotch a bit.  A small twisted part of him didn’t mind the idea of being on the receiving end of her fury.

The conversation continued onwards, with the Phantom Thieves discussing other Palaces, the skepticism surrounding their existence, what to do with the medal, and finally to a celebration of their triumph.  At Ann’s request, they were to dine at a fancy restaurant she and Shiho had wished to go for a while.  It was decided unanimously.  May 5th, Children’s’ Day.  Akira volunteered to sell the medal tomorrow.  It wasn’t worth as much as he imagined, and it wasn’t a truly authentic one.  But he surmised that the owner of Untouchable wouldn’t complain.  The three of them split off, Morgana lounging about in Akira’s satchel as usual.  Sometimes the boy forgot he was in there.

“Hey, Akira?”  He came to a halt at hearing Ann’s voice.  “I was just wanted to say thanks for what you said.  It was… really nice.  It means a lot that you have some faith in me.”  Akira merely smiled warmly.

“I’d be a fool not to.”  The two said their goodbyes and split off, Ann turning the corner and shaking her head.  What he had said.  It was getting to her.  Butterflies in her stomach and a slight warmth on her cheeks.  She hadn’t felt this way before.  It wasn’t unpleasant.  Just confusing and unusual.

_What is wrong with me?_


	13. The Bonds of Friendship

_5/05/17 - Thursday_

Akira had to admit.  When it came to choosing food, Ann had exquisite taste.  The Wilton Hotel sported the most diverse and jampacked buffet in their region of Tokyo.  Not to mention, the décor.  Food and aesthetics were what had drawn Ann to such a place.  Red and gold as far as the eye could see.  The patrons were dressed in their evening finest while the three teenagers stuck out just a bit. 

Akira wore a black blazer over a grey shirt and jeans.  He was lacking a bit in terms of formal clothing but was faring better than Ryuji.  Black pants and a t-shirt, a purple hoodie jacket over it.  Ann stole the show with a casual but fashionable sporty look.  Black leggings having replaced the usual red, topped with a white skirt and red converse sneakers on her feet.  A lavender blue-button up was housed underneath a thick red and white jersey jacket, with big red round earrings shining in the light.  It may have been an evening with friends, but she was going all out with her clothing as usual.

The blonde could’ve come any time, having come from well off stock.  But using her parents’ money felt like cheating.  She wanted to earn her way inside, which had consisted of her saving her checks up until she could pay for her and Shiho’s visit.  It wasn’t the visit like she had panned out in her head.  Though, it still felt grand with Akira and Ryuji.

The medal had sold for a pretty penny, netting them a little extra spending money.  Akira would use what they had left to beef up their equipment for the next run into the Metaverse.  One thing at a time, however.  Today was a day of celebration.  With only an hour, they had a serious schedule to crunch.  Akira took his time while the both of them stuffed themselves to near oblivion.  He was surprised to see how much they had put away, especially Morgana.  Ryuji and Ann had eaten nearly double their weight in meat and sweets.  Akira had garnered a selection of multiple food groups: toasted bread, succulent pork loin, a salad, pasta, a fruit ensemble, and beans.  Lots of beans.

After managing to put all of his share away – and even some of Ann and Ryuji’s shares – Akira felt immense pride.  Almost as much as when they dethroned Kamoshida.  Ryuji and Morgana felt less confident about their eating abilities and promptly headed for the bathroom.  Akira hadn’t expected he’d be taking his cat to the bathroom like a mother tending her child at a busy airport.  Ann was left to her own devices downstairs.

“Ugh, I’m stuffed…” Morgana moaned weakly from inside the satchel.  The cat felt like a ton of bricks in there.  “You were talking big about eating until you puked, but you really did puke.  Are you some kind of moron?”

“Hey, same goes for you!” Ryuji protested while he patted his sore stomach.  “Man, I totally panicked when I saw the “Closed For Cleaning” sign at the bathrooms.”  Akira winced and sheepishly nursed his neck, taking care to stand upwind of Ryuji.

“You know, I could’ve gone for a second round.  Not anymore, though.”  Ryuji and Morgana groaned in unison at the thought of even a single smaller bite of food.

“Dude, how?” the blond boy inquired.  “You’re like a living garbage disposal!”  Akira gave an amused smile at his comment and shrugged.

“I’ve done weirder things.  I put chocolate syrup and crunchy candies on a pizza when I was like ten years old.  Was delicious, actually.”

“Eugh,” the cat protested, hanging limply out of the satchel.  His full gullet had him moving like a slug.  And quite lethargic to boot.  Akira wouldn’t mind taking a nap either.  “That’s disgusting!”  Ryuji’s face turned a tinge of green, and Akira worriedly took himself a step back.

“Man, I really wish you hadn’t said that…”  The boy turned towards the elevator doors and inspected the buttons.  He had been in such a rush that he didn’t truly know where he was.  “What floor was that restaurant on…?”

“Why not just take the stairs?” Akira asked as Ryuji hit the down arrow.  “Get a little exercise, right?”  The blond leaned against the wall and shook his head with an exhausted wince.

“Too much of a hassle, dude.  I’m too bloated for that.”

“You mean “too lazy.”  Gotta burn off those calories if we’re gonna keep training.”

“Yeah, but…”  As he felt Akira’s judgmental eyes upon him, he reached for his bad leg and squeezed it firmly.  “Oh, my knee’s acting up!  Too hard to walk, stairs are tough!  Guess we just have to take the elevator now…”  The shaggy-haired youth merely quirked an eyebrow and stared him down, seeing through his poorly acted façade.  A master of deceit, he was not.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me…”  A smile spread upon his face as a joke managed to come forth from the back of his mind.  Though, it was swiftly dashed from his thoughts as a bunch of men in suits pushed right past them.  At least six of them crowded in front of the elevator doors, taking their spot.

“Hey!  What the-“

“There’s still no update on the case?” one of them spoke.  The lot of them were completely oblivious to the teenagers.  Another spoke up, informing the man that there was no progress.  He seemed rather nervous in addressing him.  No doubt he was the leader.  Akira couldn’t see him through the wall of suits as he had made his way straight to the front.  Though something about him sounded a bit familiar. 

“Why are you so involved?  It’s not something you should be concerned with.”

“I don’t care about your opinion, you incompetent buffoon!  When I say pick up the pace, you do it!”

“Hey!”  The men turned and stared in annoyance at Ryuji, who had planted his foot firmly forward.  “You’re cuttin’ in line!”

“We’re in a hurry,” one of the subordinates stated.  Monotone and expressionless in how he addressed Ryuji.  Like a drone cranked out of an assembly line. 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Ryuji mocked, further testing the men’s patience.  “So you can butt in front of other people if _you’re_ in a hurry?”

“It seems the customer base has changed since I was here last.  Have they started a daycare?”  The man at the front finally managed to come into view, and Akira felt his heart stop.  The world ceased to exist as he processed who he was facing.  Bald head with a black goatee.  And orange-tinted square glasses with half rims.  It all came flooding back to him at the speed of light.

The dark night, the smell of alcohol, the crying woman, the police sirens, the courtroom.  He’d never forget it as long as he lived.  That man.  The very same man was here.  It seemed that Akira’s past really did follow him everywhere.  Literally in this case.  The boy clenched his fist in anger and stared down the man as his subordinate shoved Ryuji back.  “Don’t bother with them.  Kids these days.  So disrespectful.”  He didn’t even bat an eyelash at him as the elevator doors closed.  Probably didn’t even recognize him.  Just a forgotten inconvenience.

“The hell was with that bossy guy?” Ryuji huffed through gritted teeth.  “That dick really pissed me off.  He wasn’t even hidin’ the fact that he looks down on everyone!”  Morgana slipped out and leaned on Akira’s shoulder towards Ryuji.

“Don’t lose your temper over this,” the cat lectured.  The last thing he wished was to cause another scene.  Ryuji just shook his head stubbornly.

“I just can’t forgive shitty adults like that!”  As Ryuji ranted and raved to himself, the feline could only sigh.  He was hard to rein in when he got into one of his moods.

“Akira, can you do something about this?”  But Akira said nothing.  Even as the empty elevator doors opened, he stood still as death.  A cold stare permeating through his silver eyes, as though seeing into the absent man’s very soul.  Behind his lips, his teeth were gritted and bared.  Ready to tear into something.  “…Akira?”  The unusually cold silence withdrew Ryuji from his complaining.

“What’s wrong?”  Akira’s eye twitched as he tilted his head towards the blond.  He had completely forgotten where he was.  Instead reliving the events that brought him here over and over, replaying them on loop in his head.  His vision had blurred over and projected him that cursed night.  It all felt like a lifetime ago.  The boy unclenched his hand and took a deep breath.  All tension subsided from his chest as the air left his body.

“Forget about it,” he dismissed as he slipped into the elevator.  “Just thinking about that asshole is all.”  Ryuji scoffed and sauntered on in with him, the door closing as they descended.

“No kiddin’.  You believe that guy?  Who does he think he is?”  A low growl slipped out through Akira’s lips.

“What I wouldn’t give to plant my boot right in his throat.”  Ryuji blinked in surprise at his sudden tonal shift.  His voice was low and gritty, very dry.  And cold.  A far cry from the calm and smooth voice he was used to.

“Whoa…”  Akira definitely had some venom in him.  More so than expected for a person with such a calm demeanor.  “You sure you’re alright?”  Akira didn’t answer, instead giving him a limp nod.  As angry as he was, it was the past.  His Persona couldn’t undo time.  It was spilled milk, and he wouldn’t catch himself crying over it.  Seething, maybe.  Ryuji and Morgana discussed their concern about him, but he didn’t process a word of it.  He had become engrossed in the past again, fuming angrily to himself.  And here he had thought this was put behind him.  Though the past never truly was.

As the elevator doors opened, a group of women stormed past in a huff as they complained to themselves.  There was chocolate on the heavier looking one’s dress.

“This was so expensive!” the woman muttered.  “Who raised her to be like this?”

“Why’s she here?  A girl like that doesn’t belong.”

“Doesn’t she have a chaperone?  The child came alone?”

“I’m sure she’s been spoiled rotten by her parents.”

“Children today…”

Didn’t take the boys much effort to figure out who they were talking about, Akira and Ryuji being the only two other teenagers present.  At the table alone was a sad and defeated looking Ann.  She had retrieved more sweets but could only absently prod at them with her fork.  As she turned her head, she blinked and changed her demeanor entirely.  In place of her downtrodden state was a snippy glare.

“What took you guys so long!?”

“Why’re you all pissy?” Ryuji asked in surprise.  “We were gone for like ten minutes!”  Ann sighed and regained her composure while the two boys took their seats. 

“Sorry… I just had a run-in with some woman a second ago.”  Akira leaned back on the couch and stared through his peripheral at the women in the corner.  The heavier set woman was throwing a fuss with the waiter about the spill on her dress.  _She_ bumped into me but then said it was my fault when she dropped her plate!”  Ryuji scoffed and folded his arms in annoyance.

“Sounds like a real bitch,” he muttered, much to the blonde’s appreciation.

“Of course she did.”  Ann glanced over to Akira, who held a fist to his mouth as he gazed darkly at the woman’s direction.  “It’s always someone else’s fault.  Someone else’s responsibility for their mistakes.  Other people gotta be thrown under the bus.”  He scoffed and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand scornfully.  “Stupid loud ass cunt.  If she spent more time running on a fucking treadmill instead of running her goddamn mouth, maybe she wouldn’t bump into people with her gas giant sized orbit.”  Ryuji blew air through his lips in surprise, holding a hand to cover his mouth.  Ann did a double take at her friend’s vulgarity.  Akira had a venomous tongue when angered, that much she knew.  The tirade he had spouted off about Kamoshida at the Big Bang Burger a month ago was legendary to her.  But if Ryuji was considered the vulgar one, Akira was the one who went in between the ribs with a proverbial knife.

“Jeez, dude!  That guy upstairs really got to you.”

“What guy?” Ann inquired.  Ryuji shook his head in anger and leaned forward on his knees.

“Some asshole upstairs pushed his way to the front with his entourage when we were in line first.”

“I saw those guys a little bit ago,” she said disdainfully.  “Couldn’t miss them walking around like they owned the place.  Especially the guy at the front with the business casual and the bald head.”  The blonde made a gagging sound.  “Looks like a real slimeball.  Probably some douchebag radio station owner or TV executive.”

“ _Don’t count on it_ ,” Akira muttered under his breath.  Whoever this guy was, he was in a completely different ballpark than either of those things.  Or even Kamoshida.

“I wonder if we’re out of place here…”  Akira diverted his attention from angrily sulking to witnessing the crestfallen blonde.  He huffed through his nose in agitation.  He didn’t like this.  Feeling this anger, this frustration.  All it did was drag him down while he struggled against something he couldn’t control.  It didn’t always use to be like this.  Before the expulsion.

“Our money’s as good as anyone else’s.  But the rich and people in charge would think otherwise.  That their yen is somehow better and more special than ours because they live in some fancy ass house, own a loud and shiny car, and wear overpriced clothes.”  Ann tugged at her shirt collar apprehensively.  Her parents weren’t like that.  Not at all.  They had always been charitable and humble, and they had worked with Baba to raise her into a grateful young lady.  But his words cut a little deep.  Part of her worried that he would think less of her in some way if he knew her family was rich and famous.  Not like she had asked for the legacy herself.  “Well, whatever.  To hell with them.  Let’s go, guys.  We don’t have to sit here and take this shit.”

“Works for me,” Ryuji said sternly.  Ann took no objections to his suggestion and followed the two boys out.  Not a single one of them looked back as they departed down the street from the hotel.  Though, Ann was going to miss those sweets something severe.  As the blond boy followed Akira, the gears in his head began to turn.  Slowly but they were turning.  “…Hey, Morgana.”  At his word, the cat popped his head out from Akira’s satchel curiously.  “Anyone could have a Palace, yeah?”

“Anyone with a strong, distorted desire.”

“Same for them havin’ a change of heart if their Treasure gets stolen?”

“That would be the case.”  Ann leaned towards her fellow blond curiously.

“Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?”  Ryuji took a deep breath and prepped himself for pleading his case.

“I was just wonderin’ if we’d be able to change those kindsa people too.”  Akira came to a halt and mulled over his friend’s words.  Something about continuing their vanguard of justice was rather appealing.  Righting wrongs and looking sleek while doing so.  But something was bothering him, itching the back of his mind in a way he just couldn’t scratch.

“You mean you want to continue as the Phantom Thieves?”  Ryuji gave an adamant nod to Ann. 

“I’ve been thinkin’.  We put a lot of work into changin’ Kamoshida’s heart, but nobody believes in the Phantom Thieves.  Plus, those guys who had no other choice but to just deal with it are thankin’ us.  Us, of all people!”  Ann’s gaze fell to her feet as her mind withdrew to the past.  To the darker times of her helplessness under Kamoshida.  Before they helped save her.

“I… I agree, actually.  If we ignore people who are in trouble, I’d go back to being the same as I was before.”  To feel so free, to be able to help others who needed it.  She could breathe clearly for the first time in what felt like months.  And so could everyone else at Shujin.  There was no way she could let herself go back.  Not within a fight.  Otherwise, the same things that happened to Shiho or Ryuji might happen to someone else.

“It’s a nice sentiment…”  Akira trailed off, nodding to himself at Ryuji’s words.  “But it’s something we have to be careful about.”  Their eyes were upon him as he spoke.  His hands gravitated behind him as he slowly paced back and forth before them.  A habit he had picked up from long ago to help him think and keep his nerves calm.  “We have these powers for some weird reason, and we need to use them responsibly.  Like, I’m all for using these powers for the right reasons.  But they have to be the _right_ reasons.  All those rich dickheads back there who looked down on us?  Fuck those guys, right?  But being an asshole isn’t a crime.  We can’t bully people into submission that make us mad.  Otherwise, would we be any better?”  Ryuji shelved his hands into his pockets and nodded slowly.  Akira had a good solid head on his shoulders for this kind of thing.  One of many reasons why he admired him.  A sentiment Ann herself shared as well. 

It was strange to hear him speak like this.  A wisdom beyond his years.  It did make sense, seeing how soft-spoken, quiet, and calculating Akira often was.  Complimented by his silver tongue and quick wit.  She’d definitely peg him as a sort of natural born leader.  As though it were a sort of destiny.  Not that she necessarily believed in such things.  But other worlds, magic, shadows.  Would it be so far-fetched to call it such?

“If we’re gonna do something like this, we have to have rules.  We do things for the right reasons, not out of spite or pettiness or obsession with revenge.  But to help people in trouble.  We don’t kill anyone either.  This is for justice, not personal vendettas.  Even if it’s hard, we have to set aside personal feelings.  For the greater good.”  Ryuji and Ann sat in silence before offering smiles.  There wasn’t really anything they could object to.  Kamoshida had to live so Shiho and others could have their justice known to the world. 

“For the greater good,” Ann repeated, her smile increasing to a hearty beam.  Ryuji grinned and offered his thumbs-up in response.

“That’s why I think we should stick to targetin’ big names.  Like a CEO or celebrity.  Somethin’ along those lines.  If we go after some bigwig, it’s gotta get on the news, right?  Don’t you think more people would believe in us if we did that?”

“Well, that’s not necessarily the point though,” Akira said.  Ryuji furrowed his brow curiously at the raven-haired youth.  “Recognition and fame are all well enough, but you do the good deeds regardless of if someone’s paying attention.  Because it’s just… you know.  The right thing to do?”  He sighed and turned his gaze towards the setting sun.  The sky was now washing over into a purple with black along the edges creeping up.  A faint twinkling of the stars could barely be made out.  “There’s a lot of cynicism in the world nowadays, right?  A lot of people are jaded, bitter, angry, or just out of hope.  Out of something to believe in.  When we busted Kamoshida, we gave some of that back to Shujin.  We can help people, make real change.  But we have to do it the right way and _only_ the right way.  There can never be enough empathy or goodwill in the world, after all.  We help others, they can help themselves, and then start helping others too.  And the process continues.”  He smirked at himself offering a speech about ethics.  He never really used to get this worked up, this enthused to a point where he’d wax this poetic.  But everything changes with time and experience.  “ "Catch more flies with honey than vinegar,” I think was the expression.”

Ann continued beaming at Akira with such unbridled admiration.  Ever since they talked at the Big Bang Burger, she had been aware of how big his heart was.  A lot of heart, wit, and charm.  It made a lot of things make so much sense.  How he naturally adapted to fighting shadows, using multiple Personas.  Akira really was one of a kind.  And somehow, she had become lucky enough to befriend him.

“Wait.  Why would you catch flies with vinegar in the first place?  Don’t you put that on a salad?”  And just like that, the moment had passed.  Ann side-eyed Ryuji flatly at how massively sidetracked he had managed to become.  Though it seemed to have an effect on Akira in some way as he nursed his brow.

“I mean, that’s not really the point, but I also agree.  Vinegar’s like all watery, and honey’s sticky.  But I also don’t know enough about flies to dispute either of these things.”  A weary sigh slipped out from his satchel, Morgana resting his cheek upon his paw.

“We’re getting sidetracked.  But I ultimately do like both of your sentiments.  The greater good and all that.  A proper Phantom Thief has to be committed and possess the sharpest of minds.  Even if you guys are just fledglings, this means we’re an actual organization now.”  Ann giggled at the word fledglings.  Funny and also fitting for them.  Ryuji grinned wildly and pumped his fist into the air.

“Alright, it’s settled!  We’re gonna catch all these shitty adults by surprise, and make ourselves known to the world!  We change corrupt hearts, spread those good vibes, and more people will try and be good people once they hear about us.  The gift that keeps on givin’, and it ain’t even Christmas yet!”  Akira gave an amused chuckle at Ryuji’s excitement.  It was rather infectious as he himself felt a glowing enthusiasm rise in his chest.

“True.  But I don’t really like the idea of just picking someone out of the blue though.  Feels too much like a lottery.”  The approving look she received from Akira caused her to grow even further elated. 

“I gotcha,” Ryuji continued.  “Let’s narrow it down to someone we can all agree on then.”

“A unanimous vote,” Morgana mused.  A Cheshire smile made its way onto the feline’s face.  “I like it!  You guys are becoming real Phantom Thieves.”

“It’s like we’re making some kind of pact!” Ann beamed.  A pact.  The ultimate bond of friendship and camaraderie.  It all sounded so extravagant and adventurous.  All the things Akira had sought out all his life.  Though he’d never expect to get them in this fashion.  Suppose that was part of the adventure aspect, after all.

“Spread the good word, inspire others, and make sure to keep doing what’s right even if no one’s watching.  Only going after the corrupt and wicked.  And…”  He winked at Morgana while ruffling his furry head.  “We gotta help Morgana get his body back too.  Looks like we got some serious long-term goals here.”  The cat playfully swatted at his hand with giggles.  “I’m down.”

“Mind staying our leader then?” Ann asked.  “You’re definitely the most qualified out of all of us.”

“No objections here!  I can’t handle all that responsibility stuff,” Ryuji chimed in.

“Where’s my say in this?  But Lady Ann made the recommendation, so I’ll allow it.”

“Kiss ass,” Akira joked wryly.  In truth, it touched him to know they believed in him so thoroughly.  People hadn’t really looked up to him before.  Now a huge burden of responsibility had been placed upon his shoulders.  He had to lead this team properly, the right way.  No cutting corners, recklessness, or compromising their morals.  “Oh, I guess I’ll keep my position…”  The boy rolled his eyes comically, sending his friends into a laughing fit.

“Now then, this is the official formation of the Phantom Thieves organization!”  Morgana was one step closer to getting his human form back.  Which meant one step closer to glory and winning Ann’s heart.

“Should I start organizing donations for our little nonprofit group?” Akira teased.  The lot of them joked to themselves while wandering the Shibuya streets before night crept in full upon them, forcing them to retreat back home.  Morgana articulated his grandiose plans for whipping them into shape, but Akira wasn’t truly listening.  His focus had shifted to the man from earlier as well as his resulting attitude.  At how angry he had become from seeing such a corrupt individual go on unscathed while he was left high and dry.  Some wounds didn’t ever heal to completion, it seemed.  Morgana’s words from before only seemed to stir something deeper within.  Anyone could possess a Palace if their desires were distorted enough.  And there was little doubt in his mind that the man’s desires were heavily distorted.  But to go after him, to change his heart.  Akira wasn’t quite sure if he could do it.  Trust himself to do it properly.  If he could, he’d throttle that man.  But revenge wasn’t why they were supposed to be doing this.  Personas were to be used responsibly.  No doubt some other people were hurt by his influence.  He couldn’t be the only one.  But perhaps he ought to let him go.  For his sake.  Otherwise, he’d become obsessed with hunting him down and be overwhelmed by his anger.  He hadn’t really been sure he’d ever see the man again.

Something like this seemed a bit too convenient to be mere coincidence.

* * *

 

_5/09/17 – Friday_

School had brought about a fearful revelation.  Something that had caught Ryuji specifically by surprise, but it instilled a great sense of apprehension and dread within them.  Something far beyond their control that would be a colossal hurdle to overcome were they not able to prepare.

Exams.

They would start on the 11th and carry on through until the 14th.  Three whole days of back to back schoolwork.  Ryuji was at his wit’s end.  Studying had never been his strongest point, and he would be cramming like no one’s business.  Or at least, that was what Akira liked to believe.  Ann wasn’t faring too well herself.  The only subject she could ace with flying colors was English.  Being foreign did have some advantages, but everything else would barely net her a C if that.  Akira had a bit more confidence in his abilities than the others, but the thought of failure did indeed loom on his mind.  Probably what prompted him to ask her out.

To study at the diner.    The both of them could probably get more done together than just cramming separately.  It hadn’t been solely with that in mind as the boy had wanted another time to hang out with Ann alone for a while now.  Even luckier was the fact that Morgana had pulled himself away – albeit reluctantly – to go explore Shibuya.  Akira just hoped he’d be safe out there. 

It was hard for him to deny he had the hots for Ann.  Though part of him felt really guilty for his feelings this close to Kamoshida’s arrest.  Like because of how he felt, he was somehow partially responsible for the creeps Ann had to deal with. 

“I’m already bummed out about tests coming up.  I’m in trouble for anything that’s not English.  I haven’t been studying at all.”  Their booth was littered with textbooks, a coffee to Ann’s right while Akira favored a soda.  “Even worse is....”

“Is what?”  Ann chewed on her lip, feeling guilty for bringing it up in the first place.  They already had enough on their plate with Mementos, Shiho, and exams.  A little bit of levity she felt was owed to the others.

“It’s nothing,” she dismissed.  “Nevermind.  I’m fine, seriously.  Besides, I wouldn’t wanna trouble you.”

“Ann, we’re friend and teammates.  I’m always willing to help you out.”  He’d just pester her about it the whole time if she refused.  That heart of gold he possessed combined with such a headstrong attitude left her with little resistance. 

“Oh, fine.  On my way to school, it felt like someone was watching me this morning.  I don’t see anybody, but I dunno.  Maybe I’m just being paranoid.”

“I can relate to that,” Akira said, taking a sip from his cup.  “I wouldn’t lose sleep over it, but if you see something, tell us, alright?  We got your back.  You can tell us anything.”  The blonde sheepishly fiddled with one of her twintails.  He had given her his permission, but the apprehension she felt was still fairly palpable.  She hadn’t known Akira long, but he was a great friend.  But she had already dumped enough problems upon his doorstep to begin with.

“I… um… well, there’s something I do want to talk about.”  Akira interlocked his fingers and devoted to her his undivided attention.  And from the studios look on his face, it was too late to back out now.  “It’s Shiho.”  His face swiftly changed to one of worry and prompted Ann to go into damage control.  “Oh no, don’t worry!  She’s still fine.  Matter of fact, she’s undergoing physical therapy next week.”  A hefty sigh of relief left the young boy.  “I went to visit her in the hospital today after school, and she told me she was sorry.”

“For what?” Akira inquired.  Though it wasn’t too difficult for him to determine why.  Shiho and Ann seemed like the type of friends that would heap the blame upon themselves for any misfortune that befell the other regardless of if it was either of their faults. 

“Sorry for not telling me about Kamoshida, about all the things he was doing to her.  Like…”  She sighed and rubbed her temples as she did her best to remain composed.  Shiho’s suffering always did send her on a quick path to being a blubbering mess.  “Even if what she says is true, it was my fault too?  I didn’t realize how much trouble she was in.  I wasn’t there for her.  So I apologized as well.”

“But it wasn’t either of your faults in the first place,” Akira rationalized.  Grief and sorrow can make people behave in ways that don’t make exact sense.  But he hoped he could bludgeon through such things with hard facts.  Which was always an uphill battle.  “It was Kamoshida’s fault.  How are you supposed to tell someone you’re being sexually harassed or beaten?  Like, you should, but that doesn’t mean it’s the easiest thing to do.  Not exactly water cooler conversation.”  A small laugh slipped out from Ann from his comment, which managed to put him at slight ease.  “You guys were scared.  It’s not anybody’s fault but the people that did it and overlooked it.”  Ann gingerly sipped her coffee while listening to his words.

“I don’t know…”  She couldn’t in earnest admonish herself of any sort of responsibility.  Kamoshida had her cornered through fear and influence, but she still should’ve tried something.  Said something to somebody, even if nobody would listen.  Akira listened.  The boy in question merely shook his head, sipping his drink with a slight smirk. 

“You at least feel a little better about everything?”  He’d take that at least.  Ann deserved to feel some semblance of good.  And his answer came in the form of a relieved smile.

“Mm-hmm!  I finally got to tell her everything I couldn’t bring myself to say before.”  Though the smile didn’t last long.  There was more to the story.  “Remember how Kamoshida threatened to take Shiho off the team if I didn’t sleep with him?  I had only agreed to it so that I wouldn’t ruin Shiho’s dreams, but now that I think about it, he never would have put her on the bench and cost his team games.  His pride wouldn’t let him.”

“It was a strong-arm tactic.  Shiho was just someone he could use to get to you.  He exploited both of your insecurities for his own gratification.  You couldn’t have won no matter what you did, and he knew that.  He used your fear.”  Ann curled her lip up in disgust and scoffed, setting her coffee down rather sternly.  She leaned on her hand and sulked bitterly. 

“I’m so stupid for letting myself be set up like that.  I seriously should have dared him to try and take her starting spot.  But in the end… maybe I didn’t believe in her ability.  Like I… I didn’t think she was good enough to keep her spot or something.  You know?”

“That part, I can’t answer for you.  Kamoshida exploited both of your fears and insecurities, but how you feel about Shiho is on you.  You didn’t think Shiho was strong enough to resist.  Maybe she was, maybe she wasn’t.  We can never truly know.  It doesn’t make you a bad person.  Just flawed.  Everyone has flaws.  But the fact that you’re here and making them known to me shows how good a person you are. You want to fix yourself, and that’s admirable.” 

Ann could only nod in silence.  He wasn’t coddling her or expressing pity.  Rather, he was down to earth about the entire matter.  He spoke plain facts but didn’t lack sympathy.  And calling her admirable.  Ironic, as she thought the same of him.

“You’re so fucking smart, you know that?” she admitted.  “All of this happened because of how weak I am.  How scared I was.  That’s why I believed Kamoshida’s authority outweighed Shiho’s own ability to earn her starting spot.”

“You can’t coddle people, Ann,” Akira stated.  “Even if you have doubts about people’s strength, you have to trust in them.”  He was full of wisdom for a high school boy.  Ann wished she possessed the same confidence.  It all solidified her belief in him as their leader.

“Akira, do you remember the last time I talked to you about this?  When I got that phone call from Kamoshida… and cried.”  Her face flushed as she recalled the incident.  Not her proudest moment.  Crying in front of others was one of her biggest fears.  Showing such weakness in front of others – even friends – had her so embarrassed.  The blonde was thankful that Akira wasn’t the judgmental type.  But if she could go back and change their first sit-down conversation, she definitely would.  Shame ran deep, after all.  “I felt so alone… scared even.  But because you were there for me, I decided not to go.”

Akira shuddered and grimaced softly to himself at the thought of her alone with him.  Letting Kamoshida have his way with her because his influence had her scared.  Mentally, he swore there was no way he’d ever end up like such a depraved lunatic in his life.  He’d rather die before that happened.

“I was a little surprised at how pushy you were about it, but I see now you just wanted to help.  So… thanks.  For everything.”  The boy bashfully rubbed his neck and stared down into the cool liquid as he sipped from it.  To hear her thank him face to face with such sincerity, just the two of them.  It only seemed to elevate his crush for her. 

“Well…”  He leaned back, arms resting on the booth.  “What can I say?  No big deal.  You do the right thing for anyone and everyone.  I couldn’t just ignore you, right?”  Ann couldn’t help but snicker at him.  His small mannerisms somehow always brought her some amusement.

“ ”No big deal,” ” she repeated before rolling her eyes.  “Look at you, Mr. Humble and Macho over here.”  Akira couldn’t help but let out a loud chuckle at her ribbing.

“I am a lot of things, but macho isn’t one of them.”

“True.  You’re more like… a nerd.”  The blonde stuck her tongue out playfully at him with a wink, which only fueled his laughter.  The regret and somberness she had been fostering all day melted away.  “In all seriousness, thank you.  You’re so kind, Akira.  I wish there were a lot more at Shujin with your attitude.”  As quick as it dissipated, she found the negativity creeping up on her.  She had a long way to go.  “Back then – before you showed up – people used to call me all sorts of names.  “Prissy bitch, Kamoshida’s girl.”  I got tired of it pretty quickly.  But to tell the truth, someday I want to be able to take labels like that in stride.”

“Fuck ‘em.  That’s what I say.”  Ann caught herself giggling once again. 

“Weren’t _you_ also sulking before about people labeling you?”

“I mean… easier said than done, right?”  A rush of excitement flew in her chest at having gotten him.  To trip up that calm and cool exterior, even for just a little bit.  And Akira couldn’t argue with her on it.  She played him.  An aspect he found alluring and endearing.

“Personas are the power of the heart, right?” the blonde asked.  Akira only nodded, curious as to where she was going with this.  “That means if my heart gets stronger, my Persona will too.  So… I want to strengthen my heart.”

“Like… cardio?  Exercise?”  Ann snickered, almost spitting up her drink.

“No, not literally!  Although that might help too, I guess.  I mean like I want to be braver and more passionate.  And I want to use that strength to help the people around me.  I hope we can save people from trouble, just like we did when we changed Kamoshida’s heart.  Though honestly… I don’t really know what “strong” is.  Do I mean thicker skin or…?”  Akira merely shrugged.

“Again, I can’t answer that for you.  Strength is subjective.  What makes someone else strong will make someone else weak.  That’s a discovery you have to make on your own.”  The blonde gave a grateful nod.  Once again, Akira’s sagaciousness eased her mind tremendously.  She wasn’t sure what she’d have done if Akira hadn’t come along the way he did back in April.

“I might not know now, but I’m going to find the answer.  I promise.”  Akira could sense the resolve in her voice as well as the spark in her blue eyes.  Ann underestimated herself heavily, but he knew just how much potential she had. 

“I’d like to help if you’d let me.”

“Huh?  Really!?”  In truth, she had hoped he would offer assistance but didn’t want to ask for it.  Her pride was at it again.  But now that he was willing, she’d take it and run with it.  Her chances of success were more than double now.  “Thanks!  I feel like I’m a little stronger already!”  The blonde giggled at just how giddy all this was making her.  This was going to be fun.  A little adventure for the two of them.  Without danger from shadows this time around.  “I guess that doesn’t really count though, huh?”

“Heh.  If only.”

“Well, I’ll be relying on you.  Let’s train together and make our hearts super strong!”  Her delight in this endeavor was infectious.  Akira caught himself smiling.  More time together with her.  Plus, he was helping a friend in need, which would ultimately help the team.  Everyone wins.  The blonde tapped her chin curiously as she tried to find where to start.  Something small.  Baby steps, after all.  “A strong heart, hmm.  How about… how about this: I won’t get any refills on fountain drinks!  I mean, they’re free, so not getting any would mean you have a strong heart!”  She found her answer in the fork of amused snickering.  Akira was keeping himself as composed the best he could, but her slight naivety and inexperience were charming.  “Is that not right?”

“We’ll figure it out, don’t worry,” he said while wiping a tear from his eye.  “I think the best step forward would be for us to actually study.  Buckling down and doing good on these exams would strengthen our hearts and minds.”  Ann gave a confident nod and threw herself into her studies.  With two goals in mind, she was determined to do better than a C average.  Or at the very least, not fail.  While the blonde read from one of the many textbooks, Akira was copying notes for later.  She traced a finger along a stretch of text on the paper he was scribbling. 

“That long sentence is tough.  Try to think about what the underlined section is.”  Akira tapped his chin with the end of his pencil, brow furrowed while he attempted to make sense of what he was reading exactly.  Ann hoped he would figure it out before her because she was utterly drawing a blank.  He managed to answer every surprise question thrown at him no problem.  One of many reasons why she opted for him as a study partner rather than Ryuji.  “Are you starting to understand how to dissect these problems?”  The raven-haired youth winced and rubbed his neck.  It didn’t exactly inspire confidence in her.

“It’s… pretty tough…”  His confidence was shaken.  It wasn’t as though they hadn’t been told in advance.  Just life had gotten in his way, with testing medicines with Tae Takemi, training with Ryuji, learning to brew coffee under Sojiro, hanging with Mishima, and listening to Toranosuke Yoshida give speeches in Station Square.  This Phantom Thief life had really pulled the rug out from under him.

“Be grateful you get to study with Lady Ann!  I’m so jealous you get a one-on-one session with her!”  Ann nearly spat up her drink while taking a sip.  Akira fared less well, choking on his.  As he turned, he saw a blue-eyed furry face sticking out of his satchel staring right at him.

“Morgana?  When the fuck did you get here?”

“Just now.”

“You just walked in?  What if you got caught?  Then we’d get kicked out.”  The cat nonchalantly waved a paw at him, getting nice and cozy inside.

“Relax.  I’m a master of stealth.  How has the studying been going while I was gone?”

“At a snail’s pace,” Ann confessed before turning her focus back to her own textbook.  Akira could help fill her in once he caught up on his work.  “I’m actually not so good at this because of my time abroad.  Do you think you could help me with math next?”  Akira paused and grew deathly still.  He blinked in rapid succession while staring down at the text.  Even taking off his glasses to shine them, but nothing changed.

“Wait a second… this _isn’t_ math?”


	14. A New Suitor

_5/14/17 – Saturday_

Three days.

Three whole days of ruthless back to back tests with not a bit of reprieve.  Shujin was one of the most esteemed schools in Japan, and the tests were designed to be ruthless.  Akira was no stranger to testing, but he had never been hit with such heavy exams before.  He’d rather fight Kamoshida’s shadow again than hit the books.  Ryuji and Ann weren’t in much better shape, too tired to even hang out after school.  Thankfully, today was to be the last day.  And as an added kindness, they could spend Sunday doing nothing.  Akira might even sleep in all day.  That is unless Ann beckoned him.  The boy chuckled to himself as he stood in the metro tunnel, waiting for Ryuji to return from the bathroom.  He really was whipped, and they weren’t even dating.

“So sleepy…” the blond yawned as he lumbered towards Akira.  His usual nonchalant and energetic self was long gone this morning.  Ryuji wasn’t much of a morning person to begin with, but even this early in the day it was noticeable.  “How’d you think you did?”

“Not over yet,” Akira resolved and rubbed the trace remnants of rheum from his eyes.  He hated that feeling first thing in the morning.  Fuzzy teeth and crusty eyes.  It had taken all of his effort not to dive headfirst into the sink Sojiro was washing dishes in when he first woke up.  He wasn’t exactly a neat freak, but personal hygiene was important to the boy.  “I’m hoping to pull off at least a C average.  If I can do that, maybe I’ll get less shit from teachers.”  It would be nice not to be seen as a troublemaker around school.

“Same, man.  I ended up pullin’ an all-nighter once I realized today’s the last day of exams.”  Such a statement drew amused chuckles from within Akira’s satchel.

“You?” Morgana scoffed in disbelief.  “Staying up studying?”  As much as Ryuji wished to retort, he didn’t have much of a leg to stand on.  And he was much too tired.

“…Nah.  I gave up on the exam.  I was playin’ some games, then before I knew it, it was morning.”  Akira shook his head and sighed in resignation.  He hadn’t expected much, but it didn’t make his contempt any less palatable.

“You’re an inspiration to us all, you know that?” the boy said flatly.  Their attention soon deviated to a soft yawn behind them, similar in tone to the coo of a dove.

“Morning…”  The young blonde Ann approached them, rubbing her sleepy eyes.  In equal shape as they were, it seemed.  Akira felt his spirits rise a little higher.  He was not a morning person in the slightest.  Just another part of her natural charm.

“Yo, look who else is yawnin’,” Ryuji teased.  The blonde lacked the strength to even acknowledge his jest.  They all felt as though they had undergone nine rounds against the shadows of Mementos. 

“Exams are almost over, so I thought I’d make one last effort across the finish line.”  Akira nursed a small smile, dipping his head to obscure.  Mostly out of exhaustion though.  She definitely was committed to building her inner strength. 

“Impressive, Lady Ann.  You’re quite different from this stupid monkey I know.”  The gauntlet had been thrown down, and a weary sigh escaped Akira as the two of them descended into bickering.

“ _Here we go…_ ” he muttered under his breath.  Akira wished Morgana wasn’t a morning person.  Or cat, in this case.  It would make his favorite pastimes of sucking up to Ann and bullying Ryuji a lot more bearable.

“Don’t gimme that crap!  Your brain’s tiny compared to mine!”

“Size is meaningless if there’s nothing inside, you know.”

“Yes, we’re all very impressed with your ability to compare sizes,” Akira interrupted while rubbing his eyes.  Ann shared his frustration at the two as she continued chanting mentally to herself all the information she crammed over the past few nights.

“Ugh, will you please shut up!?  You’re gonna make me forget everything I memo-“  And there it was.  Yet again.  A brief flash of white and blue out of her peripheral.  Just like from before.  It hadn’t been paranoia like she had brushed it off as before.  Someone was there.  But as the blonde turned, no one was to be seen matching the color scheme.  Merely a sea of faceless citizens going about their business.  “Am I imagining things…?”  This was starting to really get under her skin.  She couldn’t be imagining this.

“Something wrong?” Akira inquired curiously, tilting his head to the side. 

“What, you see a groper or something?” Ryuji asked.  Akira stiffened up and narrowed his gaze as he surveyed the crowd.  Nobody seemed to look like the scummy groper type.  At least his mental image of them from all those weird pornographic doujins online.  Not on his watch was Ann getting sexually harassed again. 

“No, that’s not it.”  The blonde wasn’t sure how she could feasibly articulate what she was seeing.  If she was even seeing anything.  Surely it had to be some sort of hallucination, right?  Eyes playing tricks on her from stress or lack of sleep?  “It’s… nothing.”  The handwave seemed to satisfy Ryuji, but Akira was less convinced.  Ann being uncomfortable didn’t sit well with him.  He harbored a desire to protect her, not just because he had a crush on her.  She was his friend, and basic human decency dictated he look after people.  As his silver eyes met Morgana’s, the cat gave a stern nod.  He too sensed something was amiss, even if Ann feigned otherwise.  “Anyway, let’s get to school, alright?  The sooner we can finish these exams, the better.”

The lot of them got aboard the train and proceeded as usual to Shujin.  Quiet and uneventful.  Ryuji was as casual as ever while Akira kept a watchful eye on Ann, who seemed to have difficulty sitting still.  She constantly looked over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of that blur of white and blue.  And sure enough, it was there.  Someone definitely had been following her over the past few days.  The blonde did her best to remain as inconspicuous as possible.  The hairs on her neck were sticking up as she felt his eyes upon her.  What he looked like for sure, she couldn’t quite determine, but it was definitely a man. 

The three Shujin students exited the train and proceeded to Station Square.  Akira eyed Ann through his peripheral while keeping his composure.  Hands shelved in his blazer pockets, eyes forward.  A mere fly on the wall as he watched the events pan out. 

“You know, you’re technically supposed to walk up escalators, not sit here and stall on them…”  The boy did his best to make idle conversation.  Small talk to lighten the mood.  Were he not watching Ann like a hawk, he’d be a lot more annoyed at their being forced to wait.  One thing he always disliked was the escalator not being used the way it was meant for. 

Ann tried to mirror his casual demeanor, but her heart fluttered anxiously with no end in sight.  She found herself inadvertently staying close to Akira’s side.  The blonde even contemplated wrapping her arm around his to maybe fake the guy out into believing they were a couple.  But she couldn’t dare make such a drastic move.  She’d die of embarrassment.  Plus, it would mortify her to look like such a scared helpless girl.  Her new goal was to strengthen her heart, after all.  Ann took a deep breath and gingerly turned to look behind her, feeling her heart skip a beat as she saw the man at the bottom of the escalator.  Obscured by the crowd, but she couldn’t miss that white and blue anywhere.

“ _Oh my God, that guy got off!_ ” she whispered softly in a panic.  Akira turned and saw the genuine distress written on her face as she turned to him for guidance.  “Isn’t this bad?”  The shaggy-haired youth set to work trying to defuse the situation. 

“Where?” Akira asked, leaning against the rail while he surveyed the masses.  He didn’t wish to give away that they were watching him.

“The guy with the white shirt.  Blue hair.”  It wasn’t hard to miss him.  Even through the crowd, Akira could pick him out.  He couldn’t quite make out a face just yet.  “What do we go?”  The blonde couldn’t have been more grateful to have walked with them to school today.  She felt she might have freaked out had she been alone.  The both of them shifted focus onto Ryuji, who merely yawned and stretched his stiffened arms.  Completely nonplussed by the circumstances at hand.  Ann pouted at him and planted her hands on her hips.  “Hey, at least act like you care!”

“Come on, Ryuji,” Akira insisted.  “This is kinda serious.”  Outvoted two to one, Ryuji sighed and nursed the back of his head.  Now being forced to buckle down, the gears started to turn.  They were rusty and had chewing gum lodged in some places, but they were at work.

“Fine.  Come on…”  Ryuji made his way past the masses and ascended up the stairs.  Akira and Ann exchanged confused glances before following his lead.

* * *

 

Ann stood out in the open near the city street on her own.  The hairs on her neck stood up as she felt the eyes of her unknown stalker upon her.  And both Akira and Ryuji were nowhere to be seen.  The both of them had left without so much as telling her their plan, only to trust them.  All she could do now was wait.  For what, she wasn’t sure.

Her ears picked up faints steps from behind.  Growing closer and more fervent.  Whoever this person was, they were on a mission.  She wasn’t sure what she had to do, and the uncertainty had her heart trembling.  Unable to take it anymore, she turned and was surprised to see the two boys slip out of nowhere to her side.

“Hey, buddy,” Akira said.

“Yo, what’s up?” Ryuji inquired.

The both of them looked quite stern, with Morgana glaring out through the opening in Akira’s satchel with shining blue eyes.  And there before the lot of them was her stalker.  White shirt, blue hair.  Couldn’t have been anyone else.

He wore long black pants with a keychain dangling from his belt, with his shirt sporting a fleur-de-lis on his chest.  The strange boy didn’t look so threatening up close, rather graceful with his poise.  He seemed to be as confused as they were by this awkward encounter.  Neither knew what to say to one another, and the boy merely stared at them inquisitively.  Akira and Ryuji had envisioned someone more unkempt and out of shape, perhaps sporting a neckbeard.  Not rail thin and bishounen as can be.

“Are you sure it’s him?” Ryuji pressed the blonde.  “Or are you just _that_ self-conscious?”  Ann could have slapped Ryuji right then and there as her cheeks exploded into a fiery red blush.  To call her out not only in front of her stalker but in front of Akira too?  Now she felt a fool for worrying herself up so much.  Before she could chew him out, the boy before them spoke his peace.

“Is there something you want?” he asked in a soft and calculated voice, as graceful as his movements.  Ann pushed both boys aside and pointed an accusatory finger at him.

“That’s _MY_ line!  You were the one stalking _ME_!”  The boy seemed quite taken aback by such a haughty accusation.  His gaze drifted down to her finger with a furrowed brow.  As though the key to deciphering their encounter resided within her fingerprint.

“Stalking you?  That’s outrageous,” he rebuked, casually brushing a stray strand of hair dangling before his face.  But Ann wouldn’t back down so easily.

“I know you’ve been following me!  Ever since the train!”  She wasn’t wrong.  He had dropped everything he’d been doing in order to pursue her, to analyze her further.  As he tried to explain himself, the honk of a car horn drew their attention.  All four teenagers looked over to see the window in the backseat roll down, revealing a humble looking old man in faded robes.  Grey hair done up in a ponytail and a mustache sitting upon his lip.

“My goodness!  I wonder why you’d left the car.  So _this_ is where your passion led.”  He merely smiled and allowed the four of them to continue.  “All’s well that ends well.”  As the old man chuckled to himself, the boy focused his eyes fiercely upon Ann as they shimmered with determination.

“I saw you from the car.  And I couldn’t help myself from chasing after you.”  His voice shook with such resonance.  Like he was reciting a play in an amphitheater.  Subtlety wasn’t a thing that seemed to be in his vocabulary.  “I didn’t even notice the calls from Sensei, but thank goodness I caught up to you.”  The three teenagers exchanged perplexed looks while Ann took a tentative step back in Akira’s direction.  The boy was just as weirded out by this encounter as she was.

“ _Is this about to turn into a confession?_ ” Akira muttered to himself.

“I hope not!” Morgana muttered with panic from inside the satchel. 

“You’re the woman I’ve been searching for all this time!  Please, won’t you… be the model for my next art piece!?”  Ann was growing woozy from the emotional ping-pong match of darting from confused to flustered and worried in the span of a few minutes.  She was thankful it wasn’t some sort of impromptu marriage proposal.  “All that I’ve drawn till now has been lacking, but I feel a passion from you unlike anyone else.”  Akira felt himself chuckle deep down in his throat at his speech.  The guy was beyond weird but certainly possessed a way with words.

“ _Oh, he’s good_ ,” he muttered to himself.

“Too good!” Morgana protested.  “This man’s highly suspicious!”

“Sounds like jealousy to me,” Akira said with a smirk.  Though, Ryuji didn’t share his sentiment for teasing Morgana at the moment.

“Ain’t this a recruit for some shady business?” he pressed, eyeing Ann warily.  Akira then felt himself grow serious once more.  He’d heard of these types of deals, of sleazy men tricking younger women – often underage – into doing spreads and photo sets under questionable pretenses.  A few of those cases had hit close to home at his old school, and he never knew which rumors were false or real.  Hopefully, none of them were actually true.  The guy seemed fairly clean pressed and relatively normal, despite his eccentric behavior.  Though then again, Kamoshida looked like an ordinary man too.

“Will you cooperate with me?  What do you say?”  The boy wasn’t even listening to what either of them was saying.  As far as he was concerned, they weren’t even there.  Being ignored so brazenly got under Akira’s skin just a bit.  Ryuji shared his feelings too, deciding to make themselves known to him by planting a foot before him.

“Hold your horses!  Who’re you anyways?”

_Stalking, out of nowhere modeling proposals, not even introducing his name.  If this is him trying to score, he is such an amateur…_

“Oh, where are my manners?  I’m a second-year at Kosei High’s fine arts division.  My name is Yusuke Kitagawa.”  But that was the extent of his common courtesy towards them as he brushed Ryuji aside like nothing, leaning close to face Ann.  “I’m Madarame-sensei’s pupil, and I am being allowed residence at his place.  I’m striving to become an artist.”  As Yusuke continued pouring himself out to her, Akira began to map him out.  He’d seen this type of angle before, and he wasn’t fond of it.  Even worse by the pretty boy exterior.

“Huh!?  Do you mean _THAT_ Madarame?  The one who was on “Good Morning Japan” the other day?”  Ann knew her popular culture and current events more than any of them.  “He was introduced as a super-famous Japanese-style artist who’s been recognized all over the world.”  Yusuke was impressed by her knowledge of his mentor.  It only fueled the fire he had for her.  As Ann excitement for the arts faded, it was replaced by what they had learned prior.  Her gaze fell into worry.  “But we heard that name the other day in Mementos…”

Akira narrowed his gaze suspiciously at Yusuke.  Desperately trying to get after Ann, tied to an apparent exploitative artist according to the shadow’s testimony.  This only seemed to make him more suspect.  The old man beckoned for Yusuke to return to the car, prompting a swift apology from him.  Seemed they could identify Madarame now.

“Madarame-sensei’s exhibition will begin at the department store near the station tomorrow.  I’ll be there to help out on opening day.  Please come by.  It’d be great if you could give me your answer in regard to being a model then.”  With that, he brandished a single ticket and delivered it delicately to Ann.  The apple of his eye.  Though, his gaze soured as he side-eyed the two boys at her side.  “I bet you have no interest in the fine arts, but I’ll give you tickets too.”  Yusuke flippantly tossed them their pair like he were discarding laundry.  Akira’s eye twitched in annoyance at how they were being treated.  He had endured quite enough.

“As a matter of fact, I have a great appreciation for the arts.  I have a keener eye for it than you do.”  Yusuke spun around so fast that he kicked up a few leaves, catching Ann and Ryuji off-guard.  He narrowed his gaze at Akira with utter contempt.  He had crossed a line.

“Is that so?”  Akira merely gave a smug nod and tilted his head up to look down at him.  Which didn’t work too well as Yusuke was effectively taller than him.

“Yep.  Can confirm.  You can develop a keen eye for art when your head isn’t lodged all the way up your ass.  Might wanna try it sometime.”  Yusuke merely scoffed and turned his nose up at Akira.  His petty insults wouldn’t derail his anticipation for the coming exhibition.”

“So uncivilized.”  He turned and beamed at Ann with unabashed adoration.  “Well then, I hope to see you there tomorrow!”  Madarame waved him inside and bade them a farewell, driving off down the road.  Akira watched the car disappear along the horizon with an annoyed glower.

“Heh heh heh,” Ryuji chuckled, grinning.  “Got ‘em, coach!”  Akira drew some degree of satisfaction at putting Yusuke in his place, but it did little to set him at ease.  The aspiring artist’s attitude and blatant disregard for them was rather irritating.

“What a prick,” he said as he shelved his hands into his blazer pockets.

“Tell me about it,” Ryuji said, scuffing the pavement with his sneaker.  “That guy’s as easy to read as a book.”  His focused shifted to Ann, who seemed to be in her own little world.  “You’re not plannin’ on goin’, are you?”  The blonde merely studied the ticket curiously.  Madarame, the exhibition, Yusuke.  Learning of the fine arts and of the mystery surrounding what they uncovered in Mementos.  Even the prospect of modeling.  The girl slid the ticket into her purse and shouldered it closely.

“…I think I will.”  The admission caught both boys off-guard.  Akira had believed she’d be more hesitant after the stalking.  But they had little chance to talk it over as Ann raced ahead of them, stressing about being late for school.  The boys didn’t even bother to keep up, instead walking behind at their own pace.  None of them were exactly eager to get to school.

“Can you believe that guy?  Seriously.  Don’t tell me Yusuke’s little wine-and-dine routine actually worked?”  Akira merely shook his head with a huff, blowing a stray strand out of his eyes.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he dismissed.  “Ann’s not so shallow that she’ll be swept up by some fancy passionate speech about art and modeling.”

“How dare he go after Lady Ann!” Morgana proclaimed, balancing himself on Akira’s shoulder.  The cat was positively fuming from the artist’s attempt at courting the blonde apple of his eye.  “I’ve memorized that face of yours, Yusuke!”

“Goddammit, not you too!”  The shaggy-haired youth rubbed his eyes.  “Now is not the time!”  Now there were two men gunning for Ann’s affection.  Well, one man and a cat.  All this attention being thrust upon her only made Akira feel less secure about his own feelings.  So hot off the heels of Kamoshida’s predatory behavior only to have two other guys desperately jumping at her.  He shook his head at himself for harboring such feelings.  The heart wasn’t something so easily controlled even with sound reasoning.  Even with his assurances that he wasn’t a creep for taking an interest in Ann, it certainly didn’t make him feel better.  Suddenly he found himself looking forward to more exams as they would distract him from himself.

_This crush can’t subside fast enough…_

* * *

 “Mmmm, it’s over!” Ann declared victoriously, stretching her limbs.  Despite being confined to a desk every day, she had never felt stiffer in all her life.

“It’s over…” Ryuji yawned while he leaned against the metro tunnel support beam.  The lot of them had retreated swiftly away from Shujin to unwind.  In place of Ann’s relief, he found only weariness and dissatisfaction.  Testing hadn’t exactly been his strong suit.  The blond looked over to Akira for some degree of assurance.  “How ‘bout you?”

“C’mon, fearless leader,” Morgana said as he perched his front paws on Akira’s shoulder, eyeing him expectantly.  “Instill confidence in us after such a long day.”

“Uhh… it’s over?”  Akira wasn’t as battered as Ryuji seemed to be.  He had answered all the questions and felt confident in his answers.  In the moment.  Though with the pencil now gone from his hand, uncertainty set in.  But it was too late to second guess himself now.  It was in fate’s hands.  Morgana and Ann merely sighed at the both of them.

“How inspiring,” the cat said flatly.

“C’mon, you two need to get your act together,” she lectured.  Not that she herself had room to talk.  The blonde was no bookworm, she’d fully admit that.  But at the very least, she retained her cheery disposition. 

“Anyways, can we please stop talkin’ about the exams?” Ryuji implored.  His stomach felt like stone sinking into a deep lake.  “Like it or not, they’re gonna come back graded next week.”  The conversation drifted onwards to more mutually interesting subjects.  The Phan-Site, the lack of worthwhile posts, and eventually Madarame’s exhibit.  Upon mentioning him did the memories of Yusuke’s advances come flooding back to the cat, who fearfully sunk his claws into Akira’s shoulder by reflex.  The boy hissed in pain through his teeth while Morgana pulled himself up to meet Ann’s eyes, his own shimmering with anxiety.

“Don’t tell me…”  The dread was palpable in his voice.  So heavy, Akira thought he could harness it and build an entire house from it.  “Was it love at first sight with that Yusuke guy?”  Ann glowered lowly with annoyance at him.  After being stalked and the gauntlet of exams, she was in no mood to deal with his doting over her.

“It’s not like that,” she snapped, earning a relieved sigh from the cat.  He allowed himself to relax and leaned on Akira’s shoulder, much to the latter’s relief as it was no longer being used as a pincushion.

“He’s been like this all day,” Akira clarified flatly.  Between exams, he was always met with questions from Morgana about how to outdo Yusuke.  Whether he should be worried about having her “stolen away from him.”  Between his obsession and the exams, Akira had held onto his calm demeanor by strings.  He just wanted to take his tests in peace.

“Seriously, do you think I’m _that_ shallow?  That some random guy on the street calling me his dream model or whatever is gonna sweep me off my feet?” 

“Heh heh, well…”  As Ann turned her gaze upon Ryuji, his cheeky grin and joke were swiftly dissolved before their very eyes.  Despite her specialty being fire, Ann nearly froze them all over from how icy her glare was.  Ryuji even had to break eye contact to relax the rising goosebumps on his skin.  “I’m just gonna drop that…”  The blonde gave a small smug smile to herself.

“That’s what I thought.”  The conversation shifted back on topic, to the matter of the art museum and the mystery surrounding Madarame and the Metaverse.  It was agreed upon to meet tomorrow and investigate the place, at the behest of both Morgana and Ann.  The two displayed such enthusiasm while Ryuji seemed to drag his heels at the idea.  But it was ultimately decided.  The Phantom Thieves would stake out an art museum.  “Now when we show up, don’t start anything with Yusuke, okay?”

“Why are you lookin’ at me for?!” Ryuji asked indignantly.  “He’s the one who burned him!”  As the blond pointed a finger to his counterpart, Akira’s gaze darkened with disdain at Yusuke.  His flippant attitude towards the both of them had really burned him.

“I trust Akira to keep himself more composed than you, Ryuji.”  The blond scoffed in offense while Ann gave Akira a wry smirk, which seemed to uplift his spirits.  “But seriously, let’s try not to be unfriendly, even if you don’t like him.”

“I’m fine with that,” Akira admitted with a shrug.  He never had any sort of intention in the first place.  Being antagonistic without warrant was not in his nature.  He only delivered scorn and disdain to those that deserved it, and Akira believed himself to be a proper judge of character.  “Still, you gotta admit that guy was kind of a prick.”

“He was kinda rude to you guys,” Ann admitted while she twirled a twintail around her finger.  Had she been a lot less flustered, in a hurry, and caught off-guard by his proposal, she’d have scrutinized him more.  Still, she had to admit that being a model for a painter did sound rather romantic.  Though, only to fulfill a youthful child fantasy, not because she found him attractive.  Ryuji huffed and leaned against the support beam with a pout.

“We were just in his way.  He wanted in your pants, plain as day.  No buts about it.” 

“You can tell a lot about a guy based on how he treats a girl’s male friends,” Akira said astutely.  “I’ve seen it before.  Guys that are too insecure or horny treat other dudes like threats or competition and try to control everything.”  He made a gagging sound and stuck his tongue out as though some foul taste had slipped into his mouth.  “It’s a crock of shit.”  Ann wrinkled her nose in disgust.

“Sounds like Kamoshida.  He would always smother me whenever he saw some other guy trying to make a pass at me.  Like I was his little trophy.  Eugh!  I hate that macho alpha male bullshit.”  It was strange to see those qualities in someone like Yusuke, who was softer and graceful.  Probably made it easier to hide.  If Yusuke thought he could try anything on her, she was more than sure to let him know how in over his head he was.  Though, what she had endured only entrenched her belief in her friends.  Akira, in particular.

His wisdom, kindness, and slight protective attitude over her.  Not smothering her or acting as a sort of white knight.  Just a good friend with a big heart.  The blonde really had been blessed to meet someone like him in her time of need where others might turn away, be too weak to aid, or exploit the situation.  Plus, it was because of him that she had rekindled her friendship with Ryuji after all these years.

Though as she stood there and watched him pick at his inner ear with his pinkie, she began to question whether that last part was completely worth it.

“You moron!”


	15. Three's A Crowd

_5/17/17 – Tuesday_

It had been quite fun to watch the satisfaction of seeing Ann wiped from Yusuke’s face when he saw Akira and Ryuji arrive.  Never failed to put a smug smile on Akira’s face.  Now, the tables had turned as Yusuke had cornered the lot of them.  The ultimatum he had proposed had Akira completely irate, and the others were faring equally as well.  Either Ann would strip and pose nude for him without their company, or he would report Akira and Ryuji to the police for harassment. 

“That son of a bitch!” Ryuji shouted in anger, stomping his foot into the concrete.  The lot of them had retreated back to the Shujin rooftop to discuss what they would do.  They at least managed to have one lead on Madarame after leaving his shack.  The journalist Ichiko Ohya might come in handy for Akira and his future plans.  Someone with an eye and ear on the inside would help their plans for choosing targets to change the wicked hearts of immensely.  Though it brought him little good as he watched Ann flutter about, fanning herself as her little heart raced a million miles a second.

“Goddammit!  God fucking dammit!” Akira hissed through gritted teeth as he leaned forward on his chair.  “That goddamn rat bastard!  That piece of shit pervy asshole, walking around like he’s hot shit because he can paint while looking like a goddamn bullfighter!  Where’s he get off cornering girls into stripping like that?!  I got half of mind to make him eat the paint he loves so much if he wants to be the next van Gogh. More like he can van Gogh fuck himself!”

“He’s totally out of his mind!”  Ann wiped away the fine sweat that had built upon her brow.  The poor blonde was too flustered to focus.  “I’m gonna have to pose nude if this keeps up!  Oh, my God, I think I’m gonna be sick!  I think I’m having a panic attack!  Water!  I need water!”  No sooner did she proclaim her desire for hydration did she retrieve a bottle from her satchel and downed the liquid in one gulp, nearly inhaling the bottle as well.  “This is not good, this is not good, this is not good!”

“How dare that Yusuke!” Morgana declared indignantly while baring his claws.  “Let me at him!  I’ll claw his eyes out to keep him from ogling Lady Ann’s body in such a way!”  Ryuji wiped his mouth with his sleeve after spitting onto the ground in disgust.

“I knew that guy was trouble!  You were right all along, Akira.  And from the way he said it, it’s not gonna be semi-nudity, either.  But full-on nude…”  The cat found his tirade interrupted at the utter bombshell Ryuji had dropped onto him, breath hanging in his chest.  The woman he deeply desired would be alone with Yusuke, without a single shred of clothing to her name.

“F-Fu-F-F-Full nudity?” he managed to stammer, heart racing as fast as Ann’s was.  He darted back and forth emotionally between desire, jealousy, anger, and worry.  “Lady Ann’s gonna…”

“Drop it!” Ann spat, cradling her body and clinging to her hoodie for dear life as though it were a life raft out at sea.  It felt like whiplash to go back to feeling this way.  Feeling uncomfortable and disgusted under the lustful eye of a man she hardly knew.  The blonde had hoped and prayed all of this would be left behind with Kamoshida, but now it had all come back to haunt her.  “God, I can’t do this…”  She nursed her aching brow as the stress started to hurt her head.  “What are we gonna do?”

“You’re not stripping.”  She turned to see a stern looking Akira facing her.  Despite his displeasure at their situation and his anger at Yusuke, kindness still resonated in those silver eyes of his.  A kindness that gave her rushing heart some degree of ease.  “Over my dead body are we letting this happen.  I’m not gonna let some weirdo get you naked and all by himself!”  Ryuji and Morgana voiced their agreements, and Ann couldn’t have been more thankful to have someone like them watching her back.  Which only made their predicament all the more uneasy for her.  The responsibility had been shouldered upon her.

“But if I don’t, you guys get the police called on you,” she attempted to reason.  “And you know what that means for you, Akira.”  The shaggy-haired youth tried to put it out of his mind.  After coming so far, the prospect of failure and juvenile hall had him nervous.  Though, the way he coped was rather different from theirs.  The lack of control, the uncertainty, it got under his skin.  Having his hands tied in such a way had him incredibly irritable.  And seeing Ann cornered in such a precarious situation only further twisted the knife. 

“You know, you won’t have to worry about that if we make Madarame confess before the exhibit ends,” Ryuji reasoned.  The blond was doing his best to alleviate their stress as well as his own.  To see the brighter end of things.  A valiant effort, but Ann’s mind was at work unweaving the tangled mess they were knee deep in.

“But Kitagawa-kun thinks he owes his life to him.  Is there a need to make Madarame confess?”  If they went through with this, where did that leave Yusuke?  Without a guardian or home.  His reputation trashed and dragged down along with Madarame’s.  In good conscience, it didn’t seem right or fair.  And yet Madarame was still in possession of a Palace and a wicked heart.

“Then, Lady Ann…” Morgana piped up, ears twitching with worry at the apple of his eye being so vulnerable and alone in Yusuke’s presence.  “You’re fine with baring it all!?”  With that, Ann’s focus shifted back to herself, and her cheeks flew into a furious red blush.

“I am NOT!” The blonde shook her head violently, her twintails swinging all about.  “I just…”  She took a deep breath and regained her composure.  “I don’t want Kitagawa-kun to be hurt is all.”  Ryuji sighed and gave her a nod, shelving his hands into his pocket.

“Hey, me either, but Madarame’s no different from Kamoshida.  That asshole’s usin’ Yusuke, who doesn’t have parents.”  He narrowed his gaze darkly and stared out over the cityscape to the direction of Madarame’s shack.  Even though he couldn’t see it, he could feel its presence nestled there.  “You’re tellin’ me we should just ignore how he’s bein’ treated horribly like the other pupils?”  Occasionally, Ryuji had his moments of clarity, and Ann really couldn’t dispute them.  As unusual as it sounded, she had to admit he was right.

“No… It is frustrating to leave this alone, even if Kitagawa-kun is fine with it himself…”  Morgana perched himself on Akira’s shoulder and stared remorsefully at Ann.

“You can’t leave it be because you’ve endured a lot yourself, with Kamoshida,” the cat reasoned.  Ann gave a solemn agreement, looking out over the horizon.  Yusuke might make her uncomfortable with his pushing for a nude modeling session, but he was still a person in need.

“It’s a sticky situation where no matter what you do, someone will end up losing in some way.  And I’m not talking about Madarame.”  Akira held his hands together and leaned forward, staring down at his feet in deep thought.  “Yusuke might sympathize and be grateful for how Madarame took care of him, but that only reveals more wrong with him.  Love and adoration can make you blind and apologetic for the misgivings of those you care about.  It’s a classic case of Stockholm Syndrome, of sympathizing with an abuser out of fear of them disappearing or them no longer appreciating you.”  He sighed and adjusted his glasses to rub his sore eyes.  He had been to angry to even blink for the longest time.  “Maybe Madarame isn’t a twisted bastard like Kamoshida, but it doesn’t really change that he’s still a bad person.  You can be kind to others and even regret some of your actions and still abuse and exploit others.  Child groomers are like that, luring in teens with kindness and sympathy only to manipulate them into doing what they want.  They exploit people to get what they want but try to apologize for it by acting like being nice or feeling bad about it makes up for it.  A truly good person wouldn’t make excuses or try to hide from it.  They would either have never done those things in the first place or make the effort to fix it themselves.  And Madarame doesn’t fit under either of those categories.”

Ann stood there and stared at Akira in stunned silence.  There really wasn’t a single thing she could argue with against him.  His moments of clarity always felt so heavy when he dropped knowledge upon them.  How someone as young as he was resonated with such wisdom was difficult for her to fathom. 

“I… w-well... I mean, but what about Yusuke?  If we take Madarame down, he’ll have nowhere to go.”  After Akira’s little speech, it made Ann a little nervous to go against him.  He was just so smart, and she didn’t want to look stupid in front of him.  Not that Akira seemed like the type of person to look down on others for their lack of clarity.  He nodded solemnly at her, interlocking his fingers in thought.

“Like I said.  Somebody is going to lose.  If Yusuke struggles after we put Madarame away, we help him.  I may not like the guy but being an asshole or a weird perv isn’t a crime.  Exploiting and abusing your students as well as plagiarizing others’ work is, however.  Yusuke might be dependent and even idolize Madarame, but we can’t ethically let him go about his business simply because of one guy.  You don’t let someone get thrown under the bus for the convenience of someone else.  That’s just plain wrong.  Like, ethically wrong.”  And there he was again.  Hitting her with such indisputable arguments.  What she wouldn’t give to have such wit and articulation.  She might’ve been able to stand up to Kamoshida with that.  Or at the very least, do better on her exams.

“This sucks,” Ryuji said as he took a seat in his chair.  “Why’s shit gotta be so complicated?”  Akira couldn’t help but crack a smile and huff amusedly through his nose.

“Hey, you asked for this,” he jested calmly.  “You wanted to continue this Phantom Thief stuff, after all.”  Now Ryuji felt himself chuckling to himself.  How Akira could go from serious to humorous so quickly was a treat. 

“I guess so.”  The blond sighed and nursed his neck.  His head felt heavy from all they’d endured today.  “We gotta do the right thing.  Let’s help Yusuke come to his senses too…”  Though, nothing could be done until they looked into Madarame.  And this would be way more difficult than with Kamoshida.  They were venturing far beyond the walls of Shujin for this one.  Though, even as her heart ached with sympathy at Yusuke’s plight, Ann kept coming back to the major dilemma was she faced with.

“Kitagawa-kun said there’d be “inconveniences” unless he submits a new piece,” she reflected.  Akira’s gaze grew dark at the mention of that reveal.  Like her, he didn’t like the implication of those words.  Her stomach grew uneasy as she let it settle in her mind, only furthered by the uncertainty of his plans setting in.  “Maybe that’s going to be announced soon as Madarame’s next work…”  Ryuji struggled to gulp down the knot that formed in his throat from her worrying.

“Does that mean the whole country’s gonna see you nude?!”  Ann severely wished Ryuji hadn’t vocalized what she was dreading in the back of her mind.  Even if it were tasteful and artistic, the blond would absolutely die of embarrassment if her nude body were put on display for the entire art community to see.  She could never face anyone again.

“No way!  Hell no!  Oh God, I’m definitely having a panic attack right now!”  She frantically fanned herself with her hands, her body flushed with shame at the mere possibility. 

“That’s not gonna happen!” Akira insisted, leaning his head into his hands and running his fingers through his shaggy black hair.  “Just… just give me time, alright?  To fix this.  We’ll figure something out!  We got that one guy from the Metaverse, the reporter lady, I’m sure Mishima can be of help too.  Just calm down, Ann!  We’re not gonna let you go through this!”  His mind was swimming in a sea of stress.  Seeing Ann be so consumed by fear and self-consciousness hurt his heart after seeing her overcome so much from Kamoshida.  She was his friend, and he felt so powerless to help her.  They had to play the long con now.  Baby steps to avoid drawing suspicion.  Dealing with Kamoshida felt so easy in retrospect.

The sound of the metal door swinging open shifted their focus off the uncomfortable subject of Ann stripping.  Morgana darted inside Akira’s bag, leaving just the three of them to face the approaching student.  She had short brown hair, bangs, and a braided headband, surveying the three of them with fierce red eyes.  She sported the Shujin plaid skirt like Ann but had black leggings in place of Ann’s red ones.  And a sleeveless black vest hugged the white sweater she wore.  Her steps were eloquently poised, rivaling Yusuke in terms of sophistication.  Akira had seen her around the library and in the hall a few times but didn’t know who she was.  But he bore a troublesome vibe from her.

“This place is off-limits, you know.”  Akira furrowed his brow and gave a low hmph in the back of his throat.  Already, he wasn’t too keen on her on account of her nosiness.  Ryuji shared his sentiment by offering a sigh.

“We’ll get out of here once we’re done chattin’,” he said, leaning back in his chair.  “Anyway, what’s Miss Council President want with us?”  Akira pursed his lips in thought at this revelation.  The student council president.  If she was sticking her nose into her business, things around Shujin would grow quite difficult.  She brushed her bangs out of her eyes and continued studying them.

“A troublemaker, the girl of rumor, and the infamous transfer student… Interesting combination.”  Ann scoffed under her breath at her choice of words.  She was acting coy on purpose about what she knew.  Reminded her a lot of Akira when they first conversed.  From what she had seen and heard, they seemed to be a lot alike.

“ _Great way to start a conversation_ ,” she muttered disdainfully to herself.  Akira – however – did little to hide his annoyance at her comment.

“And what is _that_ supposed to mean?” he spoke up.  “The girl of rumor?  What rumors are you referring to?”  She watched him curiously.  Despite his lax demeanor, he had a fiery spirit about him.  It was rather fascinating to say the least.

“Just thinking out loud,” she said simply, mustering up a sweet smile to placate him.  But Akira wouldn’t have it.

“No, no, please,” he said and lifted himself up from his chair with one arm.  “If you got something to say about my friends, by all means let’s hear it.”  The student council president blinked in surprise, taken aback by his abruptness.  Ryuji and Ann exchanged worried looks at what they were both getting themselves into.  As Akira sized her up, she remained silent, pursing her lips rather nervously as the tables had turned to put her under the microscope.  She was rather lithe to him, perhaps even skinnier than Ann.  “You’re rather frail.  You should hit the gym more.  Perhaps stop skipping leg day to run your mouth.”  Ryuji widened his eyes and held a fist to his mouth to cover up the silent O he was making.  If Akira was good at one thing, it was some wicked burns.  Even Ann had to admit it, and she specialized in fire.  She held a hand to her mouth to cover the satisfied smile at seeing her eye twitch.

The girl silently huffed through her nose to retain her composure.  She wouldn’t let them get the best of her.  Not when she had a mission from Principal Kobayakawa himself.

“Forgive me, I meant no disrespect.  I was just curious about the three of you.  I’ve heard much about you all in the past several days.  It seems as though you got to know Mr. Kamoshida pretty well.”

The girl was good, whoever she was.  Akira had to give her that.  She was gauging him for information.  Some sort of slip-up to peg him with.  Though if she wanted a reaction, Akira would be glad to oblige her.  He was in no mood to be tested by anyone, even if they were the student council president.

“Not as well as some _other_ people…”  He trailed off and eyed Ryuji through his peripheral.  His social cue hadn’t gone unnoticed by the girl who followed his gaze.  The blond himself had managed to pick up on it as well, on his A game for once.

“Yeah, y’know he’s only been here a month or so.”  The girl merely nodded and fixated back onto Akira.  Their subtle battle of wits was rather invigorating.

“I heard Mr. Kamoshida used a volleyball team member to spread details of your past record.”  As she saw Akira narrow his eyes ever so subtly, she knew she had hit her mark.  Ann eyed him carefully as the student council president was treading into sensitive territory.  “Don’t you hate him? Mr. Kamoshida, I mean.”  Akira did his best to repress the smirk of contempt that was trying to form on his face.  He could see right through her little charade.  Trying to twist the knife.  But he could twist back.

“I hate him because he’s a piece of shit rapist who forced a girl to attempt suicide and beat up kids for his own ego.  Maybe you could ask some of them how they feel.  I figured you’d have gone to them first since you’re so observant and all.”  Ryuji leaned forward on his knees and glowered lowly at the student council president.  Seeing her and Akira go back and forth was entertaining in its own way, but he had his back to the wall up here.  And he was tired.

“What’s all this about?” he pressed impatiently.  “My friend here’s an upstanding guy.” 

Despite Akira Kurusu being here only about a month, both Ryuji and Ann seemed to sport a close kinship with him.  It only fueled the student council president’s desire to observe them.  And only furthered her suspicions.

“Like I said, I don’t mean to offend.  Many students have been shaken up by what happened to Mr. Kamoshida.  The rumors about that odd, calling card-esque posting aren’t going away either.”  Ann and Ryuji exchanged glances, each showcasing their weariness of dealing with her.

“I didn’t expect someone like you would care about that tactless stuff, Niijima-senpai,” Ann noted.  She too was playing the coy game, getting in on the game of mental chess being played between Niijima-senpai and Akira.

“ _I dunno that it was tactless…_ ” Ryuji muttered to himself, slightly hurt by her rebuke.  He put a lot of hard work into that calling card.  Never would he had suspected that calligraphy could be fun.  “Anyways, we done here?  We can’t leave if you keep talkin’ to us.”  Niijima-senpai huffed through her nose and allowed her calm demeanor to fall.  The three of them were stubborn if anything.

“At least try to understand my position,” she stated scornfully.  “Being forced to deal with this horseplay…”  Now Ann felt her attitude swell at how callous Niijima-senpai was in regards to the situation.  That what happened to Shiho and others was just an inconvenience.

“Horseplay!?” she demanded indignantly.  And with that, Akira poured on the venom.  This Niijima-senpai had been grinding his gears the second they started conversing but being so aloof to what had transpired under Kamoshida was the last straw.

“Oh, I’m _so_ sorry for you, I truly am,” he said dryly.  The venom that dripped from his words was palpable.  “Sorry that seeing a guy that beats his students and rapes girls to the point of attempting suicide just fucks your whole day up.  That you can’t go along living your normal life in blissful ignorance while his victims struggle in the hospital after throwing themselves off a goddamn roof.”  Ann gulped while she eyed Akira.  Niijima-senpai was really in for it now.  “I’ll go down to the hospital and tell Shiho that her struggle is inconveniencing your ability to do nothing for the school and its students.  How dare she get raped and try to kill herself, am I right?  How dare she be disgusted and ashamed at what happened to her under yours and the principal’s noses.  Everybody should just stew in silence and suffer so _you_ don’t have to be troubled in your day to day life.”  He spun around and glared at his two companions.  “Ryuji, how dare you get your leg broken and kicked off the track team!  You should’ve just taken it for her convenience.  And Ann, how dare you not just let Kamoshida fuck you.  Because clearly, the convenience of ignorance is more important than the silent suffering of students just trying to live their lives.  You know, maybe you’d be happier and less of a drain if you cared about somebody else other than yourself.  Try it some time.  I completely recommend it.”

Niijima-senpai was taken aback by his tirade, which managed to be both vitriolic and relaxed all at once.  No one had ever spoken to her in such a fashion before.  She wasn’t sure how to proceed, the awkward silence building a fine heat on the back of her neck.  Ann and Ryuji shared the same sentiment, glancing aside to avoid making eye contact with her.

“Well… at any rate, it’s been decided that this place will be closed off due to the incident.  I heard some people are coming up here without permission, after all.”  Her petty decision would force them more out into the open, thus allowing them to be observed with more clarity.  The irritated twitching of Akira’s brow awarded her a smug smile as she turned away to depart.

“Nothing gets past you, huh, Eagle Eye?” Akira retorted dryly.  “Except for kids getting the shit beat out of them and raped by their teachers, huh?  Good to see where your priorities lie.”  With her back turned to him, she allowed her face to twist in anger and anguish.  His words had pierced her hide like knives.  She was going to have to vent her frustrations extra hard through kickboxing tonight.

“…I’m sorry to have interrupted you.”  With that, she swiftly departed, and Morgana withdrew from Akira’s satchel.  Ann and Ryuji turned to their leader in surprise and exasperation.

“Damn, dude…” Ryuji said, sporting the biggest grin.  “You laid into her!”  Ann felt herself giggling with excitement now that she was gone.

“That was radical!  You pulled out all the stops!”  Though, despite her satisfaction at seeing Niijima-senpai get chewed out, things at school would now be more intense.  “But still, what was that about?”

“She’s on to us,” Morgana noted with a stern stare.  “That girl seems rather sharp.  We should be cautious of her.”  Akira merely scoffed with disdain, leaning against the heavy air conditioning unit.

“If she’s as vigilant as she was when Kamoshida was wailing on the volleyball team, I think we’ll be good,” he huffed, folding his arms.  “Who even was that bitch?”

“Makoto Niijima,” Ann answered disdainfully.  “Third year and Principal Kobayakawa’s errand girl.  At least that’s what the student council president position really is, anyway.”

“She really pisses me off!” Ryuji spat.  “Talk about a pain in the ass…”  As they discussed their plans to investigate Madarame after school tomorrow, Akira reflected on the change in their status at school.  If this Makoto Niijima was working directly for the principal, they’d have to be extra careful.  It also meant that he had something to hide.  At any rate, it meant that they couldn’t be active in their Phantom Thief duties around Shujin anymore.

This wouldn’t be the last they’d see of her.  Akira could tell.

* * *

 

_5/19/17 – Thursday_

They were on a time limit.  Change the heart of Ichiryusai Madarame before his exhibit ended.  Though they had been hit by an insurmountable obstacle.  Within Madarame’s Palace was a laser and a locked door, which prevented them from entering deeper.  Morgana theorized it was because of the locked door upstairs in his shack and that by unlocking it, they would gain deeper entry into the Palace.  But in order to unlock it, they had to enter Madarame’s domain and make him witness the open door.  Two problems in one, as Yusuke would call the police if either Akira and Ryuji were spotted.  Not to mention being caught by Madarame himself.  Their uphill climb had just turned into scaling a wall.

“If the door is locked, how are we picking it?  I don’t think Madarame would just have a key lying around for casual use.  And we still gotta get past Yusuke.”  Morgana gently patted Akira’s head and attempted to calm his worries, leaning on his shoulder confidently.

“Oh, that’ll be a breeze,” the cat gloated, beaming with confidence.  “Just give me a hairpin, and I’ll handle it.  But it will take some time though.  Doing everything by myself in front of Madarame would be impossible.”  He then shifted to sporting a coy and playful tone while carefully eyeing Ann.  “If only there was someone who could distract him for a while…”  Ann met his eyes and merely stared back, lost to whatever it was he was implying.  As the cat glanced towards Ryuji, he craned his head in the blonde’s direction.  On his A-game once again, Ryuji picked it up and sported a knowing grin.

“Oh...  Ohhhhh!”  Akira couldn’t help but warily eye the both of them.  Whatever they were thinking, he wasn’t quite sure he liked it.  The smug aura about it mocked him.  “Man, how are we even gonna get into his house?  We’d get reported for sure if we force ourselves in…”  Akira narrowed his eyes to see the rusty gears in Ryuji’s head turning.  He was onto something despite his adopted aloof attitude.  Ann sensed it too but seemed much more precarious about it.

“What?” she hesitated to ask.  Ryuji’s grinned only deepened as he looked to Morgana.  Even without sharing a word, the plan they had arrived to seemed devilishly good, albeit a bit risky.  But if it paid off, it would be absolute gold.  Ann didn’t share their enthusiasm, merely tapping her foot impatiently.  As she interrogated him for answers, Ryuji merely stretched and gave a nonchalant nod.

“I guess the only way is… havin’ you go nude.”  Ann felt her jaw slacken and nearly hit the floor in shock at his suggestion, reeling back at the mere thought of it.

“WHAT!?”

“Whoa, hold on!”  Akira held his hands up and took a step forward, looking rather cross.  “Time out!  You can’t be serious!” 

“Fancy you say that, Ryuji,” the cat said aloofly.  “I was just thinking the same thing.”  Ann felt herself growing flustered and nervous all over again.  And just when she had believed all this apprehension was behind her.

“This isn’t funny!” she argued, wincing.  This was the absolute last thing she had wanted to go through.  Ryuji sighed and dropped his calm façade for a moment.  He was hoping to lighten the mood by teasing her, but if she freaked out too much, they might draw the attention of Yusuke from inside.

“Relax,” he assured her, hands shelved inside his pockets.  “We’re not sayin’ you should really get naked.  But what other alternative do we got?  If we step inside Madarame’s shack without a good excuse, we’re toast.”

“It’s simply the best excuse for you to enter Madarame’s house without raising suspicions,” Morgana added.  It was strange to see the both of them in sync instead at each other’s throats.  For once, Akira preferred the latter.  “So, we’d like for you to play the role of decoy, Lady Ann.”  Even with their reasoning, Ann wasn’t budging. 

“This is way too sudden!  I mean, I don’t even know where the locked door is!”  The girl shook her head and frantically waved her hands around.  She turned to Akira with a pleading look.  “Help me!”  Akira rubbed his neck and shook his head as he tried to figure something out.  The plan sounded decent, but it was cutting way too close for his comfort.  Even the possibility of Ann making herself so vulnerable for Yusuke with no plan of defense sent shivers down his spine.

“I don’t know, man.  I really don’t like this at all.  She’s gonna be in there with no backup and is expected to take her clothes off at some point.  If she doesn’t, Yusuke’s gonna either get impatient or suspicious.  If something goes wrong, we can’t help her.”  Her safety was his top priority in this plan.  Throwing her to the wolves made him feel so helpless. 

“Don’t worry,” Morgana assured them, looking towards the blonde with a fiercely determined gaze.  “I’ll accompany you.  I won’t let him lay a single finger on you if he tries to make a move!  If it’s for your sake, Lady Ann, I won’t stop scratching even if all my claws were to break!”  Akira merely sighed and shook his head.  A cat wasn’t much in the way of backup. 

“But that’s still technically only me!” Ann whined.  Butterflies rose up in her stomach at the idea of her alone in that house with him.  He didn’t look the type, but what if Yusuke really did try something? 

“Maybe I should linger outside,” Akira said.  “Get a disguise and stake out the place.  If something goes wrong, Ann can text me, and I’ll burst inside.”  As good as Morgana was, Akira didn’t have much confidence in him on this side of the Metaverse.  He was still in a cat’s body after all.  Ann seemed to greatly approve of his idea, though the other two were quick to shoot it down.

“I can’t be in there by myself,” Ryuji said. “Remember our rule?  No goin’ into Palaces alone.  And that means I can’t be in there while you're out here.”

“Plus, Yusuke won’t hesitate to call the police if you burst in and try to save Lady Ann,” Morgana chimed in.  “If that happens, it’s straight to juvenile hall.  And that would only the beginning of our troubles.”  Ann fidgeted uncomfortably as she reflected upon the plan.  At some point, she would be expected to show skin.  Morgana better be as fast with a lockpick as he was with hitting on her.  “I know you’re nervous – Lady Ann – but I’m the best you got.” 

“But if worst comes to worst, what if I get found out?”  Morgana furrowed his furry brow and perched low on Akira’s shoulder in thought.  He hadn’t really planned that far ahead.  The cat had hoped she’d have a bit more confidence in him.

“We can run into the Palace… or something?”  Ann narrowed her eyes at him, causing the cat to lower his ears.

“Is that really gonna work!?” she demanded.  “I mean, you’re not giving me much confidence in this plan!”  Her blue eyes ventured towards Akira once more, still retaining their pleading look.  He was the most reasonable of them all, and she was praying he would find a way to sway the two others.  “Do I _have_ to be the bait?” 

Akira grimaced and sheepishly rubbed his neck.  This idea had him on red alert.  Not a single shred of him liked the idea of her being alone with Yusuke.  He didn’t look the part, but he could try something on her.  And if she were hurt because of this plan, he could never forgive himself.  But they had little in the ways of alternatives.  Only Ann was capable of getting inside the shack.  Nothing about this sat right with him.

“I…. I got nothing,” he admitted.  Their situation had him truly stumped.  It was far too risky to merely break into the house and kick the door down.  Yusuke would pin it all on them even without evidence.  And with his record, the police would readily bust him.  Again, the feeling of helplessness taunted him.  These types of inconveniences were unavoidable, but they were by no means any more tolerable as a result of it.  “Look, I don’t like this one bit.  I’d love any sort of alternative to this, and I do mean any sort.  But we’re boxed into one hell of a corner here.”

“Come on,” Ryuji said, nudging Ann with his elbow.  “It’ll be easy.  He practically begged you to take your clothes off when he asked.  Just put on the charm.  All you gotta do is trick Yusuke, have him take you to that room, then just open the door!  It’s a cakewalk!”  Ann shot him a look and brushed him off.

“You make it sound so easy!” she rebuked.  “You’re not taking this seriously!  I’m really upset by this, in case you can’t pick that up, numbskull!”  Ryuji wasn’t unsympathetic to her plight as he watched her pout.

“I’m just tryin’ to keep the mood light is all,” he admitted.  “Stressin’ about it ain’t gonna help us.  It’s not like I want this, but we can laugh about it when it’s over, right?”

“It’s not funny!”  Ann only deepened her pout, cheeks crimson and flushed with shame at the thought of what was expected of her.  The blond boy merely sighed and deferred to Akira for some sort of reasoning.  Even in his stumped status, he had to give some sort of insight.

“Come on, man.  Help us out here.”

“We need Lady Ann to do this, Akira.  It’s the only way.”

“Do I _really_ have to do this?”

Akira found himself surrounded on all sides.  It was two against one, and his vote could tip the balance of power.  If he said no, then they’d be at a stalemate.  And as part of their code, it required a unanimous agreement or it was a no-go otherwise.  But he couldn’t crowbar Ann into this, even if it really was their only chance.  Ann, Ryuji, and Morgana didn’t even blink as they watched Akira, awaiting his decision.  No one had ever said being the leader would be an easy task.  Finally, a heavy sigh escaped them, and he shelved his hands into his pockets.

“I leave it up to Ann to decide.”

“Come on!” Ryuji protested.  “You gotta be kiddin’ me!  That’s not a decision, that’s a cop-out!”  But Akira wouldn’t budge. 

“It’s Ann’s choice,” he insisted.  “I’m not gonna push her to do anything.  That’s not fair to make her do something she’s greatly uncomfortable with.  No matter what we choose, we’re gonna be in for an uphill climb.  So it’s only fair that at least Ann gets to be the deciding factor.”

“And if she refuses?” Morgana inquired.  The cat wasn’t too keen on the prospect of her being alone with Yusuke himself, but he resolved to double down on their situation with confidence rather than mire in the murky waters of doubt and uncertainty.  Akira wasn’t sure whether to call it confidence or not, but he certainly wished he had some of whatever it was. 

“Then we find another way.  But we’re going to respect her decision, no matter what.”  Ryuji sighed and gave a reluctant nod.  If Ann backed down from this, they’d have their work cut out even more than it already was.  But Akira was right.  Ann was the one walking into the lion’s den here.

The blonde couldn’t help but sigh with some relief.  To be able to have some say in all this after so much goading.  Though, it wasn’t like they had much in the way of versatility.  They had about two weeks to get some sort of plan together.  And the opportunity to walk right inside wouldn’t be there forever. 

“If there’s no other way, I don’t… I don’t…”  She muttered to herself, turning away from their eyes to think.  There wasn’t changing the fact she wouldn’t be happy about the plan.  Like Akira said before, someone was going to lose.  But did it have to be her?  “Urghhhh, God!  I don’t have a choice anyway!  Fine!  I’ll do it!  For justice!”  If Yusuke was truly being abused and exploited, then it would have to be worth it.  She just hoped he was the timid type.  Ryuji and Morgana gave their declarations of satisfaction.  The plan would proceed as normal, though Akira didn’t seem too excited about it.  The other two kept themselves light-hearted and relaxed in the face of adversity.  Admirable, but Akira couldn’t help but wish they were a little more worried.  Like this was a bit too much like a game to them.  Ann gleamed some small semblance of comfort from seeing his dissatisfaction.  “Seriously, you better pull this off!”  Akira let her scold them to give her some peace of mind.  To vent the anger and frustration out of her system.  “I’m really gonna lose it if we do all this and the Palace door doesn’t open.  Got it!?”

“Don’t worry.  That makes two of us,” Akira added.  He felt so scummy at having her do this, even if she gave her consent to the matter. 

“You guys worry too much,” Ryuji said with a grin.  With Ann on board, he was feeling more confident in their mission.  “It’ll be a snap!  Yusuke’ll never see it comin’!  Just have some faith.  We’ll be countin’ on you, Morgana!  Don’t let Yusuke notice ya, all right?”  Of all the times the two of them could cooperate, it had to be at Ann’s expense.  Next time, the blonde knew to be careful what she wished for.  Though, if they were going to start teaming up, she’d need to get Akira on her side.  “All right, let’s get down and dirty tomorrow.”  Ann felt her heart stop at his words.  Meanwhile, the sound of a car skidding to a halt rang in Akira’s mind.

“Tomorrow?!”  Even as Ryuji assured her that earlier would be better, she still felt her mind reeling.  How she was expected to get a wink of sleep tonight was beyond her.  She’d need her beauty rest if she was going to pour on the old charms.  “Will Kitagawa-kun even agree?”  Ryuji merely shrugged, his confidence not skipping a beat as he further cobbled together their impromptu plan.

“Just say something that sounds good.  Dudes like it when chicks come to them.  Feeds their ego.”  The blond boy shifted his tone to sound lighter pitched, attempting a more feminine and sensual voice.  All it did was serve to make Ann roll her eyes so hard, it near gave her whiplash.  “ “I really need it to be tomorrow~”  That should work, yeah?”

“I don’t even sound like that!” Ann cried out indignantly.  The blonde sighed and deferred to Akira again, pointing at him with her lips pursed into a pout.  “Next time, _you_ think of the plan!”  Akira groaned and sheepishly nursed his neck.  If they had more leads, an easier access point, and more time, perhaps he could have thought up a better alternative.  But Yusuke was held up inside that shack, and there were no alternative routes to inside the Palace.

“I’ll do my best,” Akira said with a solemn nod.  The guilt at subjecting her to this tasted bitter at the back of his mouth.  He’d have to make it up to her something severe once this was all over.  “You gotta have a lot of guts to put yourself through this.  I respect that, Ann.  I’m proud of you.”  Ann couldn’t help but feel something in her throat tremble at those words.  They had the same effect as before.  “If he tries anything, you let us know ASAP, and we’ll break down the door ready to kick ass.”  Ryuji gave an affirming nod, eyes narrows into a stern look.  Cops or not, Yusuke would have a hell of a time getting fresh with Ann if he was some sort of sex pervert.  Ann glanced aside, taking care to adjust her twintails to obscure her flushing cheeks.

“If he tries to force my clothes off, I’ll tear that house down!” she said defensively.  And Akira believed her one hundred percent.  For a brief moment, he worried more for Yusuke’s well-being than he did Ann’s.

Tomorrow.  That didn’t leave the blonde much time.  Even if she had to be alone with Yusuke, she was determined to do whatever it took not to have to strip.  Nobody was going to end up seeing her nude body until she was damn good and ready.  She needed a plan and had less than twenty-four hours to find one.

Luckily, she was rather ingenuitive when she could be.  And was in possession of a rather hefty wardrobe.

* * *

 

_5/20/17 – Friday_

It had been quite the emotional rollercoaster.  Yusuke had gone from creepy artist to fellow Phantom Thief in the blink of an eye.  Akira could hardly process it himself, and he had been there for it all.  Come to find out, Yusuke wasn’t a bad person at all.  Akira had severely misjudged his character, although they hadn’t exactly started off on the best footing.  He was just a bit on the socially awkward side is all.  Deep on the socially awkward side.  As well as repressing the emotional toll he had been subjected to under Madarame’s tutelage.  The two of them saw eye to eye, and Yusuke pledged himself to help the Phantom Thieves’ cause of changing his former sensei’s wicked heart.  For his own peace of mind and for the artists’ whose futures and careers were destroyed.

The others had gone their separate ways for the evening, leaving only Akira and Yusuke at the café.  The former purchased some food for the both of them out of kindness and a peace offering after their rocky start.  Despite the artist’s ravenous hunger, he took great care to dine with eloquence and poise.

“I must say, I am quite grateful for your kindness, Kurusu-san,” Yusuke said while he wiped his mouth with a napkin.  “I had believed you would harbor a grudge against me for our first encounter.”  Akira leaned back against the booth seat and shrugged.

“Forget about it,” he said.  “I’m tired of being angry.  It’s too exhausting, and you’re not a bad guy.”  After the past couple of days, he greatly appreciated some levity.  Yusuke shared his sentiment, offering a kind smile.  “And you can call me Akira, you know.”

“Right.  Forgive me, Kurusu-san-I mean… Akira…”  He chuckled softly to himself.  “How strange, how informal.  I’ve never had proper friends.  It wouldn’t be too presumptuous to assume we’re friends now, would it?”  Yusuke had a lot of loosening up to do.  Fortunately, Akira and Ryuji were the masters of keeping it casual.

“We’re thick as thieves,” Akira said with a wink and a thumbs up.  “Phantom Thieves, if you will.”  This time, Yusuke chucked more jovially, not restraining his emotions.

“I must say that I appreciate your sharp wit.  I knew even from before that you were no commoner.  Again, I’d like to apologize for before.  I mistreated both you and Sakamoto-san.  I was a bit too wrapped up in my desire to please Madarame, as well as my… infatuation with Takamaki-san.”  Akira gave him a nod and nursed his neck awkwardly.  Now, this would be three guys on the team vying for her affection.

“Can’t say I blame you,” he admitted.  “Though, perhaps you might want to be a bit less… eccentric about how you feel.  Usually, it takes a couple of dates and some dinner before a girl wants to pose nude for your so-called “art project.” ”  Yusuke blinked in surprise before tapping his chin curiously.

“Hmm, Takamaki-san does seem the type to appreciate fine dining,” he muttered to himself.  “Perhaps acquiring into the local odd jobs around town would allow me to save up funds to court her.  Then I can…”  As his gaze lifted up, he saw a flat stare from Akira, complete with a quirked eyebrow.  The expression bore amusement from the artist, who huffed through his nose.  “You were joking.  How foolish of me.”

“You’ve got a lot to learn,” Akira teased.  The two shared another laugh and finished their meals.  “In all seriousness though.  It’s never a good idea to open up with asking them to take their clothes off, even if it is for an art project.”  Yusuke held a hand to his mouth in embarrassment as he reflected on the situation.  No doubt he hadn’t looked the most respectable in that moment, even if his intentions were pure.  Mostly pure.

“I meant no perverseness, I just found her… so alluring.”

_Oh boy…_

Things would quickly grow awkward if he didn’t squelch this right away.  Especially with Morgana.  And as if on cue, the furry devil popped his head out from Akira’s satchel.

“You had best be on your best behavior around Lady Ann, Yusuke!” the cat reprimanded.  “You heard the rules.  No nude art!”  Akira had made it abundantly clear that they were dropping that little stunt the moment he invited Yusuke to the team. 

“I haven’t given up just yet,” the artist said.  “I must explore my passions, through which I shall explore the greater depths of my art.”  Akira merely groaned and shook his head.

“Look, no offense, but we’re not doing this.  You can go and find some other nude model, but don’t make it awkward for my team.  Can’t you just look online like everyone else?”  Yusuke gave an indignant scoff and turned his nose up at the thought of utilizing a computer.

“Certainly not!  There is no passion in a still image on a computer screen.  I need a living model before my very eyes!  To capture her grace and contours.”

“That what we’re calling it now?” Akira jested dryly before taking a sip of water.  “Look, I understand your sentiments for Ann, don’t get me wrong.  But right now is a really bad time, especially after how you’ve made yourself look.  I won’t forbid any team dating, but Ann’s been through some real shit.  And I don’t think men throwing at her is really the best thing to help with that.”

“Has something happened to her?” Yusuke inquired worriedly.

“You know the full story about Kamoshida?”  From what he had garnered from the brief snippets online, the volleyball coach had been exploiting his students.  More ferocious than Madarame had exploited him.  Beating them, sexually harassing women, and even raping one girl, according to the testimony.

“Wait… w-was Takamaki-san…?”  His breath shook in his throat as he tried to finish the question but just couldn’t manage it.  Though he soon found relief as Akira shook his head, a heavy sigh escaping.

“No, but she was frequently harassed by him,” Akira stated, gazing down at the table with disdain.  “People spread rumors about her at school, calling her a slut and just embracing the idea she was sleeping with him without question.”  He paused to collect himself, letting out a sigh to undo the tense knot that formed in his chest.  “According to her, Kamoshida would grope and try to pressure her into staying at his place.”  Yusuke winced as though he had bitten into a ripe lemon, shaking his head.

“How repugnant!” he scoffed, turning his nose away.  “I suppose… I didn’t look my best given her current situation.  Of accosting her with the desire to see her pose nude.”

“Well, it doesn’t exactly help your case.  And I don’t really think it’s gonna get you a date either.”  Yusuke sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.  "But don't tell Ann I said anything, alright?"  He didn't wish to appear that he was coddling her.  Akira wouldn't dare insult her like that.  Though, he wasn't sure where the line between help and coddling was exactly.

“Poor Takamaki-san.  Had I known, I wouldn’t have-“

“I won’t hold it against you,” Akira reassured him.  “You didn’t know.  Though maybe it’s best to give her space.  Avoid pushing for anything intimate.  Just seems in bad taste to pursue a girl after she’s had to deal with all that.”  Yusuke nodded at the parable Akira was exchanging.  Its message intended for both Yusuke and himself.  With both Yusuke and Morgana having an obvious interest in Ann, it would make things incredibly awkward if he tried to throw his hat in the ring.  Even without the disturbing Kamoshida harassment baggage that followed her around. 

No, Akira resolved he would stay away.  Keep his emotions in check and be the friend she needs.  He didn’t plan to be cold or distant, but he had to keep himself composed.  His little crush would fade in time.  And hopefully would any fear or aversion to intimacy Ann was experiencing after Kamoshida’s preying upon her.  She deserved not to feel self-conscious or nervous.

“You seem rather protective of her,” Yusuke noted with a solemn smile.  “You must care for her a lot.”  Akira cleared his throat and downed the rest of his glass.

“She’s my friend and teammate.  As the leader of the Phantom Thieves, I gotta look after my own, right?”  A half-truth but one that seemed to satisfy the artist’s curiosity.  He nodded once more, vocalizing his respect for Akira’s resolve. 

“Lady Ann~”  The two boys looked over to see Morgana leaning on his paw while daydreaming about the blonde.  Akira rolled his eyes and sighed, earning a curious look from Yusuke.

“Is the cat infatuated with Takamaki-san as well?” 

“Bingo.”  Yusuke pursed his lips in thought at the rather unusual mental image of a cat trying to court a human woman.  Or rather, the weird anthropomorphized version of himself from within Madarame’s Palace.

“…I can see why my feelings would make things rather awkward.”

“Yeah, try living with him.  Hearing him say an entire soliloquy about “oh, Lady Ann” this and “Lady Ann” that.”  The artist chuckled once more while Morgana remained blissfully unaware of their mocking, instead visualizing himself as a dashing man in a cape and tuxedo, complete with a top hat.  Ann draped around him while they slow danced.  Once he returned to being human, it would all become a reality.

It had to.


	16. Getting To Know You

_5/24/17 – Tuesday_

School and helping Yusuke get his feet wet as a Phantom Thief had taken up a good majority of their time.  The time would come where Madarame’s heart would be purified of its malcontent.  But for now, it was merely along the horizon.  Akira was doing his best to prepare for whatever awaited them inside the Palace.  Testing more medicines for Takemi had netted him discounts, and studying under Yoshida had allowed him to pick up some good public speaking tips.  Negotiating with the shadows would be a lot easier now.  Though today, Akira was focused on someone else.

Ann.

His plan to leave this be had proven easier said than done.  Keep his emotions in check, prevent his crush from deepening.  Avoid putting himself in a position where he could compromise both their friendship and team dynamic through getting romantically attached.  Yet, it only took one little text message to get him running to her side.  Even luckier was that Morgana had slipped out to do something of his own volition.  It was just the two of them.  And the spot she had selected to meet up at was rather romantic.

Inokashira Park.  It was a sleepy remote little location seemingly forever bathed in warm sunlight.  Trees provided generous shade to the passers-by who lounged on the wooden fence to watch the lake, adorned with couples coasting along on swan boat rides.  For Ann, it was absolute heaven.  A welcome place to escape from the city life or her empty apartment when she was feeling down.  The only other person she brought with her to such a tranquil park was Shiho.  Now she had shared it with Akira.  A great act of trust on her part.

“Isn’t this place great?” Ann proclaimed as Akira wandered down the path to meet her.  She had her back turned to the lake which looked absolutely majestic as it shimmered in the sunlight.  “Man, big open spaces like this are great!  I think my training’s going to go super good today!”

“Training?” Akira asked, rather perplexed.  Ann nodded with a prideful beaming smile.

“You haven’t forgotten already, have you?  Remember how I said before that I want to strengthen my heart?  Well, I came up with a way to do it!  I’m gonna train my heart to grow stronger, and _you’re_ gonna help me!”  Akira couldn’t help but chuckle softly to himself as her resolved shined through.  He hadn’t expected the training to be literal training.  But if she believed it would make her a better person, he was there to offer his support.  The very best he could.

“Alright.  So what’s the plan?”  Ann’s beam brightened as she proceeded to lay it all out for him.

“I’ve been thinking,” she started, tapping her lower lip with her finger.  “I think having a strong heart means you don’t let anything get under your skin.”  Akira pursed his top lip and gave a slow nod. 

“You’re not wrong,” he admitted.  “That is part of it, I’d say.  Not letting people get the best of you.  There’s a lot of other aspects to it too, but this is a good way to start off, I suppose.”  Ann nodded in agreement, only further emboldened by his support.  She couldn’t wait to spring her plan into action.  This was going to be so much fun.

“I was thinking about the other day when you said all that stuff to Makoto.  You really let her have it!”  Hard to believe that such a soft and tender looking boy could be filled with such ire and venom, sitting on the wooden post to patiently.  “So basically, I want you to say stuff to me, and I’ll try not to get fazed by it!”  Akira gave a worried look at her suggestion.  She was asking for something mighty heavy. 

“Uhh… I’m not so sure about this.  I have to be really mad to pop something off like before.” 

“Well then get mad real quick.  C’mon, hit me with your best shot!”

“That’s not how it works…”  She tapped her foot and eyed him with a playful expecting look.  It wasn’t just his lack of a proper mood, but he had no desire to fly off the handle at her.  She hadn’t really done anything wrong to warrant such ire.  Like she ever could.  Though her eyes shimmered with determination.  She was dead set on this, it seemed.  “I guess I could try something.  You sure you wanna go through with this, though?”  With a confident giggle, the blonde pointed at him and planted one foot in the dirt, her other hand on her hip.

“We’ve already started!  I won’t let that hesitation shake me!  Now quit stalling and bring it on!”  Akira merely sighed and resigned himself to his fate.  He aimed to please, after all.  Especially her.  Though what exactly he could get her on had him drawing a blank.  She was incredibly honest and forthcoming with him.  Even if she had some sort of major flaw he could zap her for, he’d feel immediately guilty afterward for doing so.  He chewed out those that deserved it, not on a whim.  “I’m waiting…” she teased in a singsong voice.

“Well… you’re… stubborn?”  She had put up a lot of resistance the first time they officially talked.  Trying to box him in for answers.  He’d have done the same himself in her position.  Though the hindsight didn’t make his frustration in that moment any more tolerable.  Ann seemed to be enjoying herself, the blonde beaming with a sunshine-filled smile.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah!  And?”  She could tell he was building up to something good.  A real motherlode of a roast.  She just hoped she wouldn’t cry whenever he finally got it out.  Had she only known.

“Kind of… nosy?”  He was really digging deep for something to get her on.  The absolute bottom of the barrel had been scraped clean.  Gears grinding.  Ann was absolutely oblivious to his struggles though.

“Uh-huh, uh-huh.  What else?”  She clacked the heels of her boots eagerly.  The blonde knew it was coming.  The windup and then soon the pitch.  Any second now, he’d throw that pepper right at her.

“I… got nothing.  Can we stop now?”

“Come on!  You did so well the other day!  Just make up something if you have to!”

“But now you know it’s not genuine.  Honestly, I really got nothing.”  The blonde burst into giggles from his admission. 

“You’re giving up?  That means I win!”  As the girl teased him, Akira couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.  Her bubbly enthusiasm and spirit never failed to stir his heart.  What a nice girl.  Deserving of the absolute world.

“Heh.  Very well.  You win.”  He accepted his defeat with grace.  Not that he tried too hard.  Though, her victory didn’t seem too satisfactory as the smile faded, leaving her with a perplexed look.

“Wait… is this how the game is supposed to go?” she wondered aloud to herself.

“You tell me.  This was your idea, after all.”  The truth of the matter was that Ann was just winging it.  She had hoped Akira would be more creative and help speed things along.  The girl still wasn’t a hundred percent sure how to effectively strengthen her heart.

“Oh well.  On to round two!  Bring it on!”  They couldn’t stop now.  She was in the zone.  She just needed to get him into the zone as well.  Then they could make some real progress.

“Do you _really_ think this will make our hearts and Personas stronger?” Akira had to ask.  And with that, Ann felt herself lose her resolve.  All it took was one loss of his faith to pull the rug out from under her.  As she tried to keep a brave face, the look of doubt he shouldered caused her to deflate.

“N-no…” she admitted in defeat.  Guess the second round belonged to him.  “Something’s just… not right.”  Ann took a seat down on fencepost next to him.  “Am I doing something wrong?”  With that, Akira pondered his chin and set to work figuring it out.

“I think maybe you’re taking it a bit too literally, in this case.”  Ann blinked in surprise at him, staring in silence as she awaited further clarification.  “Like, it’s important to have thick skin and all that, but having a strong heart isn’t solely about that.  It’s about what keeps you going.  What’s important to you?  Big and small.”  Ann tapped a finger against her chin in thought as she reflected upon his words.  He was really digging into this deep.  Exactly what she wanted, but she found herself caught off-guard by it.  “How about this place?  What made you pick here of all places to do your training?”  The blonde found herself perplexed by the question at hand.  In her mind, it should have been obvious just from the view alone.

“Well, I mean… just look at it!” she said, standing up to stretch her arms out and gesture at the landscape surrounding them.  “This place seriously feels amazing.  It’s not even that far from Shibuya, but it feels so different here.  You can get lost in how cozy it is, take a few steps, and end up back in the city.  Almost like it’s another world, you know?”  Akira merely watched her in silence as he nodded slowly.  She wasn’t wrong about Inokashira Park in the slightest.  It radiated with a serenity that he couldn’t quite place.  Even though the cityscape was right on the other side of the trees, he felt miles away from it.  “You know, Tokyo is so strange.  There are tons of people and tons of stores, yet there are duck-filled parks here too.  Like nature and civilization are clashing.  It has everything… but it feels like I can’t understand any of it.  It’s honestly kinda scary.  Am I making sense?”

“Uhh… not entirely,” Akira said.  “Like, I understand Tokyo feels complex because of the way these things clash, but I wouldn’t necessarily say it scares me.  I personally think it’s cool.  Variety in landscape and all that.  Though I haven’t lived here as long as you have so I can’t say for certain.”

“Oh, right,” Ann said in realization.  “You only just moved here.  I guess it makes sense why you’d see it differently than me.  Oh!  I don’t think I asked before, but are you liking it here?”  Akira gave a nonchalant half smile and nodded.

“It’s a lot of fun.  It’s more lively, and there’s a lot to see and do.  Way more going on than my hometown.  Though getting around is a goddamn nightmare.  Everything is too far to walk to, and trains are so congested.  I’m used to just being within walking distance of everything.  But I’m making it the best I can.”  Ann gave him a lively smile, glad to see he wasn’t alienated by city life. 

“You take to it well,” she commended.  “When I first got here, I had a super tough time adjusting.  It’s so crowded, and everyone walks really fast.  Almost like they’re angry or something.”  Akira couldn’t help but laugh.

“See, that’s a part I actually like.  Everybody’s hurrying along at a brisk pace.  It’s so aggravating to have to slow my pace because people are in the way.”  Ann found herself giggling as she remembered his passive-aggressive rambling to himself on the escalators before. 

“Sounds like you need to be patient,” she teased, earning her a wry amused look from Akira.  She stuck her tongue out playfully and netted a chuckle from him.  “Figured someone as chill as you would have more.”

“Heh, yeah well when you’re from a school where everybody walks slow as shit, this feels like running a goddamn marathon.”  Ann was making mental notes with every detail he spilled.  Besides his criminal record, she didn’t know much about Akira.  He was rather mysterious.  Fitting for the leader of the Phantom Thieves. 

“How different is your school from Shujin?” the blonde pressed.

“My school was smaller and nowhere near as fancy as Shujin is.  But we had a swim team.”

“You miss it?”

“….Nah.”  After his arrest and prosecution, everyone burned any bridge they had with him.  Wrote him off as a troublemaker even after having known him for years.  “Glad not to be there anymore.  I had hoped Shujin would be a fresh start for me.”  Ann felt her smile fade away as she watched him stare down at the grass.  His deep rather melancholic as he reflected back on his first few days.  Hard to believe that was merely a month ago.  A huff escaped his nose, accompanied by a dry smirk.  “Beggars can’t be choosers, I guess.”  Ann stared down at her boots glumly.  She hadn’t intended to bring the mood down like this.  Only to know him a little better is all.

“Well… I mean, if it helps, you’re not the only one they treated like that.”  Akira leaned back against the fencepost and listened to her intently.  “It might be kind of obvious, but I’m not full-blooded Japanese.  I’m one-quarter American.  Because of that, I was always seen as some kind of outsider.  Even at school, I was only ever the “foreigner.”  Nobody really knew me; they just spread rumors.”  Akira curled his lower lip and huffed with irritation through his nose.  It wasn’t enough that people looked to her as some slut, but they had to add racism on top of it?  The poor girl just couldn’t catch a break.  “I thought maybe my looks were the problem.  I even considered dyeing my hair black to match everyone else.”  The perplexed look on Akira’s face as he tried to visualize it caused her to burst into laughter.

“Man, no offense but I just can’t see it,” he said, squinting to try and visualize it.  “Blonde is definitely your color.”  He wasn’t really one to get hung up on hair color preferences, but her blonde locks were stunning.  The cascading twintails, the shimmering gold in the summer sun.  There was no way he could envision her with anything else. 

“Thanks,” she said with a beaming smile, his compliment adding a touch of rosiness to her cheeks. 

“What made you decide not to?

“Shiho did.”  The memories came flooding back to the young blonde.  Simpler times way before Kamoshida ever sullied their lives.  “It was in junior high.  We had art class together, and I was trying my hand at painting.  This was back in my big artsy phase.”  She rolled her eyes and shuddered.  “Total cringe.  I couldn’t paint to save my life.  But that was when Shiho talked to me.  The first thing she said was, “Takamaki-san, your paintings suck…” “  With that, Ann felt herself starting to giggle.  Back then, she could never have guessed that was how she’d meet her best friend.  “I thought she was just making fun of me like everyone else, but that wasn’t her intention.  According to her, they were so bad that she just HAD to tell me.  Pretty mean, huh?  Then she showed me hers, and we laughed over how bad we were at it.”  As Ann continued giggling, Akira couldn’t help but chuckle softly to himself, swept up in her joy.  Seeing Ann smiling and giggling never failed to warm his heart.

“Funny how some friendships start, huh?”

“Mm-hmm!  It was the first time someone here talked to me without mentioning my looks.  We sorta just grew closer after that, and Shiho’s been my best friend ever since.”  Such comforting times.  They felt like someone else’s life now.  All the time Ann wondered if things could ever be the same.  When Shiho could leave the hospital, if they could live a somewhat normal life again.  A weary sigh left the young blonde as her nostalgic happiness was replaced by melancholic dread.  “I miss those days-“ 

The ringing of her cellphone interrupted what else she had to say, springing the blonde into action.  It was merely an e-mail.  But the sender was one of great importance.  Her agency.  Nothing too out of the ordinary at first, just a reminder of her shooting, a location, and… something else.

“That’s odd,” she muttered to herself as she slid her phone back into her hoodie pocket. 

“Something up?” Akira pressed, earning a dismissive wave from Ann.

“Nothing important.  It’s a notice saying to pay extra attention to the time and place they tell you.  Apparently, some models haven’t been showing up at all lately.  Then when asked why they didn’t come, the models all say they heard there was a change in schedule.  It sounds like some shoots have been hectic with all the scrambling they’ve had to do for substitutes.”

Akira had forgotten she was a model.  A brief mention of it had been made when she was trying to brush Kamoshida off on his first day.  Though he certainly found himself confused on how he could forget at all.  She was incredibly beautiful, he had to admit to himself even though the other half was yelling at him not to let his crush get deeper. 

“I never talked about that, did I?  I model part-time, just as a little thing for fun.”  Any opportunity Akira had to listen to her talk was one he’d take in a heartbeat.  “Speaking of subs, my first modeling gig was as a sub.  That was back when I was still living in Finland.  My parents didn’t have enough models for their event.”  Akira had to do a double take as the lore grew ever deeper.  She was pulling the rug out from under him at every stop.  “Oh, haven’t I told you?  My parents are both fashion designers who put on some seriously extravagant shows.  They jump from country to country, so I only really see them for half of the year.  Maybe less these days…”  As Ann spoke, she felt a sort of uncertainty dwelling in her chest.  A dread that she couldn’t quite pin down.  Though now she suddenly recalled why she felt reservations in discussing her rather well-off family.  His disdain for the overly wealthy revealed back during their visit to the Wilton Hotel.  As he stared at her curiously, she felt her chest squirm.  She felt like she was under a microscope.  Hard to move, hard to breathe as she waited to know his thoughts.  Would he now think less of her for her upbringing?  Her wealthy status?

“That’s pretty cool.”  The blonde nearly had whiplash from the double take she administered.  “Not the whole “your parents are never around thing,” but it’s cool that you’ve traveled all over the world and have fashion designers as parents.  They must design some cool stuff.  Anything I know?”  This twist couldn’t have turned out better for Ann.  She could still hardly believe all it.  Snapping out of her trance, she took to action and thumbed through her phone for samples of her parents’ work.

“It’s all fancy foreign stuff,” she said, trying to feign her excitement at his interest.  “Nothing you’d know about…”  Even though Akira didn’t recognize a single line of clothing from their lineup, he expressed open enthusiasm about each one.  Commending her family’s creativity which only caused Ann to become more elated.  She found herself fighting to control the giggles of relief and giddiness that struck out from within.  For the longest time, it was only Shiho that seemed to take a personal interest in her life while others just only cared for the surface.  Now she had two people.  “Y-you know, I was a little worried that you’d think I was some kind of spoiled rich brat like those girls on TV.”

“Why would I think that?”  Akira blinked at her, honestly perplexed.  Nothing about Ann resembled that in the slightest.  She was kind, caring, funny, charismatic.  “Spoiled” wasn’t even close.  It wasn’t even far. 

Now, Ann felt foolish as she stood before him, chewing on the inside of her cheek.  She wasn’t the type to be so self-conscious.  If it was some perv ogling her body, maybe.  But this was Akira.  Her friend and leader.

“Well… y-you’re kind of intimidating.”  Now Akira administered a double take, blinking in surprise.  The blonde felt her heart skip a beat at the thought that she might perhaps offended him.  “No, not in a bad way!  Though I don’t think there’s a good way to be intimidated, is there?”  She shook her head and retained her focus from rambling inanely.  “What I meant to say is that I don’t want you to think less of me.  Like, I remember all that stuff you said back at the Wilton Hotel.  About rich people and thinking they can do whatever they want.”

Akira’s eye twitched as he felt his heart ache with the twinge of guilt.  Making her feel self-conscious about her family life and self because of his angry generalization.  That bald man with the goatee and glasses had really cut him deep.  He needed to chill.

“Hey, Ann, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.  I’m sorry.  You’re not like that.  Not at all…”

“Well, I mean you’re not wrong, though.  About how you feel.  There are a lot of rich assholes who think they can do what they want because their pockets are lined with cash.  Like that one guy from before that you talked about.  The one that got you arrested.”  The blonde felt herself flare up in subdued irritation at the thought of him.  If she ever found that guy – whoever he was – she’d give him a piece of her mind and then some.  “But my family’s not like that at all.  They pay their workers well, give benefits, run charity drives, and other stuff.”  Nothing did her prouder to know that her parents were sticking it to the status quo by showing a little humanity in their business practice. 

“Even if they were, that’s not your fault,” Akira assured her, hands shelved into his pockets as he smiled warmly at her.  His comforting gaze caused her worry to melt away.  “You didn’t choose your parents.  Why do you feel like you have to justify yourself to me?  I’m just a guy like anyone else.” 

It was hard for her to fathom just how much he underestimated himself.  Though that was part of what drew her to him.  His humility.  Aside from Shiho, there weren’t really a lot of people around Shujin that weren’t so utterly full of themselves or self-indulgent.

“Well, it’s not just because you’re my leader.  You’re really smart, funny, and have a big heart.  You’re like one of my best friends, and the idea that I could make you disapprove of me in any way is kinda scary.”  Her neck burned, causing the blonde to tend to it sheepishly.  It sounded a bit silly saying out loud.  They had only known each other for a month, and yet it felt like several.  Very few could say they conquered a Palace in an alternate ethereal dimension and dethroned a pedophilic volleyball coach.  Bonds like that are forged stronger than steel.  All Akira could do was softly chuckle and shake his head with a smirk.

“I could never disapprove of you, Ann.  You’re honestly like my best friend.”  With that, the blonde turned her head away and used her twintails to cover the blush that burst onto her cheeks.  Any sort of affection – whether it be platonic or romantic – never failed to turn her into a gooey mess of emotion.  She was such a mess.  So much about Akira was right.  He had such a level head about, well, everything.  It made him both approachable and intimidating all at once.  A confusing paradox that only served to make her more anxious and self-conscious.  “Does it ever get lonely?  Having the place to yourself?”

“I’m used to it,” she admitted.  Which wasn’t completely true.  She understood they had to live adult lives and respected their commitment to their craft.  But what she wouldn’t give to have a few more proper family moments.  “It’s not so bad.  My nana Baba is nice and lets me do what I want.  Plus, it would probably be tough being a Phantom Thief with my parents around, don’t you think?”  Akira let out a low chuckle at the funny visual that graced him with its presence.

“Yeah, nothing strikes fear into the hearts of shadows like having to ask your parents for permission to enter Mementos, am I right?”  Ann clutched her nose as she began snickering wildly.  How he could bust out quips so nonchalantly was beyond her but what she wouldn’t give to have such a talent.  He was earning the nickname Joker in spades.  “Having the whole place to yourself sounds pretty rad.”

“Yeah, I guess I can afford to be pretty relaxed these days,” she admitted.  She didn’t have to be secretive or paranoid around the house.  Baba gave her plenty of space and didn’t pry.  Supportive but not invasive.  The same values her parents instilled in her at a young age.  Come to think of it, Akira seemed to share those values himself.   “It was a rough when I was little though.  It was just me and our live-in caretaker.  I didn’t really have any friends…”  The silence that set in afterward hadn’t been the reaction she had been going for.  Though she wasn’t really sure what she was going for in the first place.  Just making conversation, anything to talk to him and hear him speak.  “W-wow, that got dark fast!  Ahaha…”  She faked a laugh as best she could to stave off the awkwardness. 

Akira himself could sense it too.  Instead of dwelling, he laughed it off and pressed her for more topics.  Anything to hear her speak.

“So about this modeling gig?  Do you like it?”  She beamed at his interest in her job.  Made her feel special that he showed such investment into her personal life.

“It’s fun.  Nothing serious, but it… it speaks to me in a way.  Honestly, when I’m modeling… it almost feels like I’m connecting with my parents somehow.  Since it involves fashion, they’re fashion designers.  You get what I mean, right?”  His content nod relieved the worry that she was just rambling again.  “It’s a nice hobby to have, but I don’t think I’d want to make a living out of it.  After all, that’s where Kamoshida first spotted me, and that’s how our class started those rumors.” 

Akira wrinkled his nose in disgust at his name.  Wasn’t enough for him to make her feel uncomfortable about herself but now he had to taint her job too? 

“I mean, I don’t hate it.  It’s still fun, but it’s just a thing.  Besides, the Phantom Thieves are more important to me now.”  As nice as it was to try on free clothes and get her photograph taken, fighting shadows and the corrupt in the Metaverse was much more satisfying.  Even if she had to dress like a weird sex pervert.  “Nobody can be my substitute there!  And that’s why I need to get stronger!”

“I think you just did.”  This simple statement caused the blonde to tilt her head curiously as she studied him.  When she pressed him for clarification, he tapped his head with a smirk.  “Think about it.  You looked into what was important to you like we talked about.  Looking inside yourself to understand why you were attached to what was outside.  Like this park and how different it is from the rest of Tokyo.  Like how we are.  And your job and how it relates to your personal life.  You understand yourself a little better now.  You grew a bit, which means you’ve grown stronger.”  Ann blinked in surprise at his revelation.  It hadn’t really occurred to her just how much these little things truly spoke to her.  At least, she had never put it to words before.  The things that you don’t see until spoken aloud.  It all made sense now.

“Yeah… you’re right!  God, why are you so smart, Akira?  Nobody’s ever made me think that hard before.”  Akira merely shrugged and planted his heels in the dirt.

“I’m just a guy like everyone else.”  Ann couldn’t help but roll her eyes, giggling at his humbleness.  He had to be playing coy to how talented he was.  Either way, it didn’t stop being charming.  “So tell me about this old artsy phase of yours, Ann.  Did you do something crazy like dye your hair all neon?”  She bit her bottom lip, feeling her stomach sink as she reflected back on her younger junior high self.

“Oh God, you’re really making me remember this,” she said with a laugh.  Though the expecting smug look he was looking at her with while he awaited his story was one she couldn’t fight.  “Me and Shiho were kind of nerds back in junior high.  When I was little, I used to watch this anime where the main villain was this female thief.  I redeveloped a huge obsession with it around junior high and got Shiho into it.  So we…”  Akira leaned in eagerly, head tilted teasingly in her direction as though to hear her with greater clarity.  She pursed her lips to hide the bashful smile being forced to reveal her younger self’s more embarrassing side was bringing out.  Only after gulping down a surging knot in her throat did she manage to continue.  “We wrote fanfiction of it where we made self-insert OCs and stuff.”

“Oh my God,” Akira said with the biggest smile on his face, leaning back while Ann sunk into her seat.  “I can’t believe you were such a fucking nerd.”

“Shut up!” she said, swatting at his shoulder while pouting comedically.  “We were kids!  Don’t tease me!”  Akira poked and prodded at her playfully with a teasing cackle, forcing the blonde to bite her bottom lip in order not to laugh at how ridiculous he was.

“That’s the fucking best thing ever, I can’t even believe that!  You’ve got to show me some.”

“Noooooo, please!”  Ann buried her face in her palm, stomach feeling full of stones.  “I got rid of all of it because it was so embarrassing!  Though I think maybe Shiho might still have some-“  Her heart froze over as she felt him staring at her with wicked excitement.  The girl didn’t have the nerve to face him directly but could feel his eyes upon her through her peripheral.

“Oh, I know what I have to ask her for when she gets out-“

“Don’t you fucking dare!” She seized him by the blazer as he cackled, a look of panic on her face.  “I would literally rather die than you see those!”  His laughter eventually calmed down to a muted chuckle.

“Eh, I’m just teasing you.  That’s funny, though.  Nothing to be embarrassed about.”  Ann smiled softly and gingerly swung her legs.  His teasing did manage to put her in good spirits.  He always managed to be such a good sport about everything.

“You know, you got me thinking about all this soul searching and looking for depth.  It’s got me thinking about the anime.  And that lady.  She’d lose to the hero every time, but I always thought she was cool.  She wasn’t really a “good” person per se, but she was beautiful, strong, sincere, and even sexy.  She always said whatever she wanted, did whatever she wanted.  She knew what justice was for her.  I wanted to grow up to be just like her someday.”  Her stomach fluttered with embarrassment at revealing how deeply attached she had gotten to one cartoon.  Though she found no teasing look from Akira this time around.  He was instead sitting in silence, contemplating her words.  “I hope I’m getting closer now, if only just a little bit.”  Talking about it brightened her smile.  A little lost flame seemed to reignite in her chest.  Maybe she’d go watch an episode later tonight.  Just one.  At the very least.

All her waxing nostalgia now had Akira curious.  He himself was a big purveyor of anime, regardless of genre.  Plus, he had a weak spot for sexy female villains.  If Ann had such an attachment to it, it had to be something of quality.  He’d definitely look into it later tonight just to see what garnered her obsession all those years ago.

“So what was it called?”

With that, Ann felt herself grow pale.  It all came flooding back to her in totality.  How could she have possibly forgotten the name of the show?  Even though it was named after the hero, it didn’t make her feel any less a sense of dread.  She knew those nicknames the boys had suggested had triggered something long dormant.  As Akira eyed her expectantly, she knew it was too late to go back now.

“….Kitty Woman.”

“OH, MY GOD!”  Akira found himself back in hysterics while Ann cradled her blushing face, wondering the true consequences of what she had just divulged.

* * *

  _5/26/17 – Thursday_

The influx of pollen had crept up on everyone in Tokyo seemingly overnight.  Akira thankfully wasn’t the allergic type.  And neither were the rest of the Phantom Thieves.  Though, things did seem a lot stuffier with all the pollen in the air.  The time to strike against Madarame would soon be upon them.  He would confess to his plagiarism and abuse, and Yusuke could have the closure he generously deserved.  For now, they would keep things casual until the time to send the calling card would be upon them.  Akira had unfortunately encountered Makoto on his way to school a day ago.  She played the coy nosy card as best she could, but Akira had neither the time or patience to deal with her.  He held his tongue and went about his business.  But whatever interest the student council president took in him was not his concern.  His central focus was on Ann today.

Initially, their plans were to visit Shiho in the hospital with crepes as a reward for starting her physical therapy.  Though, that swiftly changed as Ann was called in by her agency to fill in the role of a missing model.  Akira didn’t mind the shift in plans as he would finally get to see her in action.  The two of them waited for the men organizing the shoot to finish discussions with another girl.  One man wore a purple button up shirt, black pants, and a fedora.  Another wore a tacky orange button up and jacket.

“ _These guys are in charge of your fashion shoots_?” Akira muttered softly to Ann.  “ _They don’t even look like they can dress themselves._ ”  The blonde nearly choked, covering her mouth to stifle the snickers leaking out of her.  After a minute or two, the girl they were conversing with turned to meet Ann.  She had pale skin and a rosiness to her cheeks, offset by her long brown hair and light blue dress.  Her sole accessory being a pearl necklace.  As she sized Ann up, the girl clasped her hands and gave her sweetest smile.

“Ann-senpai!” she exclaimed.  “I’m sooo pumped to get to work with you today!  After I saw you in last year’s show, I just…”  The girl halted herself and tended to her watering eyes with a loose tissue.  “Oh, I think I’m gonna cry.  I hope my makeup doesn’t run.”  Ann stammered bashfully in surprise, not used by having such massive amounts of praise being heaped on her.

“U-Um, it really wasn’t a big deal.  That fashion show was tiny…”

“Oh, no need to be so modest, Ann-senpai,” the girl cooed with a tender smile.  “By the way, I’m Mika.  And please, no honorifics.  I might be older, but you have loads more experience, Ann-senpai.”  Now Ann felt herself blushing with pride.  After looking up to Akira for guidance, it was a welcome change of pace to be on the receiving end.

“All right, M-Mika…”  The blonde had to stop herself to avoid formalities, resulting in a giggle slipping out.  “Haha, it feels a little weird saying it like that.  Oh, and you don’t need to use “senpai” with me.  A-anyway, uh… it’s nice to meet you?”

“Likewise, Ann-chan,” Mika said with a giggle.  “You’re so nice…”  The two girls conversed as normal while Akira stood out of their way, watching the both of them.  They were smiling, cordial, and seemed to be having a good time in each other’s company.  It was all going well.  Almost too well…

Akira’s gaze never left Mika, his right eye squinted in suspicion as he sized her up.  Her tone, her smile.  Something in them wasn’t right.  A sort of artificialness to them.  From her tone and heaps of praise, she was buttering Ann up something severe.  The shaggy-haired youth wasn’t sure what Mika’s angle was, but he sensed foul play.  Though, he had misjudged Yusuke at first, to be fair.  Perhaps he wasn’t an absolute perfect judge of character after all.

“Hey, can you teach me to be a better model?” Mika asked eagerly.  “You know, your everyday routines.  Stretches, diets, that sort of thing?”  The blonde did a double take and blinked in surprise.

“Routines?” she repeated.  “You mean like singing in the shower?”  She wasn’t quite sure what Mika was asking for.  She just lived her life the best she could, occasionally indulging in sweets.  Mika quirked an eyebrow at the blonde, her happy visage faltering somewhat.

“O-Oh, is that all you do?  Then, what kinda stuff do you eat?  I’ve been looking all over for a place to import some organic green almonds.  Plus, I’m getting suuuper tired of eating quinoa.  Do I need to like, boil it in hard water or something?”  From the look on Ann’s face, Mika may as well have been speaking in another language.

“Um, almonds?  I only ever eat those when they’re covered in chocolate.  And hard water?  Isn’t it kinda tough to boil ice?”  Akira bit down on his knuckle to stop himself from choking.  He was going to make the exact same joke to himself, made only funnier by the fact Ann meant it in earnest.  Mika, however, seemed nonplussed by her statements.  Her warm and inviting demeanor having grown colder by the minute.  Though Ann herself seemed blissfully unaware of it.

“Do you weigh yourself?”

“Oh, of course!” Ann said with a content smile.  “Once a year for the health examinations at school.”  Akira saw Mika’s eye twitch in irritation, swiftly shifting back to a look of melancholy.

“So… you’re gonna keep it all a secret from me, huh?  I get it.  I guess it’s hard trusting someone you just met…”  As Ann contemplated Mika’s sudden shift in tone, it slowly started to dawn on her.  All these tips about maintaining fitness and poise.  Beauty tips.  How could she be so blind?

“Th-that’s not it!” she stammered guiltily.  “I just don’t really think about that stuff!”  And it was true.  She took care of herself accordingly, but nothing had ever been a routine.  Living a healthy lifestyle just came naturally to her on account of her family’s genetics.  They were a rather lean stock of people.  “It has nothing to do with not trusting you.  It’s more that modeling is like a hobby for me.”  And that seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.  Mika’s gaze darkly descended onto Ann with intense iciness.

“ _What?_ ” she snapped.  “This is just a game to you?”  She swiftly drew silent and glanced over her shoulder at the cameramen.  The gears in her head spun out of control, and her entire demeanor shifted from one of anger to hurt.  “Ann-senpai, that’s so horrible!  What do you mean you don’t care about modeling for these guys!?”  Ann’s jaw nearly fell to the floor while Akira narrowed his gaze with a sneer at Mika.

_I knew it…_

“You said that, Ann-chan?” the man in the tacky orange top inquired.  Ann was completely caught off-guard by Mika’s bluff and stammered to try and piece things together.  But Mika gave her no quarter.  She poured on the drama like she was gunning for some sort of acting award.  It looked leagues above Ann’s, according to the story Morgana told him.

“I love this magazine!  Everyone tries so hard to make sure their product is the best!”  The cameraman with the fedora attempted to coax her down, assuring her they believed in her a hundred percent.  Even so, Mika continued for the throat.  She was determined to land a death knell for Ann’s position.  “But… you guys work so much harder than me… and I’m still the one getting comforted…”  As she poured on the fake tears, Akira couldn’t roll his eyes hard enough.

“H-hold on,” Ann managed to pipe up after gathering her wits.  Mika had snatched the rug under her so swiftly, she temporarily had whiplash.  But Mika had swiftly swept her under the rug and the two men off their feet. 

“Don’t worry, I… I can do it alone!  I read the contract docs on my way here…”  Akira and Ann could hardly believe their eyes.  The two men were practically throwing the blonde to the curb over some crocodile tears, not even willing to listen to her half.  Though from the way they were dressed, they seemed like the type of men who would do whatever a woman asked if they thought it meant a shot inside her pants.  As the two men lavished her with praise, Mika turned her gaze and eyed Ann with a smug look of victory.  She had played the blonde like a damn fiddle.

“You faker!” Ann exclaimed in anger, but this only proved to fuel Mika’s fire as she protested bullying from the blonde’s part.  The two men continued doting on her and escorted her to the modeling sight, leaving Ann high and dry.  At the very least, she got paid.  Though, it did little to ease Ann’s upset.  She may not have looked at modeling as a potential future, but by no means did she ever fail to put in her all.  Her pride was hurt deeply by Mika’s treachery.  All the blonde could was turn back to Akira with a defeated look.  “I really screwed that up…”

Akira was fuming at Mika’s underhandedness.  How someone could be so bitter and petty towards a high school teenager was beyond him.  The blatant disrespect to someone she didn’t even know and for what end?  The boy took a deep breath and managed to subdue some of the anger he was harnessing.

“I hate to admit it, but she was a damn good actress…”  Ann sighed and nodded.  She was proud of the way she handled Yusuke, but Mika was in a class all her own.

“Yeah, she saw straight through me.  Maybe it’s because deep down, I’m not actually that invested in modeling.”

“Well, that’s not really an excuse, though,” Akira countered.  “Like, maybe you’re not all in on this, but where does she get off trying to bully you out of it?  That’s not fair.  You don’t have to take that.”

“Not like it matters,” Ann dismissed glumly.  “I totally ruined the shoot.”

“You didn’t.”  Akira scoffed and glared in the direction Mika had left in.  “Their loss, I say.  To hell with ‘em.”

“Maybe.  But still, wasn’t Mika’s fake crying pretty incredible?”  Akira sighed and reluctantly forced his compliment to the forefront.  Even when jaded, he couldn’t deny when someone was good at their job.

“I guess.  She knew how to pour on the grace.”

“Oh!  Maybe that’s what I’m missing!”  Ann discussed her plans to nail the art of fake tears with Akira, who was only half listening.  He impatiently tapped his foot as he lingered on Mika’s smug and slimy smirk.  Next time, he wouldn’t let Ann get walked all over.  “I’ll turn my failure today into positive energy going forward!  But for now, I should go stop by and see Shiho at the hospital.  Come on, let’s go!”  Akira huffed and took his spot by her side, hands shelved in his pockets.  Even without saying anything, she could sense the frustration rolling off him.  This prompted the blonde to nudge his ribs.  “Hey, now.  Come on, don’t let her get to you.  Look on the bright side.”  Akira couldn’t help but deliver a half smirk at her enthusiasm.  That upbeat positive spirit of hers.  The Phantom Thieves would count on that more than they knew in the future.  Especially Akira.

“I figured you’d be angrier than me about it,” Akira said as they navigated the city streets.

“I’m not gonna stoop down to her level simply because she pissed me off.  Just means I have to improve myself.”  A noble soul.  Whether it was justified or petty, Akira wouldn’t have brushed it off so easily.  Then again, he was a much more jaded person than she was.  Not that he wanted to be.  Expulsion just made things harder than they should.  “So give me a smile, okay?”  At her request did he deliver a ginger smile, which twisted into something more devious as the gears turned in his head.

“Whatever you say… Kitty Woman.”

“Shut up!  That wasn’t even the villain lady’s name!”  She fussed at him the whole time they journeyed to the hospital, the both of them getting lost in their time together.  Mika became a distant memory and a problem for another time.


	17. Visiting Hours

_6/04/17 – Saturday_

Tomorrow would be the big day.  The moment of truth whether Madarame’s heart would be changed.  They hadn’t done anything different from before.  Yusuke had proven himself a natural at adopting the Phantom Thief lifestyle.  They would have a long and fruitful partnership together, especially with his niche specialization of ice powers.  But if this change of heart turned out to be a bust, it would be the shortest run for a Phantom Thief there ever was.

The tension left Akira on edge as he lounged in the café.  Between the wait for Madarame and the wait to find out his test scores, it was difficult to sit still.  He threw himself into trying Takemi’s strange medicines, learning brewing techniques under Sojiro, hitting the gym with Ryuji, and assisting Yoshida in Station Square.  Anything to avoid the downtime and have his mind reflect back to the uncertain future.

“Akira?”  He snapped out of his inner turmoil and fixated on Ann across from him.  “You okay?”  He nursed his brow and delivered a heavy sigh.

“Stressing is all,” he admitted.  Though the blonde could figure that out as much just from the sight of him.  “We got a lot more at stake this time around.”

“The stress is seriously killing me too, but we’ll just have to wait.”  As the blonde looked to him for reason, Akira saw himself looking to her for reason.  Her upbeat and positive demeanor always had him looking for the silver lining.  Something he always tried to do, but it often grew difficult to through all the gloom and doom hanging overhead.  “Come on.  I invited you here to relax with me.  So let’s actually try to relax.”  And with that in combination with her comforting smile, Akira couldn’t let the stress eat away at him.  Even if not for his peace of mind, for her’s. 

“Mika been giving you any trouble lately?” Akira asked.  Ann rolled her eyes and huffed.  Discussing her sort-of rival didn’t necessarily fill under her idea of “relaxing.” 

“I haven’t had to work with her since then.”  A blessing Ann was sure to count.  Though if she showed her face, the blonde wouldn’t back down without standing her ground.  “I talked to Shiho about what happened with her back at the photoshoot.  And you know what she did?  Laughed!  She couldn’t stop talking about how tough she thought Mika sounded.”  As Ann giggled to herself, Akira stood rather perplexed.  He himself didn’t find the situation all that humorous. 

“I’m not sure I get the joke…”

“She’s teasing me is all.  Honestly though, it was kinda refreshing.  I’m not even mad anymore.  I guess you really just need someone to laugh at you if you want to feel better.  Find the funny side of it and help you not take yourself so seriously.  I mean, they always say laughter’s the best medicine, right?”

“I guess…” Akira said.  Mika’s dishonesty and underhanded tactics were too much for him to take in any sort of light-hearted sense.  That was his friend she had screwed over.  But Ann still kept her head held high after it.  He had to admire her resolve even if he felt she should be angry.  Then again, who was he to tell her how she felt?

“I’ve seen the truth of that firsthand.  It’s really amazing to see Shiho still so upbeat even after what happened.  Even though I’m trying to strengthen my heart, she’s the real strong one here.”    The smile she sported faded as her head dipped.  That little twinkle in her blue eyes Akira had become accustomed to seeing fizzled out.  Despite having come so far, it didn’t seem Ann fully found her inner strength just yet.  Or at least she didn’t believe she did.  Akira thought otherwise.

“You’re strong too, Ann,” he said, leaning closer to her.  “You don’t give yourself enough credit.”  The blonde refused to listen, however.  As she shook her head, her twintails jostled about.

“Not like her.  I went to one of her rehab sessions the other day.  She said she wanted me to be there so I agreed without thinking much of it.  But it ended up being pretty overwhelming…”  She hadn’t seen Shiho actually do the physical training before.  The last time, she had brought Akira with her.  Shiho herself had fallen asleep, exhausted from the endurance.  After Ann witnessed it firsthand, she could understand why. 

“…Was it intense?” Akira asked tentatively.  His stomach started to sink at trying to imagine it.  Ann’s face grew pale as she began to recount the tale, and her words far outclassed Akira’s attempts at piecing it together mentally.

“Yeah…”  The blonde had to pause to get her wits about her.  Having to see her friend undergo such a process.  Ann could hardly stomach it.  “She was dripping in sweat, teeth clenched.  She was clearly in a lot of pain.  Apparently she can’t even move her feet.  She said it feels like her legs are filled with sand.  But she dragged them along, legs swollen with blood…”  Ann halted herself as she felt her voice quiver.  Even just recounting it made her feel uneasy.  “I wanted to just make her stop…”  Despite her best protests, the tears leaked through.  Only a little as her pride held back the rest.  To be in public and be so vulnerable made her feel like it was April all over again.  Back in Station Square where Kamoshida had hung up on her.  And he was there too, seeing the waterworks rise up against her will.  “By the time it was all over, she was in tears.  It was really tough on her.  She said she wanted to give up.  And that’s why she asked me to come.  To keep her motivated.  The whole time she was complaining about things in ways she normally never would.  But even with that, she finished her session…”

Akira grew tense as she recounted the story.  To hear her pain, to visualize it in his head.  His body physically recoiled at the notion of even imagining such pain.  He wasn’t sure even he could power on through something like that.  The salt in the wound was seeing Ann barely keeping it together.  How helpless she probably felt watching Shiho go through with it.

“Ann…”

“I’m sorry,” she said as a soft sob choke out, prompting her to dry her eyes as swiftly as possible.  Akira had seen her three times now like this.  Once after the phone call with Kamoshida and the second time after Ryuji turned her away for help.  She hated looking so vulnerable in front of her leader.  Her good friend.  Even though he had told her he’d never look down on her, it didn’t make the shame any more tolerable.  “I didn’t mean to bring the mood down.  I… I don’t know why I’m crying.  I didn’t have to go through that.  Is it because I’m weak?”  It certainly felt that way.  In her eyes, she was still very weak.  Even with her Persona awakened, that feeling of powerlessness from the days of Kamoshida’s tyranny still rooted itself in the back of her mind.  To protect Shiho, to prove herself to Akira, to be the best Phantom Thief she could be, and to rip that root right out.  They were what drove her forward even if she had no true direction in mind.

“Absolutely not,” Akira said softly, shaking his head.  Her ears perked up a bit as she detected something.  At the back of his voice, there was some sort of grit.  She had never heard anything like it before.  It was a surprisingly masculine sound for somebody so young.  “You’re not weak, Ann.  Not in the slightest.”

“Then why… can’t I stop crying?” she said between soft sniffles.  Her face fumed with shame from feeling like such a child before him.  Not again.  Her heart couldn’t gain the strength it needed if she kept slipping back to this.

“Crying doesn’t make you weak, Ann.  It shows you have a big heart.  That you have a lot of love in you for people.  And that’s a good thing.  A damn good thing.”  Her sniffles started to subside as she hung on his words.  Every time he spoke, he spoke straight from the heart.  Akira didn’t mince words, he didn’t tell lies, or walk on eggshells.  “There’s nothing wrong with being empathetic towards someone else’s suffering.”  The blonde went to dry her eyes once more, his words managing to bring a smile on her face.

“You know, even through all that pain, I thought Shiho was so cool… beautiful, even.  Despite all her complaining, she still tried incredibly hard.”  Having to see her best friend power on through such hardship and turmoil while she could provide no aid.  It touched Ann in some way.  Not just with sorrow but with inspiration.  It was then just how truly she had underestimated Shiho.  “I never gave her enough credit.  I know I couldn’t.  She’s the strongest person I’ve ever met.  I think I’m starting to get more of what you mean.  Like you said, strength is more than just not getting phased.  It’s even more than understanding the things that drive you forward.  It’s the power to fight through adversity.”  Saying that, the girl caught herself giggling.  It sounded so mature coming out of her.  Like a different person entirely.  “Guess that makes my last plan seem a little silly.”

“Heh.  Just a bit…” Akira humored.  The last time they had hung out at Inokashira Park, she had proposed the plan of becoming a star in action movies, based on her inspiration from female anime villains.  Like her previous plan of him insulting her, Akira didn’t really think it to be the true step forward.  It was good that she was coming to her senses a bit more, thinking through her plans with realism rather than flights of fancy.

“So I was thinking, and um… what can I do to help Shiho?”  There had to be some way she could make Shiho’s arduous process of recovery more manageable.  Nothing could be done about her legs, but Ann couldn’t stand feeling this sense of helplessness.  It was as though she had never awakened Carmen to begin with.  A sentiment Akira sympathized with all too well.  He couldn’t even imagine how she must feel, with her only option to stand by and watch.  A weary sigh escaped the boy as he knew what to tell her.

“This isn’t really something you can just fix by throwing yourself into it.  People aren’t capable of just being fixed like that.  All you can do is offer your emotional support.  There’s the obvious stuff like be there and encourage her, comfort her when she’s feeling down.  But you should also show her how far you’ve come too.  Your strength.”

“My strength…?”

“Still have trouble seeing it, huh?”  He couldn’t help but smirk, huffing with amusement through his nose.  It seemed too obvious to him, though he was still an outsider looking inwards in the end.  “You can’t exactly reveal you’re a Phantom Thief, but you’ve grown so much since Kamoshida was taken away.  You’re discovering yourself, helping people, making more friends.”  Ann tilted her head to the side curiously to try and read him further.  “You’ve been through some shit too, Ann.  Shiho’s probably worrying about you as much as you are about her.  Showing her that you’re working hard and staying in good spirits will keep her spirits up, right?”  Akira somehow had that magic touch.  In the short time she’s known him, he always knew the right thing to say to her when she sought his advice or when she was in pain. 

“Yeah… Y-yeah!  Yeah, I’ll do just that!  I’m gonna give it my all!”  Ann resolved to be that force of positivity in Shiho’s life.  More so than usual.  Go all out and strive to improve herself, funnel that hope and drive into Shiho, which would drive her forward, resulting in driving Ann forward.  A foolproof cycle!  It seemed Akira’s craftiness was starting to rub off on her.  Shiho could finally come back to Shujin.  That is if she was lucky, and they seemed pretty lucky so far.  “You know, Akira, being with you really helps me see things clearly.  What I should do, the true meaning of strength.  Well…”  Words seemed to fail her.  She didn’t quite possess the way he could articulate himself, even though she knew two languages.  “Thank you for that.”  Akira merely gave her a gracious nod and smiled.  To her, it didn’t seem enough.  Not his reaction but the extent of her gratitude and the appreciation she had for him as a friend.

“It’s no big deal.”

“It is, though,” she said, leaning forward on the table a bit.  “You’re just so cool in how laid back and humble you are about everything.  Even when stuff seems to be bothering you, you’re so down to earth about it.  I wish I was like you, to be honest.”  Her words caused a slight heat to build upon Akira’s neck.  The boy rubbed it in the hopes of cooling it down.  Despite maintaining a humble mindset, he always did love being doted on or praised.  Made him feel more validated as a human being.

“Thought I was intimidating,” he teased with a catlike smirk as she tended to her runny nose, causing him to laugh a little.  Ann bashfully defended her actions while he continued to tease her.  Which only made him laugh harder at seeing her cheeks redden.

“Pretty girls get runny noses too, you know!”  She discarded her tissues into the trash and washed her hands with the bottle of hand sanitizer she kept in her school satchel.  To be a good model, she had to exercise good hygiene after all.  “And you are still pretty intimidating, though I think that’s because I just don’t really… know you that well.”  The little giggles hanging around Akira from her bashfulness disappeared.  He grew silent as he deciphered her words.  Ann remained silent as well, chewing on the inside of her cheek as she hoped she wouldn’t offend him in some way.  “Like… let me explain, alright.  We’ve known each other for almost two months, and we’ve been through so much together.  I’ve learned a lot about strength and being brave from you.  There’s no way I could’ve stood up against Kamoshida on my own.  But you still feel a little like a stranger, even though you’re like one of my best friends.  I know about how you feel, like you’re kind, funny, have a strong sense of justice, and can swear like no one else I know.  But I want to know _more_.  I still don’t really feel like I _know_ you if that makes any sense.  Like whenever we talk, it’s always about me, school, or Phantom Thief stuff.  It feels really one-sided like I only care about myself.” 

Akira merely blinked, staring at her in silence.  It hadn’t really occurred to him that he might be putting up some walls.  Though, he had never intended to really befriend anyone here since he’d be back home March next year.  Now he couldn’t imagine things without them.  Never had it been intended to be distant about himself.  She and Ryuji knew about his criminal record so in his mind, what else did they need?

“I mean…”  He scratched the back of his head as he now suddenly felt bad.  “It’s not on purpose.  I just don’t really talk about myself that much.  I like to talk to people, just not revolving around me is all.  I like hearing you talk so don’t feel bad about it.”

“Well, I wanna know all about you,” Ann said, leaning against her hands as she stared at him curiously.  “Tell me whatever you want.”  Now Akira was put on the spot.  What would interest her exactly?  And where did he even start?  As he reflected on himself, what he knew about Ann mingled with his self-reflection.  He didn’t know too much about Ann either.  Modeling, her love of sweets and fashion, her family, where she’s lived.  Seemed like a lot, but it didn’t quell his burning curiosity. 

“How about… you ask me whatever you wanna know, and I’ll answer.  But only if you tell me about yourself as well.  I wanna learn about you too.”  Ann’s blue eyes lit up with excitement at the prospect of him divulging more about himself.  She could hardly sit still, swinging her legs like she was a little girl again.  So many questions buzzed in her head that she didn’t know where to start at first.

“Okay… so when’s your birthday?  How old are you?”

“May 19th.  And I’m seventeen-“

“ _The 19 th?!_  _We missed it?!_ ”  Akira was taken aback by the shock in her voice.  He had to hold his hands up in the hopes of keeping her placated.  “Why didn’t you tell us?!”

“We were busy!” Akira hastened.  “Madarame and stuff!  Plus, I kinda forgot…”

“How do you forget your own birthday?”  Now she felt bad for him.  So focused on their plight that he neglected himself.  “Next celebration is gonna be a party for you too!”

“Aww, come on,” Akira said with a casual wave of his hand.  “You don’t need to-“

“No exceptions!”  Ann pointed at him with a triumphant look, the smile having returned to her face with full force.  And from the spark in her blue eyes, it was clear she wouldn’t be backing down from this.  Akira honestly didn’t mind skipping over his birthday.  He was far too worried over Ann, and he wasn’t much of a partygoer himself.  Truth be told, he would rather have spent his birthday cooking a little something and relaxing in his room.  The days of parties were more for when he was a young boy around ten or so.  Now, being near adulthood as well as being nearly constant social anxiety had weeded that out of him.  But he couldn’t say no to Ann.

“Alright, you’re the boss.”  This had her beaming warmly at him, clasping her hands with giddiness at the possibilities.  “Now, it’s your turn.”  As she thought about his age, she started giggling softly to herself.

“Mine’s November 12th.  I’ll be turning seventeen then.”  Ann gently tapped her chin as she contemplated further on what to press him for.  "What’s your favorite movie?” Ann pressed, eyes twinkling.  She was living for this chance to learn more and more of him.  As much as she could.

“Hmm… _Rashomon_.”

“Ooh, I’ve never heard of that one.  Is it obscure?”  Akira couldn’t help but chuckle at her ignorance.  Not out of mockery, but it gave him a venue to discuss a great piece of interest.  This was strangely enjoyable, the focus being upon him for once.  It was only fair as he had pressed her for information and to reflect upon things in her life.

“No, it’s an old Akira Kurosawa film…”  With that, he became unhinged and recounted everything about the film.  Its message of truth and subjectivity, of how stories change from person to person based on what they see, believe, and interpret.  Fact and truth are wildly different things.  As he went on about the direction, the tone, the thematics, the acting, and cinematography, Ann felt herself being swept up in his passion.  She hadn’t seen him be so articulate and vibrant with his words and gesturing outside of either ripping into Makoto or inside the Metaverse.  It rivaled even Yusuke’s intensity when he proposed her modeling for him.  He was so genuinely happy and excited about getting to share it with her.  After he finished, it felt like she had been on a rollercoaster.  Though as she shared hers, it felt so mundane in comparison.  It felt rather embarrassing, but he listened with unbridled enthusiasm.  Taking an actual interest in what she liked.  There was so much more to learn.

“You know modeling is my hobby so what’s yours?”

“Cooking,” Akira said with a proud smile.  The way Ann’s eyes sparked up, Akira thought he’d catch on fire.  Everybody loved a chef.  As she pressed him for what meals he could make, the boy felt himself growing cocky.  He withdrew his phone and opened his album of food.  Every single meal he had ever made was photographed for posterity.  And as the blonde scrolled through the album, she felt herself growing hungrier by the second while he gave his lecture on the different recipes. 

A plate full of six French toast slices with strawberries, powdered sugar, butter, and syrup dribbling everywhere, complemented by an entire slab of bacon and three salted and seasoned sunny-side-up eggs.  A pan full of ramen bubbling in egg, shrimp, garlic, green onions, a chicken breast, mushrooms, and pineapple while it boiled in beef broth.  Complimented by lovely stir-fried rice with the same helping of vegetables.  One photo had an entire baguette sliced clean in half, drizzled in minced garlic and butter, toasted with mozzarella, cheddar, and provolone cheese melting all over with parsley and black pepper to add visual flair.  Though his most delicious prospect looked to be a whole grilled steak topped with butter, garlic, and sautéed onions, with asparagus burnt at the ends and golden-brown shrimp.  As he started boasting of his hot wings recipe, the girl could take no more.

“Oh my God, it all sounds soooo good!  I’m starving!”  As Akira chuckled to himself – arms folded – she couldn’t help but get swept up in his amusement.  Seeing Akira swell with such pride and charismatic vigor sent her heart fluttering.  To see him so happy, tearing down the walls to let her in.  “You have to cook something for us one day!”

“It’s a deal,” Akira said.  “It might be difficult getting Sojiro to let me use the kitchen, and getting all the ingredients for so many people will set me back a few yen.  But I love cooking for people so I’d say it’s worth it.”

“It’s hard to believe you can eat so much and stay skinny.”

“Well, usually I’m also cooking for my parents too.  But that breakfast food?  All me.”  Ann had to do a double take in surprise while he stood back with a smug smirk of triumph.  “Yep.  Every single bit of food I put away by myself.”

“I could never eat that much, even if it was sweet,” she admitted.  Even after all that, she was still burning with questions.  What they could bond over, what they could share.  A lot like her and Shiho.  “What’s your favorite kind of music?”  This time, Akira had to stop and think rather deeply on it.

“Hard to say, I like a lot of stuff.  Video game scores, mostly.  Though my favorite specific genres are acid jazz and rock.”

“I like mostly pop music, a little bit of rock too.  Ooh, you ever heard of ska?”  Ann asked curiously.  Akira shook his head, and the blonde swiftly waved him over while she began to clean her earbuds.  As she passed him one, it set in for Akira just how close he was to her.  They had hugged before and all that, but it was different to sit directly next to her.  “Listen to this stuff!”  As she played her playlist, Akira found his ears hit with the miraculous mix of rock, snare drums, and brass instruments like trumpets and saxophones.  It sounded similar to the acid jazz he loved but with lots more energy and speed.

“Ooh, that is _good!_ ”  The two teenagers continued well into the evening, discussing their favorite anime, manga, television, video games, whatever came to mind.  Time had gotten away from the both of them as they just went on and on.  Everything else seemingly disappearing outside of each other.  The Madarame case seemed like a fairy tale now.

* * *

 

_6/06/17 – Monday_

Another triumph for the Phantom Thieves.  Madarame confessed to his ways on live television.  Yusuke – Codename Fox – would be free of his former sensei’s exploitation and be able to live a somewhat normal life now.  Being a Phantom Thief and all, normal could never be truly guaranteed.  For now, they’d have to live out the lives of ordinary teenagers for a bit, battling school, grades, peer pressure, boredom, and whatever else stumbled into their lives.  Akira hadn’t seen or heard much from Makoto in a while so perhaps she had finally gotten off their case.  At any rate, all they had guaranteed for the future was the social studies trip next week.  Mishima had dug up a couple leads for Mementos they would tend to later in the week. 

All of that was at the back of Akira’s mind at the moment.  Instead, he was focused on Ann.  And Shiho too, this time around.

Morgana parted ways with Akira on his way to the hospital to do some sleuthing of his own.  The cat had a penchant for keeping their ball rolling.  It was just Ann and Akira together as they watched Shiho undergo her rehabilitation.  The blonde had asked for him to attend with her this time, believing that someone watching her would keep her composed.  It was way more intense than Akira could have imagined.  She cried out and shed tears as she endured the pain with all her might.  Though the boy had intense resolve, he felt himself flinch and writhe while watching.  There was no way he could’ve powered on through, dragging her limp legs along.  Ann choked back sobs, wrapping herself around his arm for support.  She forced herself to continue watching.  For Shiho's sake.  Even just watching the ordeal exhausted him.  But Shiho persevered and was greeted by cheers from the two.  

The nurses rolled her back to her room in a wheelchair so she could rest.  This time, she had enough strength to stay awake and accept visitors.  Ann had suggested going to grab some double cream for Shiho, with Akira declining her invitation for free food.  The blonde made a hasty excuse that she might be a while as she hurried off, but Akira knew what she was really fleeing for.  She had to cry and didn’t want him to see.  Or know, for that matter.  Not that it would take a genius to find out, her blue eyes glossy with pain as she suppressed the tears.  He let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his eyes, thinking back to Shiho enduring all the agony. He shuddered as the anxiety he felt for the girl rose up in his chest.  Akira would never make Ann feel bad for her pain, though he couldn’t blame her for trying to hide it.  Crying in a public place was one of his biggest fears.  He’d have done the same in her situation.

Taking a deep breath, Akira entered the room to see Shiho sitting comfortable in her bed, a weak smile on her face.

"Hey," she said softly. "I’m so glad you came, Akira."  He leaned on the doorway and smiled.

" Mind if I come in?"

"Oh, please do."  With her invitation, he strode over to her bedside.  Flowers were placed on the small stand beside her.  "Feel free to pull up a chair if you want."  Akira slid the chair and took a seat, looking at her expectantly.  Shiho glanced down and chewed on her bottom lip.  "Um… this is a little awkward, but do you mind if I clench your hand?  It makes me feel more comfortable.”  Akira huffed with amusement through his nose.  Such a kind and soft girl.  Made sense why she and Ann were so close.  “Though, don’t get your hopes up.  This is as close to first base as you’re gonna get.”  The wink and playful sticking of her tongue out elicited snickers from the boy.

"I’ll try not to let my disappointment show," he jested.  Akira reached out and let her squeeze his hand. Her skin was quite soft. The bruises on her head had faded, and she had regained the color in her skin lost from stress. "You're coming along great. Really kicked ass out there."  Shiho giggled at him.

"It was nothing," she insisted.  "I can't imagine how the two of you felt having to watch it. Must've been rough, huh?"

"A little bit," Akira said.  "It hurt Ann a lot more, though. But she braved it out."

“Did Ann go to…”  Akira gave her a solemn nod, which earned a soft sigh from her.  “I figured.  She doesn’t like to cry in front of me.  I keep telling her it’s okay, but-“

“Her pride’s important to her.  I mean, I’d probably do the same.  Slink off to hide for a bit.  Though, after she pulls it together, she’s gonna bring some double cream for you.”  Shiho’s eyes lit up at the prospect of sweets.  Her blood sugar was at relatively stable levels, but it had been a while since she a nice treat.  Akira winked and held a finger over his lips.  “You didn’t hear that from me, though.”

"I’ll be on my best behavior then,” Shiho giggled.  “I’m really glad you decided to visit.  Guess Ann convinced you into coming, huh?"

"It’s true she asked, but I came because I wanted to,"  Akira assured her, squeezing her hand.  "To let you know we're thinking about you back at Shujin."  Shiho felt her chest flutter at his words.  Such concern and care hung in his voice.  No wonder Ann couldn’t stop talking about him.

"That's very nice of you," she said, smiling.  "I'm glad to get a chance to talk to you.  We didn’t really get to while I was at school." Akira smirked and nodded.

"I just wish were meeting under better circumstances."

"Me too," she said.  "I wish I could hang out with you guys.  From what Ann tells me, it sounds like your group of friends is fun.  Though she tends to talk about you more than the others.”

"Really?"  He kept his excitement as contained as he could.  Akira knew of what she personally thought of him, but hearing it relayed from others was a separate story.  Hearing secondhand information often revealed a lot more than right from the source at times.

"I don’t think we’ve had a single conversation where your name hasn’t popped up.  Wonder why that could be, huh?"  Even with her teasing, Akira couldn't help but smile at her words.  The boy was positively beaming and couldn’t bring himself to hide it even if he wanted to.  She giggled with amusement, and Akira chuckled with her.  Her laugh was sweet to his ears.  To see such a battered person be joyous after so much caused his spirits to rise.  "I'm so glad she has so many friends now.  Her family is always away, and I was all she had for the longest time.  A little bit of me worried she’d be all alone."

"Ann's a great friend.  She's such a relentless force of positivity in our group. A lot of heart.  And it's always fun to see her roast Ryuji."

“Oh! I’m glad to hear she and Sakamoto-kun are friends again,” Shiho said gleefully.  “They were good friends in middle school and then kinda drifted apart.”  As she spoke about Ryuji, Akira couldn’t help but fixate on her words.  Drift apart.  It was still true that he’d be leaving in March next year.  Tokyo was really far away from where he lived, and he didn’t have a driver’s license as of yet.  He couldn’t just up and move out back home up until graduation.  Even then, he’d need a lot of money to make it happen.  A second-year student like him would spend a good year away from his friends.  Would they drift apart?  Was it all just pointless to hold onto them?  All these things he had told himself after arriving on Sojiro’s doorstep back in April were staring him dead in the face.

"I think she likes you." Akira's breath caught in his throat as he snapped back to reality.  Shiho was eyeing him expectantly, a playful smirk on her face.

"…Who?”  She giggled at him, believing he was playing some sort of game.  In truth, Akira had totally zoned out as the uncertainty of the future fell upon him.

“You know who I’m talking about,” she said, poking his chest with her finger.  “How many other girls do you have in your group?  Unless you’re some sort of secret playboy.”  Upon realization did Akira blow air through his lips, rolling his eyes at her jest.

“Please.  If I had that much luck, I wouldn’t be here in the first place.  Well, of course, she likes me.  Me and Ann are friends, after all." Shiho gave a playful scoff, her turn to roll her eyes.

"Not like that.  You know what I meant," she teased as she wryly narrowed her eye at him. "I mean she _likes_ you."  She took hold of his sleeve and shook him just a bit to rattle his brain.

“That's just silly," he insisted.  "We’re just friends.  A guy and a girl can have a platonic relationship, you know."  Which was true.  They were friends.  Just friends.  Though the idea that she might possibly have feelings for him did put a jolt in his heart.  But after Kamoshida and the nude modeling fiasco, it seemed a pipe’s dream.

"Suuuuure,” Shiho drawled with a smarmy look.  Akira was a rather cool customer, which made him fun to tease.  “Either way, it's really good to know you have such a positive presence in her life."  Her smile faded as she looked to the window.  "I hope the other kids at school aren't giving you any trouble. Ann told me about how you got sent here."  Akira merely shrugged, softly frowning as he leaned on his knees

"It's faded, but most people tend to give me a wide berth," he admitted.  "Not that it matters. I got plenty of friends to hang out with so I don’t need anyone else.”  The sigh did betray the sting his involuntary pariah status dealt him.  “…Still kinda sucks, though."

"I'm sorry."  He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Don't apologize.  Not your fault.  Besides Ryuji, you were the only one who gave me the time of day when I first arrived at school."  The smile returned a bit.

"Have things improved there?  With…  _him_  gone?"  Akira’s gaze drew stern, silver eyes darkening to a steel as he fixated upon her.  He gave her an assuring protective nod.

"Everyone's a lot better now.  The volleyball team is no longer sporting bruises, self-esteem is much higher, and the track team is even back.  Thanks to Ryuji, of course."  Shiho let out a sigh of relief.  Even if Shujin’s name sent her skin crawling, it dealt her some good to know that many could go on without feeling uncomfortable.  To live normal lives without that man around. 

"Why do I get the feeling you had something to do with it?"  He shook his head, smirking with satisfaction.

"Nah. It was all Ryuji.  I just provided moral support." He rubbed the back of her palm softly.  "And the best part is that Ka-“  Akira swiftly pursed his lips.  His name had almost slipped out.  Not that he doubted Shiho’s strength, but he didn’t know where the limits were.  His name could take the tone for a turn of the worse.  “Well, he’s gone for good.  He'll never hurt you or anyone ever again."  A heavy sigh escaped the frail girl as though a weight were lifted off her shoulders.

"It hasn't really sunk in yet," she said.  "It's hard to believe he's gone.  That nobody has to be scared anymore."

"Believe it, sister.  And he's never coming back.  Hopefully, he'll just disappear from the world."  Shiho gave a small smile of satisfaction.

"Good."  It was a struggle to move on after everything.  Literally, in her case.  But justice had been served, and that kept her going.  That drive to not let him beat her and have the last laugh.  That and Ann.  The smile faded as she looked to face him, a soft worried expression on her brow and eyes. "How is Ann?  She says she's fine, but I'm not so sure."  Akira tilted his head to the side, nodding slowly.

"She's very bothered by it all, for obvious reasons.  She blames herself for you being in here, you know?"  Shiho sighed and leaned back while she rubbed her eyes.  From the look on her face, it seemed they had had this conversation before.

"I’ve tried to talk to her," he stated.  "But you know how she is.  She looks after you and took it personally that this happened.  Like it was a failure of her own doing."

"But it's not her fault," Shiho insisted.  The girl knew firsthand that trying to get Ann to be less hard on herself was an uphill struggle. 

"I know, I know.  But in these situations, guilt isn't something that just washes away, even if you did nothing wrong."  Shiho frowned, staring down at their hands solemnly.  Akira let out a heavy sigh.  "She even said it might've been better if she just let Kamoshida… do his thing."  He grimaced and shook his head at even saying such a thing.  "That way, you wouldn't be laid up in here."

"No way," she said sternly.  Her brow was furrowed, and her lips turned up.  "Kamoshida would've kicked me off the team even if Ann slept with him."  Akira could only nod.  From the look on his face, Shiho could tell he’s told her this all before.  Getting the same response as she had.  "I sometimes think if she hadn't refused, that she'd have ended up like me," Shiho admitted.  "Stuck in this hospital.  Or even worse."

"I told her the same thing.  She's a bit stubborn like that.  Once she's fixated on a belief, she holds onto it.  Determination incarnate."  Shiho huffed with amusement through her nose.  That was definitely Ann, alright.  Years of experience could vouch for that.  "She's stronger than she realizes.  And you too, for that matter."

"Psh," she huffed bashfully.  "I'm not strong.  I should’ve stood up to him, dared him to take me off the team.  But I was scared and let him take advantage of me." 

"You’re allowed to be scared, Shiho.  He was the teacher you put your trust in, that held authority over you.  Being afraid and exploited by an adult doesn’t make you wrong." Akira clutched her hands tightly.  "You don’t give yourself enough credit.  You’re strong.  Really strong.  Not just physically, either.  It does take heart to power through what you’ve been through.  And to keep that happiness and hope around you, that love for other people even in the face of everything you’ve been through?  That's true strength.  Strength and courage.  Were you any stronger, I'd peg you for one of those Phantom Thieves from the calling card."  His silver eyes shimmered with focus. Though Shiho had not known him long, the resolve in his voice and face instilled something in her. A drive, a focus that she previously thought only Ann could instigate.  His serious and thoughtful expression shifted to a calm and playful smirk.  “Look at you, blaming yourself while wanting Ann to stop blaming herself.  Hypocrite, aren’t you?”  She snickered at him, holding her other hand to her chest.

"You sound so sure."

"I _am_ sure.  That love? That care? That's nothing to scoff at. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for, Shiho. You're doing a disservice to yourself by not realizing that, and that's not a good thing, honestly."

"Hmm." She looked down at their hands and smiled. A slow soft nod built up. "Perhaps.  I still have to grow, but I’m going to keep pushing myself. For her sake and yours, Akira-kun." A confident grin rose on his face.

"Good. Because we're all waiting at school for you.  So you better not keep us waiting too long."  Shiho was still giggling a bit, but it ran to an abrupt halt. 

"Has Ann told you I… might be transferring?”  Akira suppressed a painful hiss through his teeth as he winced, realizing what his kind words had unintentionally unearthed.

“She’s definitely hoping you’ll change your mind…”  Not that it was really much in her control.  Though it wasn’t exactly a decision she was fighting against.  As much as she missed Ann and liked Akira, Shujin was somewhere she couldn’t go back to attending in good conscience.  Not after what she was put through.  Not after the fall.

“I… think I need to.  For my mental health.”

“And you know she’ll respect that.”  He was right.  Ann definitely would.  Though it didn’t make the guilt she was feeling any less palpable.  Like she was leaving a friend behind.  But Ann had extraordinary empathy.  She wouldn’t fight her on this.  Like everything else, Ann would support her even through tears.  Shiho couldn’t imagine a life without her.

“Hey there!”  The two turned to see a beaming Ann standing in the doorway, fresh-faced and double cream in her hands.  From the way the blonde was beaming, no one could have ever guessed she had been crying her eyes out before.  “You been keeping Shiho company?”  Akira nodded and rose to his feet, giving Shiho a wink and a thumbs-up.

"He kept me safe from Mika.  Heard she's so tough, she might cry me a sweater of tears and suffocate me with it."  Ann burst into laughter, and Akira could truly resonate with her sentiment from before.  Not letting Mika get her down, laughing at yourself to ease tension.  Guess Shiho was really the only one who can make it work.

“I’ll give you two some time to catch up…”  Shiho waved goodbye, and Ann swiftly took her place, the girls wasting no time at all to talk to one another.  Their chatter flowing so fast with excitement, Akira couldn’t keep up.  The shaggy-haired youth retrieved a candy bar from the nearby vending machine and absently played on his Vita.  His heart just wasn’t really in the game as he reflected on their conversation.  Friends growing apart, people moving away.

To be forgotten, to be cut out of peoples’ lives.  To see those he had forged such deep connections with drift away while he was left behind.  Not death but to lose what he fought so hard for.  Whether through time or by his own hand, driving them away.

That was the biggest fear.


	18. Under My Skin

_6/10/17 – Friday_

For the school trip, the Phantom Thieves minus Yusuke took a visit to a local television broadcasting station in order to attend a live talk show.  Some celebrity guest was scheduled to come on today.  Akira didn’t know much about it.  He didn’t pay attention to televised gossip and rumor, finding it all so shallow.  Though with their new goal in life, it seemed Akira would force himself to pay more attention to it.  Even through all the trash, there would definitely be some useful information.

Hopefully, it would pan out better than yesterday.  Akira and Ryuji were roped into manual labor while Ann was the target of unscrupulous advances from an assistant director that was way older than her.  Were it not for Ms. Kawakami’s stern warning, they would have been on his case like a bad itch.  Regardless, they held their tongues and just waited for it all to be over. 

Akira sat in the crowd with Ann and Ryuji while they awaited the show to start.  He felt himself nodding off a bit as his interest waned.  Though, he was swiftly shaken awake by the sounds of loud girls squealing and cheering for the upcoming arrival.  As he shook himself awake, Akira was surprised to see the boy from yesterday taking a seat next to the two announcers onstage, one male and one female.  Goro Akechi, his name was.  Long auburn hair, sharp-dressed, a soft voice.  Definitely made sense why the girls were losing their minds over him.  As he eyed his friends through his peripheral, he saw them roll their eyes.  At least they weren’t swept up in the stardom. 

“And now, onto the “Hottest Meet-and-Greet” Segment of our show,” the female announcer said.  “After his last appearance was so well-received, we decided to bring back this fine gentleman today.  It’s the high school detective, Goro Akechi!”  Akira leaned back casually in his seat in order to disguise his interest.  A teenager that moonlighted as a detective?  Definitely interesting.  Akira wasn’t quite sure what to make him of him.  Being a detective, no doubt the conversation would eventually shift to the topic of the Phantom Thieves.  Despite being new to the scene, it was too lucrative a topic not to discuss.  Especially with a supposed law enforcement official.  Though, Akira had to question the logistics and influence a teenager could have in such a position.

“ _Ain’t that the guy from yesterday?_ ” Ryuji whispered, prompting a shush from Ann.  They weren’t going to draw attention to themselves.  Ms. Kawakami would have their heads if so, and then Makoto Niijima would be breathing down their necks.

“Thank you for taking the time to join us today, Akechi-kun,” the male announcer said, offering his pleasantest smile.  “Your popularity is stunning.”  Akechi merely gave a gracious nod and held a gloved hand to his chest.

“Even I’ve found it to be quite a surprise.  It’s a bit embarrassing though…”  They made small talk among themselves for a bit to ease the audience into the casual nature of the show.  Mundane little things before ultimately shifting to Akechi’s newest case: investigating the Madarame scandal.  It actually took less time than Akira had surmised for the topic to shift. 

“Allow me to be blunt for just a second. What do you think of these justice-oriented Phantom Thieves?”  Akira’s eyes never left the stage.  He didn’t even blink as Akechi now possessed his undivided attention.  He could feel Ryuji and Ann eyeing him curiously, but they were at the back of his mind.

“ _Here we go…_ ” he muttered to himself, impatiently tapping his knee with his fingers.  Akechi merely gave the hosts a warm smile and danced around the subject for a bit.  Toying with them and the audience for their mutual amusement.

“If they truly are heroes of justice, I sincerely hope they exist.”

“Ohh, so you don’t deny the possibility that they’re real?”

“I may not seem like it, but I sometimes wish that Santa Claus actually existed.  Although if he did, I’d have to arrest him for breaking and entering.”  The audience burst into laughter as the host chuckled jovially.  Akira was then forced to blink in order to roll his eyes.  And he thought Morgana’s cat puns were bad.  Ryuji shared his sentiment in the form of a groan, muffled by the audience.  The joke didn’t seem to land with Ann either as she sat in silence, arms folded.  “But hypothetically speaking, if these Phantom Thieves are real…”  Akechi’s expression grew sober and calculating as the charming look dissipated from his eye.  Akira leaned forward and stared at him through his glasses.  The moment of truth he was waiting for, and it silenced the entire room into hushed reverence.  “…I believe they should be tried in a court of law.”

“That’s quite the statement,” the male host said.  He had never seen Akechi this serious on the show before.  It would definitely boost the view count and ratings for months on end.  “Are they committing crimes?  Some people even say that the Thieves are actually helping their victims abandon their evil ways.”  Akechi gave a nod of acknowledgment and pondered his chin.

“What the artist Madarame did truly was an unforgivable crime,” he consented.  “However, they’re taking the law into their own hands by judging him.  It is far from justice.  More importantly, you should never forcefully change a person’s heart.”  Ann and Ryuji could feel the air grow cold around Akira as he stared unblinkingly at the detective.  The shaggy hair hid his eyes, but if they could be seen, they would retain a look of pure malice.  Absolute contempt and bitterness for the detective’s words, which only grew deeper the more he spoke.  And the audience, as well as the hosts, were eating it up.

“You have a point,” the male host droned.  “These people are calling themselves the Phantom Thieves, after all.  Amazing as well, Akechi-kun!  I could listen to you for days!  You have the most radiant charisma!”  Akira’s eye twitched as he heard a soft scoff from Ryuji.

“ _Kiss ass_ ,” he muttered under his breath.

“ _I can the smell the shit on his breath from his shit-eating grin from here_ ,” Akira muttered back.  The detective’s demeanor shifted back to a pleasant smile as he turned to address the host directly rather than the audience.

“I have to say though, I would be embarrassed if it turns out these Phantom Thieves don’t exist.  If that were the case, I’d summarize it into a report as a school project.”  Akira suppressed an annoyed growl that tried to slip through his teeth at Akechi’s unwittingly patronizing attitude.  A man with half the knowledge was attempting to deliver all the facts.  He was stepping into their territory without a hint of delicacy.  The subject shifted from Akechi’s thoughts to the audience’s as the female announcer poled them for whether or not the Phantom Thieves existed.

“ _Of course they do!_ ” Ryuji hissed through his teeth, earning a nudge in the ribs from Akira to silence him.  About thirty percent of the audience shared his sentiment.  Both Akira and Akechi were surprised at the rate, much higher than expected.

“I’d love to hear some more detailed opinions on the Phantom Thieves’ actions,” Akechi said while looking out over the audience.  Akira pursed his lips and ran a finger beneath his nose as he glowered at the detective.

_I bet you would…_

The female host rose from her seat with the microphone and perused the audience with a watchful eye.  As she drew closer towards their location, Akira clasped his hands together and muttered silently to himself.

“ _Not me, not me…_ ” he chanted in rapid succession.

“You!”

_Goddammit…_

Ryuji and Ann eyed him with frantic concern as the woman hovered over him.  There was no way he could back out of this one.

“Hypothetically speaking, what are your thoughts on these Phantom Thieves, if they were real?”  Akira moved the hair from his eyes and reflected upon the question.  He couldn’t lie to the woman and say he didn’t believe.  Even if he didn’t wish to be in this situation, he couldn’t sacrifice his moral code.  The principle of the matter held him at bay.  So he diverted to his best deflecting method and coping mechanism: comedy.

“Well, they definitely did some stuff, I guess.”  Ann couldn’t stop the air that escaped through her tightly-sealed lips, plenty of others in the stands snickering and chuckling at his nonchalant half-answer.  Ms. Kawakami gave him a cold stare that sobered him up real quick.  If he wanted to get out of this, he needed to give an honest answer.  The boy cleared his throat and faced the woman directly.  “Well, if they are real, they’re certainly more effective than the police, that’s for sure.”  The tone shifted quickly to low ooh’s as the eyes fixated upon Akechi.  He blinked in surprise at the boy’s honesty.  Ryuji and Ann only felt the nervous looks they wore deepened, and Ms. Kawakami glared daggers through the boy.  Now Akira was beginning to reconsider his honesty.

“You say that with such firmness,” Akechi noted.  Though, the hosts paid him little attention as they fixated back on the detective.  All while they pressed him further, he kept glancing back towards Akira curiously.

“This completely goes against the opinion you had about them being tried by law, Akechi-kun,” the male host said.

“Indeed,” Akechi said with a smile.  “It’s rather intriguing to hear such a strong acknowledgment.  In that case, there’s one more question I’d like to ask.  If someone close to you, for example, your friend next to you – if his heart suddenly changed, wouldn’t you think it was the work of the Phantom Thieves?”  Ryuji glanced over at Akira with worry, but the boy kept his gaze fixated on the detective.  Though he couldn’t deny he was keeping watch on the blond through his peripheral.  He had to give Akechi credit.  He was very observant.  Akira would have to watch himself.  Any accidental slip up would put them under his microscope.  And Makoto’s too, no doubt.  The boy ran his lip swiftly over his drying lips and formulated his retort.

“Well, the last two guys who had their hearts changed were criminals and scumbags, so I wouldn’t worry about my friends.  If they turned out to have their hearts changed, it just means I misjudged them and they were doing bad things behind my back.”  Akechi puckered his lips in thought before giving Akira a nod.  From the twinkle in his eye, he seemed to be enjoying their little exchange.  Much more than Akira was.  He just wanted to head home already.

“I see.  But how can you be so sure?”  Akira felt the hairs on his neck twitch just a bit.  He didn’t feel he had given anything away.  Everything he said was public knowledge.  Calling cards, targets.  His answer seemed solid.  Yet he felt Akechi staring right through him.  Or perhaps it was his paranoia getting the better of him.  “Whether the Thieves’ actions are good or not, I feel there is a more important issue at hand.”  The female host returned back to the couch as Akechi once more took the spotlight.  The less attention Akira had, the better.  “The issue being the matter of _how_ they change people’s hearts.  If they honestly possess that ability… it could be used for more than extracting confessions.  It could be that what seem to be ordinary crimes are actually being perpetrated by these methods.”

Through his peripheral, Akira could see his friends’ gazes sour.  Now Akechi had really made himself unpopular in their group of friends.  Though while the three of them sulked and glared, the audience and hosts ate it up.  Starstruck.  Though Akechi continued to downplay his stardom and backtracked back to the notion that the Phantom Thieves may not exist at all.  Akira honestly wouldn’t mind if the public either forgot or turned a blind eye to them. 

“It is only if people who can use such a power truly exist.  Either way though, this cannot be ignored.  The existence of the Phantom Thieves would be nothing but a threat to our everyday lives.  To be honest, I’m already working alongside the police to help sort out this matter.”  The audience gasped and stared on in awe at his words.  Live on television had he declared himself an opposing force of the Phantom Thieves.  Akira glowered lowly in frustration at him.  Though the shaggy-haired youth found him to be full of nonsense, Akechi would be a very dangerous adversary to have.  They would have to be a lot more careful if he truly was serious.  The conversation droned onwards and steered away from the Phantom Thieves entirely.  Akira welcomed the topic shift but found his focus lost after they were no longer relevant.  The show ended, and the students were escorted out of the way.  Akira, Ryuji, and Ann slipped to a remote area by the exit and met.

“Can you believe that shit?” Ryuji huffed indignantly.  “Is a detective’s job just to make up a bunch of bullshit?  You can’t even change a heart without a Palace!  Right, Morgana?”

“I mean, it’s not like Akechi-kun knows all that,” Ann interrupted, twirling a twintail around her finger.  The boys faced her, and the blonde felt her stomach sink a little as she found herself on the opposite side.  “We can’t get too mad at him for not having all the facts, right?”  Akira said nothing, pursing his lips in silence before giving a curt nod.  She wasn’t wrong in the slightest.  But Akira didn’t like the idea of giving Akechi an ounce of credit.  “Plus, it kinda seemed like what he was saying might be right.”

“He made it sound like _we’re_ the baddies.  I don’t like it.” 

“That makes two of us,” Akira growled lowly, nursing his brow sore from glaring the whole time. 

“I don’t like it either, but it doesn’t make him a bad person,” Ann countered.  She didn’t want to debate either of them or hurt any feelings.  They were supposed to be friends and teammates.  Being at odds wouldn’t help at all in the Metaverse.  “But that stuff about the police.  Do you think it’s for real?”  Ryuji leaned towards Akira and stared into his satchel.

“Mona, you’ve been really quiet in there,” the blond pressed.  “Something up?”  The cat finally raised himself out and faced the lot of them.

“He can say whatever he wants,” Morgana dismissed.  “The justice of it all is something we can decide for ourselves.”  The cat’s words brought Akira did calm his irritation a bit.  Morgana knew more than any of them about the Metaverse, cognition, and Palaces.  He had the soundest judgment of all in this case.  Still, Akechi’s words had cut rather deep, albeit unintentionally.  Ryuji rushed off to use the bathroom, leaving Akira alone with Ann.  The blonde gave him a soft smile to get his head together.  Akira could only offer a meager half smile.  His heart just wasn’t fully in it.

“He really got to you, huh?”  she pressed.  Akira sighed and nodded.  Morgana gently pawed his cheek.

“Forget him, Akira,” the cat reasoned.  “We know in our hearts we’re doing the right thing, and no human laws can change that.”  Morgana slipped back inside the satchel, muttering about a catnap.  Akira scoffed and shook his head.

“That guy doesn’t know shit.  Acting like we’re no better than Kamoshida or Madarame because we operated outside the law.  As though the cops are the final say in what justice is and can do no wrong.”

“Well, I mean that doesn’t make us above criticism, right?” Ann asked.  She nursed the back of her neck with a sinking feeling in her stomach.  Being under the microscope like this wasn’t her idea of a good time.  Akira could sense her discomfort in her posture.  Stiff, avoiding eye contact, always doing something with her hands whether it’s playing with a twintail or nursing her neck.  And it hadn’t gone unnoticed by Akira.  “He has a different perspective on things than we do.  Maybe that can help us see things in different ways?”

“Ann… you can relax, you know.  I’m not gonna chew your head off.”  Ann bit her lip as she felt her cheeks redden from being called out.  Despite how close of friends they were, there was still that sort of divide there.  His position as leader as well as her admiration of him. 

“I just don’t want you to be mad at me.”  Akira ran his fingers through his hair to clear it from his line of sight.

“Ann, I value your opinion.  I don’t want some yes-man as my friend.  And I’m not gonna get mad at you because we disagree on something.  You’re allowed to have an opinion too.”  A sigh of relief escaped the blonde as she held a hand to her chest.  Despite how many times he told her not to be intimidated by him, she couldn’t help it.  It made her feel stupid to worry about such things.  Akira wasn’t so petty or arrogant that he would be dismissive of what she had to say or what she felt.  She had to trust him as well as herself.

“Akira…”  She gulped and steeled herself for what she had to say.  “I know you have problems with authority and all.  Don’t get me wrong.  Fuck those guys.  But we can’t act like we’re above the law or better than it.”  The two stood in silence, Ann feeling her heart flutter as the seconds ticked away.  Akira said nothing, eyeing her with contemplative eyes.  His refusal to speak was twisting her gut.  Though his sober expression shifted to a content smile.

“See?  Was that hard?”  The blonde found herself erupting with relieved giggles at his levity.  That was her favorite version of Akira.  The down to earth, calm, friendly, and inviting one.  Her friend and leader.  The boy she trusted the most.  “I’ve always sort of seen us as the last resort.  Having to do what needs to be done when the police can’t.  I don’t blindly trust cops, and neither should anyone else.  But the Phantom Thieves can’t be judge, jury, and executioner for everything.  We do what we do because nobody else can.”  And smart.  How could she forget smart?  She gave a warm smile and twirled her twintail.

“Seems like you’ve thought about this a lot,” she mused.  “Guess I wasn’t really saying anything new, huh?”  As she gave a nervous giggle, she couldn’t help but feel a touch foolish repeating to him what he no doubt told himself plenty before.  He was hard to keep up with.

“It’s good to hear someone share what I was thinking,” Akira said, giving her a gracious nod.  “Helps me feel like I’m not crazy.  Still…”  His eyes glanced over to survey the area around him.  No Akechi to be seen.  Akira wasn’t sure whether he liked or hated that at this point.  “We’ll need to keep an eye on Akechi.  Whether he was telling the truth or not, that’s not somebody we want the attention of.  Although I have a bad feeling like we’re gonna get it anyway…”  He let out a weary sigh and shook his head.  “Dammit, why can’t we just have something go easy for once?”  Ann couldn’t help but snicker at his exasperation.

“We wouldn’t have to be Phantom Thieves if things were simple, right?”  Akira chuckled at her teasing.  She always knew what buttons to push to amuse him.

“Guess that’s true.”  Though, his smile dissipated his thoughts went back to Akechi’s words.  The last person to get this deep under his skin was Makoto.  At least Akechi had the excuse of ignorance on his side.  It didn’t really dull the sting they had delivered, however.  “Like, I know the guy doesn’t have all the answers, but that bastard really got to me.  Implying that it’s our fault in the first place that Kamoshida and Madarame did what they did.”  Ann blinked, perplexed by his point of view.

“What do you mean?”  Akira rubbed his eyes and put his thoughts together, hoping he wouldn’t sound like a lunatic. 

“You heard what he said.  That the crimes they did were only being done because we changed their hearts to make them do it.”  Ann furrowed her brow and frowned at the thought.  She didn’t completely see it from his perspective, but the notion Akechi could be implying something of that nature – even if unintentionally – didn’t sit well with her.  “Maybe I’m looking too deep into it, but that just really pissed me off.”

“He doesn’t know the whole story,” Ann said dismissively.  “He only has theories.”  She didn’t want to dwell on it.  The idea he was saying it was her fault she was sexually harassed or Ryuji’s fault he got his leg broken.  It would only make her irrationally mad at Akechi for his ignorance.  He wasn’t intentionally victim blaming.  Just doing his job as a detective.  It was hard not to take it personally when they were the primary victims.  “Let’s just forget about him now.  We’ll go and have some fun like yesterday.”  Now that sounded like a good idea.  Eating cake until they were full to bursting, riding the attractions.  It was a great way to treat themselves after yesterday’s lukewarm arrival.

“You go on ahead.  I’m gonna wait on Ryuji.”  The blonde left him to his thoughts as Akira leaned against the wall.  Focusing on having fun with Ann instead of Akechi’s words and their implications was much more enjoyable.  He felt his frustration melting away as he was left to his own devices.  The detective had only words, no facts.  His generalizations and speculations meant nothing.  No sense in Akira letting himself get worked up over-

“Oh, it’s you!  I’m glad I found you.”

_You’ve gotta be kidding me…_

 Out of nowhere, Akechi had approached him.  A rather eager look being sported on his face.  Akira took a deep breath and sighed.  He wasn’t in the mood to deal with him further.

“What’s up?” Akira asked flatly, not even bothering to feign interest.  His aloofness went unnoticed by the detective, who merely stood poised before him.

“I wanted to thank you in person.”  Of all things, Akira hadn’t anticipated that. 

“For what?”  Akechi chuckled at Akira’s confusion.  The young detective hadn’t felt this invigorated in a long time.

“To paraphrase Hegel, advancement cannot occur without both thesis and antithesis.”  The double-take Akira did only made Akechi laugh a little harder.  He was so used to his books that he often forgot how to act normally.  “Haha, my apologies.  What I mean is that our discussion was quite meaningful.  Few people around me are so willing to speak their minds as freely as you did earlier.”

“You’re a cop.  It kinda comes with the territory.”  This quip roused more giggles from the teenage detective.  Akira really didn’t what was all that funny.  Maybe it was his personal feelings, but he couldn’t help but sense a smugness from the detective.  Or perhaps smug wasn’t the right word.  Condescending?  Facetious?  Contempt?

“You don’t seem to regard law enforcement in a positive light, do you?”  Akira narrowed his eyes a bit in suspect at Akechi.  If there was some game he was playing at, he wasn’t quite sure what it was.  It wasn’t as though the detective could bust him for anything.  Speaking his mind wasn’t a crime.  Yet.  “Though, I can’t fault you for your suspect.  Adults are only interested in using the young, while they simply do as the adults say.”

“Now there’s something we can agree on,” Akira muttered, half to himself and half to Akechi.  As expected, Akechi chuckled at his dry remark.  Akira felt his eyebrow twitch at the simple expressing of his emotions. Just every little thing seemed to pick at him.

“You’re quite funny.  Someone like you ought to be involved with us in law enforcement.  That mindset could really make waves and pave the way for change.”  Now it was Akira’s turn to be amused.  The shaggy-haired youth snickered at Akechi’s ignorance.  A Phantom Thief on the police force.  It was a ridiculous notion.  Very reckless as well but one that could garner lots of potential opportunity for them.  "So what do you think of that, Mr...?"

“Akira.  And think I’ll pass,” Akira answered with a wry look.  “Not for me.”

“Don’t be so sure,” Akechi responded.  “What better way to quell your dissatisfaction with the law than to change it from within?  Be the change you want in the world, after all.”

“From what I’ve seen, most people just goosestep to the beat of the drum for convenience or their own self-interest.  If people were genuinely interested in reforming any corruption in the police force, it would’ve happened by now.  But change is kept under the thumb of dirty cops and greedy politicians looking for a way out.  Even if it means stepping on the little guy to keep their hands clean.”  He tried his best to remain aloof.  Though it was hard not to make it sound personal.  After all, he was the little guy in question being stepped on.  Akechi merely gave a content sigh and smiled warmly at him.

“To hear such nuanced diatribes.  Very few at the station give me the time of day or challenge me on an intellectual level like you do.  It’s quite intoxicating to say the least.”  Sadly, Akechi’s time was limited, and he couldn’t continue picking at his companion’s brain.  “I feel like our discussions could prove quite fruitful.  Would you mind talking to me again?”

“Do I have a choice?” Akira asked with half-sarcasm.  Again, another soft chuckle. “Sure, I guess.”

“Oh, thank you.  It makes me glad to hear that.  The students from Shujin are truly quite interesting.  I look forward to seeing you again.”  With that, the detective took his leave.  Akira stood and watched him depart, unsure of how to feel.  He didn’t seem as smug as he previously believed.  Though something still wasn’t quite right about him. 

“Talk about a problematic guy to get involved with.”  Akira eyed Morgana through his peripheral as the cat perched his front paws on his shoulder.

“I thought you said you were taking a nap.”

“I lied.  I saw Akechi wandering in the back and wanted to keep out of sight.  I don’t trust him, but there’s probably a lot we can learn from him though.”  Morgana’s words were by no means a revelation to Akira.  The detective could either make a valuable ally or a dangerous enemy.  Either way, getting too involved with Akechi could potentially spell danger for their little group.

“Yo!”  Ryuji finally made his return and skidded up to Akira.  He had been in the bathroom so long, Akira was starting to get a bit worried.  “Sorry for takin’ so long.  Hey, where’d Ann go?”

“Did you fall in?” Morgana teased with a cheeky grin.  “And Lady Ann didn’t have the patience to wait on you.”  Ryuji scoffed, having figured that in advance.

“So I just had a very… “interesting” conversation with Akechi.”  Upon hearing his name, Ryuji’s relaxed manner dissolved.

“What did he want?” he asked nervously. 

“Just small talk.”  The blond let out a sigh of relief at the prospect of him not being on their case.  Things were already difficult enough as is.

“I can’t stand that high and mighty attitude!  Just breathin’ the same air as him makes me sick.”  It was odd.  Upon hearing Ryuji’s fervent disdain for Akechi did Akira feel somewhat compelled to defend him.  Hypocritical as he too was vitriolic about the detective a while ago.  Though perhaps he had a bit more of an understanding of the detective than Ryuji.  Didn’t make his comments on the Phantom Thieves sting any less.  Akira resolved to put it out of his mind and go to catch up with Ann.

Akechi was a celebrity and a detective while Akira was an ordinary high school student.  With no knowledge or access to the Metaverse, there was no way they could ever be busted or being Phantom Thieves.  As Akira relaxed with his friends, the detective just became another thing in the background.

He probably wouldn’t even see Akechi again after this.

* * *

_6/11/17 – Saturday_

School was panning out in the same mundane routine Akira had expected.  Though his finger was still itching to show Akechi and the world that the Phantom Thieves were in the right, he couldn’t help but take some sort of comfort in the monotony before them.  Plus, rushing into something so brazenly out of spite was rarely a good idea.  Work smarter, not harder.

“Man, that detective from yesterday really pissed me off!  We’re some kinda threat?”  Ryuji slammed his fist into the vending machine in anger.  Akechi’s words had been stewing in his mind all day.  The boy could barely focus in class, and there was no way Akira would respond to his venting during school hours.

“Don’t worry about him,” Akira said dismissively as he lounged on the bench.  They had flocked to the courtyard once again.  An ideal meeting spot, both inconspicuous and public.  So if a certain student council president stumbled upon them, there’d be nothing to suspect.  Akira hardly doubted that it would deter her.  Makoto had been tailing him specifically around school and even out in public.  The girl was about a subtle as a brick to the back of the boy’s head.  Part of him wanted to drag her back somewhere and call her out.  But he was a smooth criminal if there ever was one, tempering his every movement with caution and wisdom.  Plus, with Morgana watching his back, he wouldn’t lose sleep over it.

“How can you be so calm about all this!?” Ryuji asked indignantly.  “You were pissed yesterday!  What happened?”  Akira leaned back on the bench and let his legs dangle off the armrest, clasping his hands together.

“I’ve been thinking about some stuff…”  He had stayed up later than usual.  Not because of stress but a wandering mind.  The whole can of worms Akechi had opened with his involvement had set his mind to work.  There was a lot to unpack.  But Ryuji was paying attention, instead lost in his own ferventness. 

“He thinks he’s so good?  Let’s see _him_ do it, then!  If someone else could help ‘em, we wouldn’t be doin’ stuff as the Phantom Thieves to start with!”  Akira merely sighed and let his friend get the toxin out.  He couldn’t fault him in any way for his thinking.  After all, the shaggy-haired youth had been in the same headspace yesterday.  Though, a good night’s rest and a lot of reflecting had him seeing a lot more. 

“You’re being way too loud.”  Ann arrived on the scene and delivered a swat to the back of Ryuji’s head.  All while never missing a poised step or pausing the eating of her snacks.  The blonde sat on the table and casually munched on her sweets while Ryuji continued his ranting and raving.  Little by little did his attention shift off Akechi and down to the candy Ann was dining upon.  He had forgotten to bring anything for lunch once again.

“Hey, you really just gonna keep eatin’ and eatin’ and eatin’ those things all by yourself?” he asked as his eyes started to glow with a slight desirous shimmer.  “Gimme some!”  What he received instead of sweets was an empty bag and a teasing smile from the blonde.

“Sorry, just ate the last one,” she teased as sweetly as possible.  Morgana swiftly shuffled out of the satchel and perched himself on the opposite armrest.

“You guys are too laid back,” the cat warned.  “The police are getting involved now, you know.”  And none of them could help him return to human form from the inside of a jail cell.  As Morgana’s words set in, a silence fell over the three of them. 

“So you think it’s true…?” Ann asked.  It hadn’t really occurred to her just how serious it had gotten now.  Madarame’s change of heart had been a complete game changer.  Stakes had been relatively high before, but now they faced prominent danger both inside and outside the Metaverse.  “We’ll be okay if we keep doing this… right?”  Ryuji scoffed at her sudden cold feet.

“We can’t let the cops scare us outta bein’ Phantom Thieves.”  In truth – despite the indirect phrasing of her question – she had meant it for Akira.  His nonchalant demeanor as he lounged back on the bench was rather off-putting.  Ordinarily, that wouldn’t be so.  But the circumstances were different this time around.  Both Makoto and the police force were circling in on them.

“But what about that weird guy from Madarame’s Palace?” Ann mentioned.  She had hoped her comment would stir Akira to action.  It did somewhat, as he rubbed a finger against his lip in thought.  “Isn’t there a lot we don’t know?”

“… So I’ve been thinking…”  The two of them grew quiet immediately as Akira rose to sit properly.  This was exactly the thing Ann had been hoping for.  For him to bring some sort of reason to their little group.  “Don’t me wrong when I say this.  We’ll still need to be careful and watch our backs.  Don’t rush into anything too fast with not enough info.  But I’m… honestly not worried about the cops.”  Ryuji lauded him for his bravery while Ann felt utterly blindsided.  This seemed quite too big a deal to treat so casually like Morgana said.  “Think about it.  They can only convict you of a crime if they have evidence.  And the Metaverse doesn’t leave behind anything that can bust us.  No blood, hair, fingerprints, other stuff.  If there’s no physical evidence to convict us, we’re in the clear.  The only way they could bust us is if they could catch us inside the Metaverse.  And if they could enter the Metaverse, we wouldn’t need to be here doing this in the first place.”

The two stood in silence as he concluded his little debriefing.  Ann really didn’t know much about law enforcement or how laws worked outside of television.  It did make sense why Akira would have such conviction behind what he was saying.  After all, he had been unfairly exploited by the law.

“We would have reasonable alibis too,” Morgana chimed in as his tail twitched.  “Though, we should still be careful about Akechi.  And the student council president too.  Lady Ann is also right to worry about that man with the black mask Madarame warned us about.”  That was the one point Akira had no counterargument for.  It troubled him to no end that someone else was in there, skulking about Palaces.  Perhaps even following them.  If someone else possessed the ability to enter the Metaverse, did they possess a Persona as well?  More importantly, were they friend or foe? 

_CLICK!_

If the sound hadn’t given her away, the bright flash certainly did.  Standing before the three of them was none other than Makoto, a camera in her hand.  Morgana ducked deep down into Akira’s satchel while the teenage trio confronted her.

“The hell?” Ryuji rubbed his eyes, temporarily blindsided by the rather ruthless flash of the camera.  Makoto’s smile was small in stature, but the smugness was overbearing.  Akira shook his head in annoyance as she had once again come to circle them like a vulture.

“You three seem to be having so much fun.  I’m a little jealous.”  Her coy façade only served to irritate Akira further.  The shoe was on the other foot once again.

“Are you snoopin’ on us again?” Ryuji asked rhetorically.  He knew good and well she was, but the blond just wanted to see how deeper Makoto could dig herself onto his proverbial shit list.  “We said before, we don’t know nothin’.”

“Why do you think I’m here to question you?” Makoto asked, feigned ignorance.  “Could it be that you’re hiding something?”  Akira rolled his eyes at her lackluster attempt to corner them.  She was either really good at playing coy, or she was desperate to nail them for something.  Either way, Akira was in no mood for her mind games.  He had already gotten his fill with Akechi yesterday.  “My ears are always open to the trouble of my peers, you know.”  As Akira opened his mouth to retort, he saw Ann glaring daggers at the student council president.  The fire that raged in her blue eyes had him curious.  She had something planned.

“You’re really _that_ hungry for a good letter of recommendation?” the blonde pressed, lip curled up into a sneer.  Another rhetorical question as she answered her own query with a sigh.  “Of course you are.  Nobody would take on your annoying job if they weren’t.”  For a brief second, Akira saw it.  Makoto’s eye twitched in irritation.  Ann had managed to break down the smug face she was wearing, and he was relishing in it.

“What’s _that_ supposed to mean?” Makoto asked accusingly.  The blonde was enjoying seeing the third-year stew in her anger just as much as Akira was.  She wanted more.

“You’re student council president, right?” Ann boldly stepped forward to stare her senpai down.  “Wouldn’t you have known about Kamoshida?”  Her smug disposition had completely wavered, and Makoto shook her head in defense.  Akira and Ryuji were living for this display of ruthlessness.

“Of course not!  He honestly was a good teacher until that day…”  Both Akira and Ryuji scoffed in unison.  Had it not been for Makoto desperately trying to stand her ground, they’d be a lot more disgusted with her sentiment.

“Oh, but you _always_ take the teacher’s side?  That’s what a good council president does, right?”  Ann was twisting the knife deeper and deeper.  Akira felt a sadistic sense of pride seeing her go off like this. 

Makoto fiddled sheepishly before the three of them.  Outnumbered three to one and not popular with the student populace.  This was a losing battle.  She needed some sort of angle to catch them with.  To twist the knife back in her direction.

“Then… how about you?  What did _you_ do for your friend?”  The air had suddenly grown cold from the intense staredown between Akira and the two girls.  Makoto was treading incredibly thin ice, and he wasn’t sure he could hold back if she didn’t back down.  “You were much closer to her than I was, so how did you help?”  Akira clenched his fist and choked back a growl that tried to slip through his teeth.  The glare he received from Ann made sure he backed down.  Makoto had made this deathly personal.

“There wasn’t any way to help!  By myself… I couldn’t do anything for her!  And you’re gonna try and blame this all on _ME_?  After everything I’ve been through?  Seeing Shiho commit suicide and struggle in the hospital, Kamoshida harassing and threatening to rape me?  Well, let me tell you something…”  The blonde rolled up the sleeves to her hoodie, and for a second, Akira thought she was going to fight.  “Yes.  I blame myself for not doing enough.  I was scared that Kamoshida might hurt Shiho if I didn’t date him.  Which he did anyway!  I should’ve stood up to him!  Stood my ground and told him I wouldn’t let either of us be exploited in such a way!  In hindsight, I should’ve been braver, but I was scared!  I was all alone and couldn’t find people to help me until it was too late for her!  But I own up to my mistakes!  I’m not like you where I just turn my head, pretend I don’t see it, and treat it like an inconvenience!  If I failed to protect Shiho, then _you_ did too, Mrs. Class President!”

Makoto held a hand to her chest, too stunned to reply.  Ann’s chest rose and fell with each breath, having come off stronger than intended.  It felt good.  Good to unleash all that pent-up frustration and worry Kamoshida had endlessly brought her.  To make Makoto feel the hurt and discomfort she had by throwing the truth she tried to hide from in her face.  Ryuji and Akira looked on in silence.  Both boys were amazed at the passion she had poured into her rant.  It wasn’t too surprising to Akira that Ann was capable of such raw emotion.  It just never failed to impress him.

“…There’s no need to shout,” Makoto weakly replied. 

“You don’t get to step on our toes and then get mad when we start stomping back,” Akira growled as he slid into place beside Ann.  Ryuji stepped up to the plate as well.

“If those Phantom Thieves are out there helpin’ people, I’d root for ‘em, no questions asked.  They’ve gotta be more dependable than… some people I know.”  Makoto’s pride had taken a severe beating between the three of them.  Despite her best efforts, she had lost in her attempt to intimidate them.  The girl’s head drooped as she turned away.

“Just make sure you show up to your classes, all right?”

“Get the fuck out of here,” Akira spat.  No response, just a meek shuffle away.  With any luck, that would be the last they would see of her sticking her nose into their business.  He let out a weary sigh and shook his head.  Morgana poked his furry head out of the satchel and eyed the woman of his heart.

“Lady Ann, your passion is as deadly as your Persona.”  But the girl said nothing.  Instead, staring off coldly to the direction Makoto had left in.

“You know what I asked earlier about whether we’ll be okay if we keep this up?  I take it back.”  Akira looked up to meet Ann’s eyes, which still burned fiercely.  The girl was riled up with the same spirit he had seen upon awakening Carmen.  “I’d be ashamed to let it end now.” 

Ann was in it to win it.  For Shiho.  To prove Akechi wrong.  To spite Makoto.  To never let another Kamoshida rise up again.

“Never doubted you for a second.”  As she saw a satisfied smirk rest on Akira’s face, Ann couldn’t help but feel elated.  His approval never failed to set her at ease.

“Hell yeah,” Ryuji said, pumping his fist.  “It’s about time we find our next target too.”  They conversed among themselves for a while about the Metaverse and potential new targets.  No luck among themselves, but Yusuke chimed in via text with the desire to meet up after school and discuss certain things.  Lunch would soon be over, and they would be forced to return back to the simplicity of Shujin life.  Akira was feeling incredibly jazzed up.  The monotony he previous desired now seemed a hindrance.  But all they could do was lay low and keep a watchful eye.

Akira and Ann made their way back to class together.  Ryuji tagged along in an effort to procrastinate his departure as long as possible.  There was some small part of her that kind of wished Ryuji had left so it could be her and Akira.  Alone.  Though she was still satisfied as Akira heaped praise upon her for her outburst.

“That was incredible, Ann.”

“You lit her ass on fire!” Ryuji chimed in.  The blonde couldn’t help but be a touch flustered from the doting.  “Remind me never to get on her bad side…”

“Same here,” Akira agreed with a chuckle.  This got Ann giggling.

“You never have to worry about getting on my bad side, Akira,” the blonde said with a beaming smile.  With that, Akira felt a bit more pep in his step as they walked along the hallway.  Ann felt something a little different on her end.  A fluttering of butterflies in her chest from her comment.  It sounded innocent and friendly enough.  But there was one little thing lingering in the back there.  Almost a sense of flirtatiousness?

“What about me?” Ryuji protested indignantly.  Before Ann could shoot off a sarcastic quip, they found themselves distracted by a large horde of students in front of the bulletin board.  Boys and girls of various grade levels sported different expressions.  Some of joy, others of sorrow.  “What’s goin’ on?”  It didn’t take long for the blond to figure it out.  And at that moment, they wished they were dealing with Makoto still.

The test scores had come back.

The exam postings had been delayed for longer than expected.  Many wished they had been delayed indefinitely.  But here they were.  Not a single one of the Phantom Thieves wished to take the plunge and witness how severe the damage was.  An opening in the crowd awaited them.  Yet they remained behind.  Each of them refused to make eye contact as the silence became awkward, then painful, and finally deafening.  Akira took a deep breath and reluctantly trudged forward.  Ann eventually forced herself to proceed as well, with Ryuji bringing up the rear.  The three teenagers looked more like they were investigating a haunted house rather than checking grades.  Thus, began the foreboding search for their names and the results of their work.

“I found mine,” Ann said, tapping the board with her finger.  “C.  Like I expected.”  It wasn’t a failing grade.  Nor a surprise for that matter.  Just once she’d like to get something special.  English was the only part of the exam she passed with flying colors, but that hardly counted in her eyes.  Ryuji seemed to be faring worse than Ann was, his head drooping.

“D,” the boy admitted.  It wasn’t a failure, technically.  That much he was thankful for.  But it didn’t do him any favors either.  Ann pinched the bridge of her nose and huffed.

“Dammit, Ryuji.  You need to really start pulling your weight.  You’re gonna get held back.

“What are you?  My mom?”  The two bickered back and forth for a bit while Akira searched for his name.  Ann proposed more intensive study sessions and more of them.  Ryuji just wanted to forget about exams and studying altogether.  Though they eventually shifted their focus back onto their leader.  “What’d you get, Akira?”

No response.  Instead Akira stared at his name on the board with a sweat building on his brow.  He felt a little pale seeing it written on there. His lack of clarity drew the suspicion of his teammates, who leaned in to investigate.  Akira swiftly darted to obscure his grade with his hands.

“Hey!” Ann protested.  “I wanna see!”

“What’d you get?  What’d you get?” Ryuji pressed like he was about to open a gift.  All while Akira nervously guarded his spot.

“Forget about it!” he insisted.  “Who cares?  It’s over, let’s just move on!”

“No fair!” Ann pouted.  “You got to know ours!”

“Couldn’t have gotten worse than a D…”

The two of them collaborated to push him further and further until Akira ultimately caved.  He stepped back and let the two of them watch his handiwork.  It hadn’t been the C he was expected.  Not B and nowhere even close to D, for that matter.

“Akira…”  Ann could hardly believe what she was seeing.  Of all the outcomes for the leader of the Phantom Thieves, this hadn’t been one.  “…You’re in the top ten!  Right up there with Niijima-senpai!”

“ _For real?!_ ”  Ryuji’s jaw was hanging agape, staring in shock and surprise.  A notion that swiftly turned to outrage.  “Asshole, why didn’t you help _me_ study?!”

“Heh.  He helped me study,” Ann said with a smug smirk, which caused Ryuji to berate Akira further.  In truth, Akira hadn’t expected to do so well.  Had it not been for their smaller rankings, he would’ve been more forthcoming.  Not wanting to demoralize them and all.  The other students around the board swiftly caught on to Akira’s high grades and swiftly swarmed him with questions.  Some asked to be his study partner, others wanted to know how he did it, and a few accused him of cheating.  Either way, he was finally getting noticed for something other than his criminal record.  Though he quickly began to miss the days when they just left him alone.

Farther down the hallway, unbeknownst to the others, Makoto eyed them.  She kept herself obscured around the corner, not wishing another confrontation.  Her weary heart could only handle so much.  Especially in these recent times.  It would be best to study them from afar until she could get something of substance to provide Principal Kobayakawa with.

Being student council president, it had been her idea to personally post the grades.  Seeing Akira’s in the top ten with her was shocking.  A juvenile delinquent going toe to toe with her?  It only made his association with people who averaged Cs and Ds all the more confusing.  It felt like such an oddball group and only further cemented her suspicions.

Akira Kurusu was no ordinary high school teenager.  His criminal record, choice of friends, frequent locations, living space, and attitude all made an unusual, interesting, and incomplete picture.  There was something else going on with him and his friends.  It couldn’t have been a coincidence that Kamoshida’s exploitation had been going on for nearly months, and it was only until after he arrived did it get solved.

Even without her sister’s intuition and family discipline, it was easy to find a picture once the dots were connected.  Though the question now was how many more dots were there?


	19. Lazy Weekend

_6/11/17 – Saturday_

After the rollercoaster ride that was Akechi’s public condemnation of the Phantom Thieves and dealing with Makoto, they had opted to celebrate the changing of Madarame’s heart.  As well as officially welcome Yusuke into the group.  It all sounded good to Akira save for one little detail.

It was to be held at Leblanc.

Bringing all of them to where he would be staying for the next year wasn’t exactly his idea of a good time.  Sojiro only moderately tolerated his presence, and he didn’t seem the type to enjoy teenagers hanging about.  Plus, he hadn’t exactly wanted it known he was living in the attic.  Beggars couldn’t be choosers, but it was a little embarrassing to think about.  The leader of the Phantom Thieves squatting in some old man’s coffee shop for food and warmth. 

But they were insistent on seeing where he lived.  And Morgana had sort of strong-armed him into letting Yusuke stay the night.  Sojiro was teaching him the art of brewing coffee and making small talk here and there, but they were by no means at the level of negotiating to rent the place out.  He was definitely pushing his luck.  Akira couldn’t force him out on the street, and there was no way in hell he was going to pressure Ann into letting him stay at her home.  No amount of sweets in the world could convince the blonde of that.  Though Akira had to admire Yusuke’s technique. 

Outnumbered four to one, Leblanc was where they’d go.

Ann, Ryuji, and Yusuke took in the cozy atmosphere of the café while Sojiro organized his containers of coffee beans.  The old man was always finding some way to keep himself preoccupied.  In managing a restaurant in its downtime, he had to.  Akira stood at the back by the door, nervously watching the lot of them.  He’d much rather be dealing with Akechi or Makoto or a Palace than dealing with this.  Too close to home for comfort.  Literally.  They were inside his home.

“What a nice smell,” Ann cooed as she took it all in.  The blonde was a sucker for a nice café.  Coffee, sweets, it was all the quickest way to her heart.  Her enjoyment of the atmosphere brought some peace of mind to Akira. 

“This place looks outdated,” Ryuji admitted, quickly dispelling the sliver of comfort Ann had brought Akira.  “I can’t say I hate it though.”  The shaggy-haired youth shot him a look before glancing over to the store owner, standing right behind the counter.  They had to convince him of two things, and he was criticizing the décor while he was standing before them.

“People refer to that as “retro”, I believe,” Yusuke commented.  He was thankful that at least Yusuke had an appreciation for aesthetic.  A bit obvious, being the artist of the group and all.  Sure, it wasn’t the most up-to-date like brand chains and things like that.  But Leblanc had a charm to it, and Akira didn’t just believe that because he was contractually obligated to live within its walls.

“Hmm?”  Sojiro finally snapped out of whatever daydream he was lost in and turned to see the three others.  Teenagers never usually gave Leblanc a second glance.  It was always the older types, and it was rarely larger than two.  Needless to say, the old man was perplexed.  “Who’re they?” he demanded.  Not harshly but a bit on the gruff side, causing Akira’s stomach to sink.

“Hello!”  Ann piped up.  Sojiro turned to the blonde girl who waved at him with an ounce of pep in her step and sugar in her smile.  He glanced between her and Akira, blinking.  This had managed to catch him even more off-guard.

“A girl too?”  His older sleuth skills kicked in as he inspected the lot of them.  They looked well-kempt and seemed relatively behaved.  The blond boy looked a bit thick in the head to him though. 

“Mm-hmm!  We’re Akira’s friends!  This guy has really helped us a lot lately.”  The old man’s gaze drifted back to Akira, staring at him with a raised eyebrow.  Akira felt a slight sweat build up on the back of his neck like Sojiro had him lined up against the wall with a spotlight shining on him.  Eventually, the store owner cracked a wry smirk.  So the troublesome kid managed to befriend some people after all.

“Heh, I bet you’re the ones doing all the helping,” he jested, his demeanor shifting to a more relaxed position.  “This guy needs all the help he can get, you know.”  His playful ribbing got Ryuji and Yusuke chuckling, while Akira let out a nervous laugh as he remained at the back.  Take the ribbing if it meant Sojiro would tolerate him more.

“No, really!  He’s been great.”  Sojiro stroked his beard with a solitary finger.  This had been twice now the girl had come to defend him.  He couldn’t hide the amused smirk rising on his face even if he wanted to.  As the wheels turned in his head, he found a game plan forming in their midst.

“Sit down.  This round’ll be on the house.”  The teenagers expressed their gratitude at his hospitality.  From his years of restaurant experience, Sojiro knew how to pour on the charm.  They all seemed swept up in it.  All save Akira.  The shaggy-haired youth knew there had to be some sort of angle he was working.  Sojiro was a businessman, and a good businessman rarely did anything for free.  “ _You’re_ helping though.” 

And there it was.  Not an unreasonable demand in the slightest.  It was his coffee shop, after all.  Akira ignored the playful teasing of Ryuji and took his place behind the counter.  With Ann here, it was the perfect opportunity to flex his skills.  To brew a cup of coffee under Sojiro’s tutelage.  He had said it was a good trade to learn, especially if he wanted to pick up women. 

Not that he had plans to pursue Ann.  That deal was dead in the water.  Kamoshida had tainted that path.  Too poor in taste after what she had been through.  This was just an ordinary opportunity to brew his friends a delicious beverage.  Ann just happened to be in his crosshairs at the time.  For no specific reason, of course.

Under Sojiro’s watchful eye did he carefully concoct his drinks.  Following every minute detail to the letter.  An act that somewhat impressed Sojiro.  He had expected the boy to be a lot more impatient and cut corners.  But when it came to cooking, Akira was no slouch.  The boy was incredibly precise when it came to his hobby.  His pride was on the line, after all.  Yusuke and Ann received their drinks first, the latter getting hers a few seconds before the former.  Sojiro couldn’t help but roll his eyes, smirking to himself.  He had been around long enough to see all the tricks in the book.  The things guys did – whether they be inadvertently or otherwise – to get on a girl’s good side.  Though the real proof was in the drink itself.  Ann generously cradled her cup as he sipped on its warm contents with a coo.

“Wow… it’s delicious.”  The tender touch of the mocha colored liquid spread a comforting warmth down her neck and into her chest.  Like being wrapped up in a blanket like her mother used to when she was little. 

“Indeed,” Yusuke agreed while he sampled his coffee.  Silently smacking his lips and rolling his tongue against the roof of his mouth to really let all the flavor soak in.  “There’s great depth to its acidity.”  Ann spoke about how she remembered Leblanc from an old magazine while Sojiro recounted his café’s glory days.  Then he grilled Ryuji about his distaste for coffee.  The kid’s palette was not that refined.  But Akira was hardly paying attention to any of them.  Instead, he dedicated himself to finishing the batch for Sojiro and washing the dishes.  Ann’s approval of his brewing had him jazzed up right in the center of his chest.  Sojiro would no doubt nitpick it to death, the man’s eye of coffee refined from years of his craft.  But at that point, Sojiro could tear him down in any way he wanted, and Akira would hardly notice.  Ann’s proclamation of enjoyment for his drink made him feel like the best brewer alive.  His washing of the dishes had a little more strength behind it as he rolled his shoulders like he was grooving along to a rhythm.  Sojiro side-eyed the kid with an amused sigh, rolling his eyes.

“These’re your friends, yeah?” he pressed.  “Go on and take them up to your room.  No need to stay down here.”  Akira snapped back to reality rather swiftly.  It’s not like he was ashamed of his room.  Just the prospect of showing everyone he lived in an attic wouldn’t do much for his image.

“My room?  Uh, I dunno, it’s not very-“

“Ooh, I wanna see!”  Ann cooed.  His eyes drifted over to the blonde’s as they shimmered with excitement.  How could he argue with that?  Boy was he whipped, and they weren’t even together.  Akira laughed at himself for how easy he had gotten himself enraptured by her.  For wanting his crush to fade away, he certainly wasn’t doing a good job.

Sojiro gave him a nod and let the boy go.  Despite his gruff exterior, the man wasn’t completely devoid of empathy.  Akira was still a teenager even if he was a burden on the store owner.  Plus, if he spent time with his friends, it would keep him out of his hair as well as the law’s hands.  His friends thanked him for his hospitality before heading up the stairs to see Akira’s room.  The blonde was bringing up the rear of the group. 

“So, you’re uh…”

“Ann.  Ann Takamaki.”

“Ann-chan, huh…  That’s a nice name.”  Polite young blonde, pretty, slender.  She seemed to have really taken to Akira.  And Akira could barely take his eyes off her himself.  The gears in the old man’s head were turning.  “You got a boyfriend?” 

Ann did a double take at the older man.  His question seemed completely out of left field.  Though it wasn’t exactly uncommon to hear or unsurprising to be asked.  Baba would tease her a lot about trying to find a man, and there were boys lining up the block at Shujin to get with her.  But after Kamoshida, she was extremely hesitant to dip her feet into the dating pool.

“Nope.  Never have, either.”  Ryuji called down the stairs for her, excitement palpable in his voice.  It only made her more excited to see Akira’s room.  She scooped up Morgana’s bag and rolled her eyes at his swooning purrs.  “Thank you for the coffee!” 

Sojiro nodded with a smile to himself.  Perhaps with a lady friend, Akira would keep himself out of trouble.  He was doing a good enough job as is.  Not a single call from the school had sullied his phone since he was late on his first day.  The pieces were all on the table.  The boy just needed to take the plunge.  Sojiro debated whether or not to give the kid some dating tips.  Train him in the art of womanizing as well as coffee brewing.

Such thoughts took him back to his younger days.  When he had more hair and was a lot more limber.  He would never admit it, but Sojiro saw a bit of his younger self in Akira.  Smart kid, a strong sense of justice.  Oh, to be young again.

“What a sweet girl…”

* * *

 It had been a spur of the moment decision.  To celebrate their victory over Madarame and to welcome Yusuke officially into the Phantom Thieves.  They made use of Sojiro’s equipment to have a hot pot dinner.  Another opportunity for Akira to flex his skills.  It had been too long since he’d gotten to cook.  Thankfully, Ann knew a bit about preparing a hot pot meal herself.  She had managed to pick up some of his rustiness, and the results were unanimously praised as the four teenagers and cat stuffed themselves silly.  Akira mentally made sure to scrub the hot pot thoroughly later for Sojiro.  He could hardly believe the old man had let him.  Even greater still was the fact that he agreed to let Yusuke stay the night.

No doubt Ann had something to do with it.  The blonde just radiated charm all over.  An infectious feeling that won nearly everyone over.  Especially Akira.  He doubted that he could’ve won Sojiro over.  The boy possessed a debonair charm to him, but talking to the store owner was like confronting a brick wall.  Yet Ann made it seem as easy as can be.

Akira had tidied up his room a bit, packed up the leftovers, and washed the dishes after Ann had left for home.  Had to keep Sojiro in moderate spirits after all he was forcing the old man to do.  Now it was just he, Yusuke, and Ryuji relaxing all to themselves.  In the bathhouse.

“Ahh, huge bathtubs really are the best.  Ann’s missin’ out.”  Ryuji was in utter heaven as he soaked in the hot water.  Steam wafted over the tubs and kept the three boys nice and cozy. 

“It’s a bit hot though…” Yusuke noted, his sights fixated on the old man cranking up the faucet.  It had taken the lot of them a while to get used to the frightening temperature of the water. 

“Old guys like it hot, for some reason.  I’m sure he’ll stop eventually.  I don’t know why they do that.  It’s weird.”

“Yeah.  _That’s_ the only thing weird about all this.” Akira sat at the opposite end of them both, hands clasped beneath the water.  His usual relaxed demeanor was replaced with a stiff disposition.  The bathhouse wasn’t his go-to spot for getting clean.  Or to relax with friends, for that matter.  He preferred something significantly more private.  This place was just too awkward.  But it was his only option when it came to hygiene.  There was no way in hell he’d ask Sojiro for the use of his shower.  Even if the old man did want him around.

Yusuke and Ryuji were completely oblivious to his nervousness.  Instead, the two boys made themselves at home in the steaming waters.  Akira was the odd one out here.  It was weird for him to think about.  He understood it was a traditional Japanese custom, but the thought of putting his dick on display wasn’t the most appealing thing in the world.

For once, he was glad Ann wasn’t there.

“You know, I’ve been wonderin’ for a while now.  But what do you think of Ann?  As a “girl,” I mean?”  Akira blinked at Ryuji in surprise.  Of all the questions to ask in a bathhouse with the lot of them in the nude. 

“What brought this up?”  Ryuji merely shrugged and leaned casually back against the smooth wall of the tub.

“Just wonderin’.  I mean, I’ve seen you guys together a lot, hangin’ out and all.”

“True,” Yusuke noted while tapping his chin.  “You two tend to gravitate towards one another whenever we meet.”  The two of them were a lot more observant than Akira gave them credit for.  It was true that he tended to spend time with Ann more than the rest of them.  Was it really that obvious?  He didn’t mean to harbor more favoritism for her than the others.  His heart just got the best of him at times. 

“So spill it!  What do you think of her?”  From the eager look on Ryuji’s face, it was clear he wouldn’t let the issue rest.  Well, there was no way he’d confess his true feelings about her.  Ryuji had almost given them away as the Phantom Thieves in public many times before.  Loose lips sank ships, and his mouth was always hanging open like a black hole.  Though, the longer he remained quiet, the more obvious he would seem.  His lips curled up into a cat-like smirk as he felt the gears turning.

“She’s a great teammate, and I can’t imagine the Phantom Thieves without her.”  It took all of his strength to resist cackling at Ryuji, who was leaning back with a groan.

“No, that’s not what I meant.  C’mon, can’t you act a little more like a guy our age?”  The past couple of months he had known Akira, not once had he expressed any sort of interest in any of the girls at school.  Ryuji would be the first to admit that they had some knockouts.  Even willing to acknowledge Ann as in the top five.  But Akira was tight-lipped about his sexual interests.  “Doesn’t she at least look better than a celebrity?”

_She’s breathtaking…_

Not that he’d ever admit it aloud.  His intimate feelings of romance were to remain secret.  Her history with men, Yusuke and Morgana, leaving in a year, and his worry of alienating their friendship were it one-sided.  Though he couldn’t deny any of what Ryuji was saying.

“Sounds like you’ve given this a lot of thought.  Tell me: are _you_ interested in Ann?”  Now Ryuji was the one slowing down.  The tables had swiftly turned.

“Well, I mean… I wouldn’t say no.  She’s pretty hot.  Good body and a nice person.  Plus we got some history but… eh, I dunno.  She can be a real ballbreaker sometimes, you know?”  Akira couldn’t help but snicker at his friend’s confession.  He wasn’t wrong, it was just funny to hear it.  Yusuke shared in Akira’s amusement, a hand held to his mouth.

“I’ll be sure to share what you’ve said with Ann.”  Ryuji then burst into full damage control mode, sputtering and pleading with the artist.

“Please don’t!  Seriously!”  Akira couldn’t help but cackle dryly at his friend’s flustered disposition.  Any chance to rib Ryuji was one he had to exploit.  He just made it too easy.  The conversation around him shifted to selecting the next target and Ryuji complaining about the heat.  Akira was welcome for the distraction.  Despite his amused exterior, a state of confliction lingered in the back of his mind.  Morgana, Yusuke, and now Ryuji.  The entire team was interested in Ann.  It couldn’t be any more awkward if he tried.

 _Dammit_ , he huffed internally.  Of all the girls he had to develop the hots for, why did it have to be Ann?  Probably because he didn’t know any other girls.  It was rather obvious now after asking.  There was no way he could let his true feelings be known now.  Not with the sausage fest around him desiring the same girl.  Though, Akira wasn’t the only one upset at this revelation.

Crouched outside a vent was Morgana, who had been patiently awaiting them to exit.  The bathhouse was too hot for him to languish in most of the time.  Plus, his feline nature gave him an aversion to water.  Not that he’d admit it.  Not a single word had escaped his ears.  The cat was beside himself with worry now that Ryuji had admitted his interest.  Morgana believed he had both boys outclassed in charm and sophistication.  But his form was the biggest handicap.  As much as he adored Ann, there was no way he could successfully court her in his current state.  They were going to need to hit Mementos more often.  Though how would he steer Akira in his desired direction without making himself obvious?

“Dammit… I need to turn back into a human soon.   I can’t let her get taken by someone else!”

* * *

  _6/12/17 – Sunday_

Having Yusuke as a temporary roommate wasn’t so bad.  It gave Akira more people to converse with other than Morgana.  But the boy was glad to have his privacy back.  Well, some of it at least.  After the activity yesterday, Sunday felt so mundane in comparison.  More mundane than usual.  Thankfully, Ann had been quick in snatching him up for some fun.

Or at least they were supposed to have some.  Ann’s agency had called her for her to attend a shoot at the Sky Tower.  With Mika.  Requested specifically _by_ Mika, in fact.  Ann wasn’t entirely sure why.  The shoot in question was for a men’s magazine focused specifically about Mika.  Akira sensed something amiss about the situation.  Another one of her underhanded tactics.  Ann felt differently, however.  The blonde opted to believe Mika was being genuine this time around.  She wasn’t one to go into a situation with negativity in mind.  It wasn’t unreasonable to be fair to Mika.  And as much as Akira admired her positive outlook, he was severely doubtful of it all.

As Ann and Akira exited the elevator, Mika was quick to greet them with detached aloofness. 

“Oh, so you came to my special.”  Less than ten words in and Akira already felt himself growing irritable.  Mika wasted no time in posturing at how much better she viewed herself than Ann.  Her brown hair immaculately cared for as it hung down past her shoulders, the vibrant purple dress that hiked up past her knees, and the amber sunglasses perched on her head.  The other men around them were gawking at her all over.  And Akira could tell she was loving it.  Yet, even in her simple summer clothes, Ann still held the spotlight in his eye.

“I mean, you asked for me, right?” Ann replied.  Mika’s smugness was lost on the blonde, who instead sized her up.  She had really pulled out all the stops on her look this time around.  “Wow… I barely recognize you!  Did you lose weight?  Or maybe change your makeup?”  The blonde was genuine in her compliments.  She could tell how much work someone put into maintaining their appearance at a glance.  The eye of a fashionista had been passed down from parent to child.

“The theme for today’s shoot is “the elegance of woman.”  So I conditioned my body to be more elegant.”  Truth be told, Akira couldn’t really tell the difference aside from her modified hairstyle and some added blush to her cheeks.  He smirked smugly to himself at the thought of letting her know, seeing her ego wilt away before their very eyes.  But he kept his mouth shut and let the girls speak.  Mika wasn’t being obnoxious just yet.  “Controlling what you eat, how you move…  That’s all.  It may sound easy, but it’s pretty tough.  You have to write down everything you eat, making sure to check the nutritional and caloric content.  I even hired a personal trainer to take special note of my diet and oversee my exercise regimen. 

“Whoa…  That’s amazing!”  Ann’s genuine admiration for her hard work ethic only served to vex Mika further.  Akira could see her eye twitch as the blonde inquired further.  “It’s cool that you’re working so hard for this.  Does that mean you don’t get to eat double chocolate crepes?”  Ann couldn’t imagine a life without her sweets. 

“Of course I don’t!” Mika finally snapped.  “I’d get fat with just one bit of that stuff!”  Her calm mask had been worn thin by Ann’s accommodating attitude.  To her, the blonde was just some high school brat that had no reason to be here.  “Not to mention the other stuff I do!  I take herbal medication, wear warming socks, do pilates and yoga…” 

Were Akira less irritated, he’d chuckle a bit at all the things she described.  This sounded more like the routine of someone’s mom out of the 1980s, not a modern model.

“Day after day…  How many squats do you think I do in a week?!  Ugh, a natural beauty like you could never understand how much work I put into my modeling!” 

It was growing more and more difficult for Akira not to say something.  His personal feelings about Ann aside, Mika was being unnecessarily bitter towards a high school student out of jealousy and insecurity.  He had to stop and wonder if the blonde genuinely was this oblivious or was doing her best to remain courteous.  If the latter, then Ann was the best actress Akira had ever seen.

“You know, it’s kinda embarrassing getting complimented like that…”  Mika clenched her jaw so hard, Akira thought her teeth were going to snap into pieces.  Part of him would have liked to see that.  But the girl immediately halted and held her nose in the air to look down at Ann.

“Sorry, did I say natural beauty?  What I meant was natural airhead.”  And with that, the blonde’s warm demeanor shifted completely, narrowing her blue eyes at Mika with deadly intent.  She had taken enough insults for too long at this point, trying to turn the other cheek.  But she drew the line at being labeled an airhead.  Some sort of mindless bimbo.  She had left those insults behind when Kamoshida was carted off to jail, and there was no way she’d let them return.

“What did you say?  Who are you calling an airhead?!”  Unfortunately, she had picked the worst time to let herself be angry.  The blonde had fallen right into Mika’s trap yet again.

“Eeek!  Ann-senpai, stop ittt!  You’re scaring me!”  Mika was putting on the sweetest voice she could, wincing and even getting a few crocodile tears going.  Hook, line, and sinker did the cameramen and magazine staff come flocking to her aid and chastised Ann.  Akira let out a low growl under his breath at having not seen this coming.  Mika had managed to get the upper hand on them both yet again.  If there was one thing he hated, it was being outsmarted by someone who reeked of smugness.  Ann shared his irritated sentiment but decided to bury it, instead focusing on her work.

The shoot was a total disaster for her.  Not once could she get into the groove.  The flow, the muse, whatever it was to be called.  She just couldn’t feel it.  Her soul burned too much with ire while Mika merely side-eyed her smugly.  The cameramen ate her up regardless, just glad to ogle a teenage girl in a way that was somewhat legal.  But they always kept pushing for more energy, more sensuality.  Ann wasn’t quite sure how to go about articulating those.  Modeling had always sort of come naturally to her.  Mika had thrown her completely off with her work ethic and sleight of hands.

The session subsided temporarily, and the two girls sipped on sparkling water to rehydrate themselves.  And of course, it took little time for Mika to showboat.

“Seemed like you were struggling out there.  Guess I should’ve expected that.  All looks, no brain or elegance.”  Ann huffed with irritation and sat her bottle to the side.  Akira folded his arms and glared daggers at the other girl.  He had heard the jokes that modeling was a cutthroat competitive injury, but this was bordering on ridiculous.

“Why are you doing this, Mika?  I thought you looked up to me!”  The smug giggle she elicited was enough to trigger Akira’s gag reflex.

“You should have known that was a lie… but I guess you’re as naïve as you look.”  Before she could continue her ego trip, the cameramen beckoned them back to their posts.  Mika flippantly flipped her hair and departed, not even bothering to look back as she taunted the blonde further.  “Anyway, stupid amateurs like you really piss me off.  You better not drag me down, okay?”

 _That’s it._ Akira couldn’t take any more of this nonsense and began to stride after Mika.  But a firm grim found itself around his arm.  Ann had wrapped her thin fingers around it while delivering a stern look of disapproval.  Not since their standoff at Shujin when she was interrogating him had he seen her attitude rise.  Slowly, the girl shook her head as a warning.  Reluctantly, Akira stood down and let her get back to work.  The rest of the shoot panned out like the first half.   Ann was struggling with her anger and self-image while Mika humiliated her.  She had all the guys on her arm after the shoot, asking about meeting managers and other shoot organizers.  Playing the primadonna role she believed she had earned.  Ann said nothing to her afterward, instead leaving while she fumed to herself.  Akira could feel the heat emanating off of her.  So prominent, he could roast marshmallows on it.

“What a fucking circus act,” Akira huffed as they exited the elevator.  The boy vented his frustrations with the usual gusto.  Ann herself grew silent as they walked the city streets together.

“I don’t get it.  Why did Mika ask for me if she doesn’t like me?”

“To be petty.  She just wanted to show you up.”  Akira stewed bitterly about the way Mika walked all over Ann like that in front of everyone.  It brought his blood to a boil how someone could let their insecurity and entitlement eat away at them to that level.  All while Ann remained silent as she reflected on today’s events.  The previous incident with Mika, Mika as a whole, and even herself as a whole.  The blue eyes that ordinarily shimmed with peppy energy had become downcast.  How a regular person could be so cruel was hard to fathom.  Mika wasn’t someone like Kamoshida or Madarame.  She was just an ordinary woman.

“I’m…”  As she looked down at the ground in anguish, Akira feared for a moment that she might start crying.  If that were the case, there’d be nothing stopping him from dragging Mika in front of everyone.  He was just itching for any excuse to tear her a new one.

“…Yeah?”

“…I’m so pissed off!”  Her blue eyes fluttered back open with brightly burning fury.  Seeing her anger flare up shot pure adrenaline through Akira’s form.  This had been what he was waiting on.  For her to cut loose and let forth her righteous fury.  To let herself be angry at the way she had been treated.

“ _Yeah!_ ”

“Mika had to work super hard every day to get where she is now!  She worked out, watched her diet, made friends with everyone!  She couldn’t rely on connections like I did!  She didn’t become a model just for the heck of it!”

“…Huh?”  This wasn’t at all how he envisioned it in his head.  She was supposed angry at Mika, not herself.

“Her resolve, her knowledge, her fashion sense.  They’re all on a totally different level from me!”  Ann took a deep breath and let herself catch up.  Finally, she had managed to get all the turmoil raging in her chest out in the open.  It felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, but she had a long way to go still. 

Akira was at a complete loss.  How Ann could take Mika acting in such an unacceptable fashion and turn it into a life lesson for herself was beyond him. 

“…How did we come to this conclusion again?”  The boy scratched at the back of his shaggy head while his mind attempted to piece together this puzzle Ann had dumped out before him.

“Let me explain,” Ann attempted to reason.  The blonde took a deep breath to calm her nerves, still burning a bit from the lecture.  “You heard all that Mika said.  How she had to learn the moves, watch her diet.  I never had to do any of that.  I have a metabolism that makes it impossible for me to gain weight.  I can eat what I want and not worry.  My parents also helped me get this job in the first place.  I didn’t earn it.  Mika is amazing, strong.  But me?  I’m nothing.  Just thinking about it makes me so angry… I feel like I could explode!” 

Akira was completely beside himself.  Part of him wanted to admire her maturity and taking this as a chance to improve and reflect upon the privileges she’d experienced in life.  But more of him wanted to embrace righteous indignation at her mistreatment.

“Yeah… but that doesn’t make what she did right.  She was still a huge bitch to you and made you look bad.”

“You’re right, but I can’t blame her for being angry at me.  I was handed everything while Mika had to prove herself.  This whole time, I’ve just been pretending to model.  It was like the clothes were wearing me.  But I was totally wrong.”  Her anger shifted to melancholy and disappointment.  It was so obvious to her now why she couldn’t find her true strength.  She hadn’t really been all that strong to begin with.  “A real model draws out the beauty of the clothes they wear… casts a stunning magic on them.  A real model is flexible, beautiful… and strong.”  A heavy sigh escaped the blonde, leaving her winded.  Not since that phone call with Kamoshida had she felt so weak.  “And I’m none of those things.”

“I think you are.  Strong, flexible, _and_ beautiful…”  The air flowing through his lungs seemed to turn to stone as he fully realized what he just said.  It had just sort of slipped out at the end there.  It was entirely possible to find her beautiful in a platonic fashion, of course.  But he wasn’t entirely platonic.

As the awkward silence set in, Ann felt some heat rise up on the back of her neck.  So he found her beautiful, is that it?  It was strange to think about.  Akira viewing her as a woman.  Both Morgana and Yusuke did so.  Ryuji too, even without admitting it.  He was rather easy to read.  Akira was way different than the other three.  Reserved, quiet, a calm demeanor.  Seeing those moments where he opens himself up is like viewing a kaleidoscope.  And it only seemed to be with her.  Usually, she’d take great joy in such a discovery.  But now wasn’t the time.

“Maybe so…” she said, clearing her throat.  “But I still have a long way to go, and I’ve had enough pretending that I’ve made progress.  I want to be a real model!  I’ll give it my all and work just as hard as Mika is!”  Finally, she could see it.  A true path to obtaining the inner strength she longed for.  No longer would she have to stumble aimlessly around.  Mika may have hurt her feelings and embarrassed her, but she would beat her at her own game.  The fair and square way.  “I’m gonna take the world by storm!  Just you watch, Akira!”

The beaming smile she was sporting did bring some semblance of calmness back to him.  That alone was worth the cover of a magazine in his eyes. 

“I don’t doubt that, but…”  The boy let out a heavy sigh and nursed his eyes from behind his glasses.  He wasn’t one to tell Ann how she should feel and think.  Far from it.  But being so lenient on Mika and so hard on herself?  “I mean, you’re not even a little mad at Mika?”

“I am, but I’d rather not hold a grudge.  My family taught me to look for the positives and use the failures to improve myself.  Being mad at Mika wouldn’t make me strong, but if I turn my anger into determination, then I will be.”  Another sigh left the boy.  It threw him for a loop just how much she undersold her strength.  She had a set path now, at least.  He couldn’t fault her on that.

“I guess maybe you’re just a more noble person than I am.”  The blonde couldn’t help but giggle at such a statement.  She considered him to be far nobler than herself.  His strong sense of justice, strength, and charisma.  It was funny to be admired for once instead of her just admiring him.  “Still, I would’ve liked to say something to her.”

“Please don’t.”  She shook her head and delivered him a stern expression.  “You may not like Mika, but this is my problem to deal with.  I can handle Mika.”  Now she was standing up to him?  Today really had been a wakeup call for her.  Maybe next time, she should actually thank Mika.  Her pride seemed to fight her on that regard, however.  “Remember what you said?  You can’t coddle people.  Trust in my strength like I trust in yours.”

Akira pursed his lips in thought.  His own advice being used against him.  Not that she was wrong to do.  Matter of fact, she was completely right.  But to sit on the sidelines and let her be insulted by some bitter jealous person, passing judgment on her without knowing her struggle? 

“I… I mean, you’re right… but how am I supposed to let Mika talk all that shit?”

“I’ll prove her wrong through getting good, not getting mad.”  Damn.  Wasn’t much he could do to dispute that.  He couldn’t help but be impressed at such a statement.  Ann seemed to share his feelings as she started beaming suddenly.  “Heh.  That was pretty good.  Guess you’re kinda rubbing off on me.”

“Maybe,” Akira said with a smile, rubbing the back of his neck.

“But seriously though,” Ann continued.  “I didn’t believe in Shiho’s ability to stand up to Kamoshida when I should have.  I’m asking you to believe in me and let me handle Mika.  You can’t fix everyone’s problems for them.”  Ann could hardly believe herself.  All this profound wisdom coming out of nowhere.  It was rather intoxicating.

“…You’re right.”  He would never dream of coddling Ann.  He just wanted to be a good friend.  But being a good friend sometimes means having to step back.  Let them grow on their own.  “Mika is your rival to deal with.  I won’t interfere no matter how much she gets under my skin.  Still want my help finding your strength though?”

“Pfft!  Of course!”  They made the promise to find her strength together, after all.  She was going to hold him to it until the very end.  Not that he would ever plan on backing out of such an agreement.  Ann could ask anything to do anything if she wished.  And he’d follow it to the very letter.  One of many more reasons why she admired Akira.  He held himself to a high standard.  Put his money where his mouth was.  “This is the perfect time for sweets!  Wait-no!  No, I won’t eat them!”  And there was her Achilles’ heel.  The prospect of having to cut sweet and sugary food out entirely.  She already had to do so with carbonated beverages.  But to give up crepes, candies, and deserts?  It made her little heart ache to even entertain such a thing.  “I mean, I will… but not today!  You eat some for me, Akira!”

With that, Akira felt his humorous nature returning, the giggles flowing out.  Even when she was mad, Ann was cute.  Seeing her abstain from sweets would be quite the sight.  It would give him ample teasing room.  Though he’d make sure to treat her at least a couple times a month.  She deserved that much.

She deserved the world.


	20. The New Addition

_6/23/17 – Thursday_

Three.  Million.  Yen.

They had three weeks to cough up that amount of money for Kaneshiro, or else the Phantom Thieves plus Makoto would be finished.  Akira wasn’t sure how things could’ve possibly gotten worse after Makoto had blackmailed them into pursuing this.  But boy had it ever.  And he was positively livid about it all.  This was the third time in a row their little group had been backed into a corner.  What he wouldn’t give for just one opportunity for them to have the advantage and count their paces rather than be thrown into the lion’s den yet again.

Of course, with Makoto being the newest member – codename Queen – they had to take baby steps all over again.  Despite his irritation with her, she turned out to be quite the ace in the hole.  A motorcycle Persona named Johanna with nuclear power, a previously untapped magical market.  More people on their side was nothing to scoff at.  But her recklessness had really gotten under his skin.  This wasn’t anything like Kamoshida or Madarame.  Junya Kaneshiro was a mafia crime boss with links to extortion and drug funneling.  Trapping high school students in an endless cycle of money laundering and drug trading through the use of blackmail and the threat of expulsion. 

“Dammit…” Akira growled through his teeth to himself.  They had returned to Kaneshiro’s bank in the sky to take care of business.  He wanted them all out of danger as soon as possible.  But despite his restlessness, they still needed to take it slow.  Makoto proved to be a really fast learner and a powerhouse rivaling even Ryuji’s raw strength.  Still, she was a beginner, and he wasn’t going to push them too far too fast.  “Let’s split up.  Skull, you and Mona head down that corridor.  Fox, you got Queen down the opposite.”  He pointed down the corridors they were between, motioning at them with finger guns.  With more of them, they could cover more space.  Discover things much faster.  Case the joint like real thieves.  “Panther, you’re with me.”

Ann couldn’t help but smile giddily at being selected personally to go with him.  She wasn’t quite sure why.  Just put a little sensation of butterflies in her chest.

“Got it, Joker!”  She slid into position beside him while the others went their separate ways.  Morgana attempted to usurp command of his little group, with Ryuji giving him grief and challenging for supremacy.  Yusuke and Makoto were much more composed.  Thank goodness for Akira.  He was in no mood for any shenanigans today.

“I won’t let you down, Joker!”  Makoto stood at attention and stared at him with a fiercely determined gaze.  Scrutiny from her sister, Akechi, and Akira had sharpened her resolve.  Give it her all and make up for her faux-pas in all this. 

“Keep an eye on her, Fox,” Akira said.  Yusuke gave a swift nod, and Makoto felt her heart sink a little.  It wasn’t entirely unexpected for him to be aloof to her.  After all, she had extorted them out of her own insecurity.  This only forced her to double down on her goals.  Yusuke clutched the hilt of his katana and led Makoto down the opposite corridor.  Leaving just Akira and Ann.  “Ready?”  Ann tugged on her whip until it was nice and taut, delivering a nod.  With a pistol in hand, Akira slid like a ghost down the hall on silent footsteps.

If Kaneshiro was anything, he was a connoisseur of decor.  Ergonomic, sleek, smooth, shiny.  The stench of high class permeated throughout the halls, among the armed guards and dogs.  Akira would have been more impressed had the Palace not been built upon the backs of exploiting the poor and helpless for Kaneshiro’s own financial gain.  The sheer size and spectacle of it only showcased how massive his ego was.  And how fragile. 

“This place makes me sick,” Ann commented.  Their mutual disgust caused the corner of Akira’s mouth to curl up into a smirk.

“I’m gonna plant my boot right into his gullet when we take his heart,” Akira purred.  More scum off the streets and behind bars.  “Hopefully, we can fight our next target on our terms for a change.”

“You’re still kinda mad at Mak – uh, Queen – aren’t you?”  Akira hadn’t exactly been subtle about his disdain.  For the past three days, he had said the bare minimum to her.  Not outright hostile or rude.  But a palpable tension could be noticed whenever she was around.

“Am I that obvious?”  Having been treated like a dog on a leash had gotten under his skin.  And he had been quite vocal in his disdain for her and their situation before her awakening.

“She’s not a bad person, you know.  Like I know you’re pissed at her still for what she put us through, but I’ve talked to her.  We’re a lot alike.”  It was true.  In truth, Makoto was a massively insecure individual and merely kept her head down to be liked, doing what was expected of her.  The position of student council president had really been nothing more than made her Principal Kobayakawa’s whipping girl.  Like Ann, she too felt immense responsibility for what Shiho had been put through.  But how could either one of them stand against the school?  “I snapped at her to make myself feel better, to try and shift the blame.”

“…It’s neither of your faults.”  He had heard the same sob story from Makoto too.  The burden of being the younger sister, playing the obedient girl for the principal, the feeling of helplessness at standing against an entire school.  She had a lot on her plate to deal with.  As much as he liked that feeling of righteous anger – of feeling vindicated – he couldn’t in good conscience hold it against her.  To do so would be to do that to Ann.  And he couldn’t do that to her.  Never.

Seeing his cold exterior waver caused Ann to smile.  That aloof and concentrated outer shell reveal the warm and compassionate, well-rounded human being within.  She never got tired of it.  With each passing day, she was less intimidated by him. 

“So give her a chance.  We need to work together to be on this team.  Why not be friends while we’re at it?”  Akira held a hand up to silence her before leaning against the wall.  Ann narrowed her gaze and gnarled her fingers, ready to cast out a fireball at a moment’s notice.  Sidling against the edge of the wall, Akira peaked out and saw the sliver of a guard’s form turn down the hall.  They had been lucky thus far to remain undetected.  Either slipping by or dispatching security silently.  With the coast clear, Akira slunk up the hallway and turned left opposite of the guard.  So far there had really not been much besides hallways.  Hallways, hallways, always hallways.  Though they seemed to be getting shorter and spanning out less.  From what Akira took notice of, they were higher up in the bank.  Those stairs from before had to have taken them somewhere.

“Maybe…” Akira said.  The twisting of the knife still stung, as did his pride at being cornered. 

“Come on, Joker,” Ann reasoned.  “You gave Fox a chance, and now you guys are good friends.  I’ve seen you guys hanging out.”  Akira had become Yusuke’s confidant in terms of pursuing art as of late.  His critic, sometimes even his muse.  The extent to which Akira hadn’t fully divulged.  He was waiting for the right time to spring the tale.  If there was anything he loved, it was telling a good story. 

“…Tomorrow.”  He couldn’t hold onto that righteous indignation, not at Makoto’s expense.  It wasn’t fair.  Everyone deserved a second chance.  He would just have to swallow his pride and get over himself.  This would not become a grudge for him to hold onto.

“Promise?” Ann teased with a beaming smile.  He narrowed his eyes at her while he pursed his lips, trying not to smile.  But he couldn’t help it.  Her enthusiasm was just so damn infectious. 

“I’m a man of my word.”  A giddy giggle escaped the young blonde.  Mending bridges, forming bonds.  They needed each other.  Another corner they rounded, and before them sat a single door.  Akira fiddled with the knob and was surprised to find it locked.  On the other side could he sense a sort of presence.  Like some kind of safe room.  Perfect for them to rally at.  But they had never been locked before.  “Damn.  Dead end.  But I sense something on the other side of this door.”

“How?”

“I… just do…”  It hadn’t really occurred to him just how extraordinary his abilities were even among the Phantom Thieves.  Multiple Personas, his Third Eye.  He hadn’t really bothered to explain any of it to the others.  No doubt they wished to know.  And they did indeed. 

Ann had always wondered what made Akira so special.  What gave him these unique abilities the others lacked.  Not that she found him undeserving of them.  Far from it.  She trusted him with them more than she ever could herself.  Just the way he did anything – study, talk, fight – he made it look like an utter cakewalk.  She never found herself questioning him.  Mostly on account of them always being so busy in the Metaverse with the others.  But now that it was the two of them alone…

“We gotta get inside.”  Though nothing in the corridor really stood out beside the occasional gaudy eccentric art piece adorning the wall, Kaneshiro himself probably added at some sort of attempt at visual flair.  No, all that stood out was a vent for air to flow through.  “…Bingo.”  Of course.  A classic methodology of infiltration.  Akira wasted no time in drawing out his karambit knife and unscrewing the bolts.  The entrance was rather slender.  But their lithe teenage bodies could shuffle through with mostly relative ease.

“We have to go in there?  But it might be all dusty…”  The eyebrow Akira was quirking at her couldn’t be seen from beneath the mask, but Ann could feel his contempt for her superficial hesitation.  The boy waved her in after him and slipped through the cold metal opening.  It was hard to make out anything inside, even with his Third Eye.  By no means was Akira claustrophobic or afraid of the dark, but the threat of it giving out underneath him was a definite fear.  Luckily, the metal itself wasn’t groaning from strain as they shuffled along on hands and knees.  Solid and study.  Even the internal architecture was immaculately handled.  Akira had to give Kaneshiro more credit than realized.

The angle was leading them up into the building.  Higher and higher.  A few ventilation openings they passed, but none led into that room.  He could tell.  His sense of direction was slightly off from being delegated to such cramped space, but something in his gut was steering him on.  They weren’t ducking out just yet.   

“Your coattails keep whipping me in the face.”

“You wanted to be back there.”

“Beats being up there for you to stare into my ass!”  Wasn’t much he could say to that.  True, it would have been incredibly awkward, and she would have no idea where to lead them.  Akira didn’t have much of a direction either.  Only some vague sense of instinct.  And as they rounded the corner, the elevation they were climbing stopped and leveled off.  They definitely were above some room.  Preferably the safe room he sensed before, but at this point he’d take anything.  It was far too cramped and stuffy in the vents for his liking.

Beneath him was a grate that offered a slant view below.  Two shadow guards were standing at attention, with another two on the farther sides of them.  A perfect opportunity for ambush.  If they were lucky, they could take all four of them out in one single precise attack.  The gears in Akira’s head began to turn.

“I got an idea, Panther,” he whispered.  Ann tried to lean in as best she could to listen closely but could only go so far.  “There’s four guys in that room down there.  I’m thinking we kick the grating down, land on the two down below, and shoot the other two.  They’ll never see it coming.”

“I like it!” Ann whispered excitedly.  Swift, sleek, and stylish.  Exactly Akira’s method of operation.  It seemed utterly foolproof.  “I’ll follow your lead.”

“On three…”  His voice fell to a whisper.  Ann felt her heart slow the closer she listened in.  As though the mere beating would distract her from his words.  They would only have one opportunity to gain the advantage on these guys.  As faint as a breath could she hear his counting.  Anyone else might have missed it.  But not her.  She found herself often hanging on his every word.

_BANG!_

Akira kicked the grate down, their weight causing it to crash down onto the shadows.  They were scattered into ribbons from the metal while the other two turned around in complete surprise.  Neither had expected intruders this far in.  Let alone two of them.  Ann felt her heart racing faster than normal from the action.  Not as though she wasn’t used to taking down shadows.  Just the stakes were higher this time.  It was just the two of them together.  She had to be on her A-plus game.

As the shadow closest to the door began to shift, Akira drew his pistol.  Barely a second had gone by before the bullet tore through the shadow’s head.  It melted into the ground, its form going up in smoke.  Quick on the draw.  Ann had to be extra special in matching his speed.  So the blonde opted for obliterating the approaching shadow with a fireball.  Though the problem with that was that the room was only so large.  And the fireball too powerful for the meager space they had.

The blast incinerated the shadow and also sent Ann tumbling back.  Crashing right into Akira.  The two clattered into the ground while the smoke shifted through the vents to the outside.  Thankfully Kaneshiro’s Palace didn’t contain smoke alarms.  Aside from alerting every shadow in the Palace as to where they were, he didn’t want to be utterly drenched.  Though to compensate, the back of his head ached from hitting the ground so hard.  And he felt an immense pressure on his body as well.

“Eugh…” Ann groaned, laying her head down.  The impact had taken the wind right out of her.  It had gone much smoother in her head. 

“You alright?” Akira asked through gritted teeth, wincing as he nursed his sore brow.  The boy had his eyes closed while he let himself recover.  Content to just remain there flat on his back for now.

“I will be…” Ann replied weakly.  Her eyes fluttered open, and the blonde managed to force herself up.  She leaned her hand forward for support on something.  Some sort of fabric clinging closely to a taut surface beneath.  Her vision was blurry from the impact so Ann couldn’t register it just yet.

Akira slowly opened his eyes, curious to what the strange pressure forcing itself further onto his chest was.  At first, his vision was obscured by the pain coursing through his head.  But it was quick to reconfigure itself and he quicker to recognize the source.  There before him was Ann.  Right on top of him.  As though things couldn’t get even more awkward, Ann locked eyes with him and seemed to register their situation at the same time.

The explosion had knocked her right into him.  How they had tumbled around into such a compromising position boggled her mind.  It was like something out of the juvenile romance manga she liked to read.  Her cheeks darkened beneath her red mask as she sat there.  The blush further fueled by the fact she recognized the taut structure beneath the fabric of his coat to be his chest.  His firm muscular physique.  Akira shared her sense of bewilderment, pursing his lips and staring up at her in surprise.  The blonde wasn’t sure whether to take comfort in their mutual embarrassment or be further mortified.

“S-sorry!” Ann stammered as she forced herself up.  Nearly leaping to her heels to put distance between them.  Not before helping him up, of course.  She may have been flustered beyond belief but by no means did she forget her manners. 

“F-forget it…” Akira said while nursing his burning neck.  Never had he been that close to a girl before.  She had practically been straddling him.  He was beyond thankful the others hadn’t been there to witness such a thing transpire.  They’d never hear the end of it.

Their awkwardness shifted to focusing on the room as it reconfigured itself.  The removal of the shadows had shifted Kaneshiro’s cognition somewhat, turning it into the saferoom Akira sensed from before.  A welcome turn of events, albeit the leading up to being rather awkward.  It was a meager little office with a lounge.  A place where loan sharks and lawyers might hang out in the back, privately tucked away from the tellers and customers waiting to deposit their hard-earned money.  Looked like an American movie Akira had seen years ago. 

“You were right.  There _was_ something in here.”  How Akira was always able to uncover these secrets was a mystery to her.  His range of abilities far surpassed the rest of them.  He hardly ever addressed it either.  Something about that sense of unpredictability made him more… alluring, was it?  “Should we gather the others here?”

“DM the coordinates.  I’m gonna catch my breath…”  Akira leaned back onto the lounging seat and rested his head on the cushion.  Even being just imaginary, Kaneshiro knew how to make comfortable furniture.  Ann’s power packed a serious punch.  The blonde in question captivated his eye as she radioed the others.  Perhaps it was his dazed and flustered state from hitting his head and having her on top of him, but he took great notice of her.  More than usual.  That latex outfit, the one that always managed to render her sheepish when it was mentioned.  It definitely hugged all the right places.  Especially in the back.  The blonde had turned away from him to further inspect the room after rallying the rest of the Phantom Thieves.

Boy did that latex really hug her body.  Ann was already an attractive girl in her own right.  But housed in that latex dominatrix-esque outfit?  Akira clenched his thighs together to quell what was brewing down below.  Mentally did he chide himself for staring.  He wasn’t some sort of pervert but damn did she look good.  The teenage hormones worked their magic while he looked on with pursed lips.  The enticing view of her rear, seeing his own reflection in it.  It made his fingers twitch with the desire to grab a handful.  He hated thinking of Ann in such a way, a purely sexual one.  It seemed so perverse to have such a view of her.  Akira greatly respected her as a friend and ally.  But he couldn’t help himself to find great admiration for how she looked.  She was damn attractive, and all the boys in their group knew it.  It wasn’t wrong to find someone attractive as long as they were given proper respect.  The turmoil of being respectful but also desiring her kept him up at night sometimes.

“…You okay?”  Akira blinked in surprise as he took notice of her staring at him peculiarly, a hand upon her hip.  It was unusual to see him in such a way.  He was leaning forward on his knees, fingers gnarled and gripping them like back in the restaurant after confessing about Kamoshida.  Akira hadn’t even realized how entranced he had been while checking her out.

“Y-yeah, I’m good.”  He cleared his throat and rose to his feet to stretch his body.  From beneath the white edges of his mask could a faint blush be noticed.  The door swung open, and the rest of the Phantom Thieves rallied inside to discuss what they had found while scouting.  Akira discussed their findings while avoiding making eye contact with Ann.  A fact she had taken notice of.  The others he could maintain it with ease, even Makoto.

The rest of the voyage into the Palace maintained a rather awkward silence.  With both parties trying to cool off from their close encounter contact.  And the tension within that it stirred.

* * *

 

“You know, I honestly didn’t expect this turn of events.  I thank you very much for the opportunity.”

After making some decent headway in the Palace, Akira had made good on his promise to make peace with Makoto.  It was only fair that she get the same opportunity to connect like Yusuke did.  Like the artist in question, Akira had to admit that he had misjudged Makoto.  She was actually a spirited person with a strong sense of justice and a desire to do good.  She was also massively insecure about her lot in life, being the obedient girl in order to remain in the good graces of everyone.  Made even worse by the feeling of being a burden to her sister, prosecutor Sae Niijima.

Sae Niijima.  She had visited Leblanc a couple times in the past to question Sojiro about something or other.  Whenever Akira pried, he was rebuked and brushed off by the store owner.  Makoto was a rather precarious person to have on the team.  Her position made her both a liability and a great asset.  Potentially making use of a prosecutor’s younger sister to have a mole on the inside could be the most advantageous opportunity for them.

“You don’t have to be so formal, Makoto,” Akira assured her.  “We’re just a couple teenagers hanging out.”  The girl felt her cheeks rise in heat.  It hadn’t occurred to her just how rigid she appeared to be.

“S-sorry.  Still used to this.  I appreciate your patience with me…”  It had been a rather impromptu thing she had requested of him.  As leader of the Phantom Thieves, Makoto had logically deduced that he should be the one to guide her.  To relate to other students and act like a typical teenager.  His calm demeanor, relaxed visage, and calculating tactics in the Metaverse.  No one else could really fill the role she was looking for.  And so far, Akira had managed to be a good teacher.  Their first trip was a rather simple one: to the arcade.  She had found herself swept up in the joys of the on-rails shooter cabinet Akira often favored.  It was good to have a partner-in-crime for it for once.  Now they were relaxing at the Big Bang Burger and bonding over food.  “You make it look so easy.”

“I should bring Ryuji next time.  He’d help you unwind real quick.”  Makoto couldn’t help but giggle slightly at the thought of Ryuji.  He and Akira were an odd pair.  One smooth, subtle, and calculating.  The other a bit loud and uncoordinated.

“Hopefully he’s learned a few things about subtlety this time,” Makoto said with a soft smile.  Akira’s amused chuckle helped alleviate the tense knot having formed in her chest.

“So there’s a person there after all,” Akira teased.  She laughed rather nervously at his playful jest.  It felt rather awkward to hear coming from her.  The tone hadn’t even been intended, it was just how she felt. The girl wasn’t a stranger to humor at all, but there was just a sense of apprehension around him.  A desire to impress, to be approved of.  He was their leader, after all.  “Relax, will you?”  Akira leaned back in his seat and took comfort in the headrest.  After the day they had, it was good to unwind a bit.  “We’re on the same team now.  You don’t have to walk on eggshells around me.”

“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but you’re quick to trust me.”  Not that she was complaining.  Far from it.  The sooner she could be over her skittishness around him, the better.  But she herself probably wouldn’t have been as trusting were she in Akira’s position.

“Well, you did have a little bit of cold-shouldering coming for a while,” Akira admitted.  “But Ann managed to talk some sense into me.  If she trusts you, then I definitely do.”

So it was Takamaki that held a degree of influence over him.  Makoto found that rather interesting.

“Makes sense,” she mused to herself with a smile.

“How so?”

“Well, I’ve observed you guys plenty.  You have the same homeroom and same social groups, and you accompany one another often outside of school.”  As the silence hung in the air, Makoto felt the anxiety creep up on the back of her neck after realizing just how awkward that must have sounded.  And judging by the look on Akira’s face, he wasn’t sure of what to say himself.  “…Sorry, that was really weird, wasn’t it?”

“I won’t hold it against you.”  Though Akira didn’t like the prospect of being under surveillance.  He took great value in his privacy, especially now that he was a Phantom Thief.  As well as spending personal time with Ann.  Thankfully she wouldn’t need to spy on them anymore now that they were on the spare team.  With that, the conversation slackened a little.  Makoto herself wasn’t sure of where else to proceed.  The most she had conversed with was with her sister and Principal Kobayakawa.  Though both were always something in relation to her doing something.

“So what else should we talk about?”  Akira ran a finger over his top lip as he racked his brain for conversation topics.  If they were going to be teammates, they would need to learn more of one another.  And he knew the perfect way to proceed.

“Let’s swap our tragic backstories,” he said with a casual smirk.  Nothing brought two people together like angst, after all. 

“What do you mean?” Makoto asked, blinking.

“You know, the past.  What brought us here to where we are now?”  A wave of realization washed over Makoto at his clarity.  Being as studious as she was, the girl did enjoy info dumping what she knew.  Made her feel a rush to be seen with such intellectual reverence.  Though it had never really been about her life in particular.  Now there was a feeling of apprehension.

“Are you sure?  I wouldn’t want to bring the mood down.”

“I’ll tell you mine.  It’s only fair.”  Now she had no choice but to.  The mysterious transfer student and labeled criminal Akira Kurusu.  Even after his criminal record was leaked online and spread all across Shujin, she had been curious as to his true nature.  The man behind the rumor.  A person of his nuance, intellect, passion, and casual demeanor.  It was hard to really determine what was truth and what was mere fiction.

Turned out that Makoto’s father was also heavily involved in law enforcement.  Investigating a notorious criminal had landed him in their sights, and he ultimately met his end in a hit-and-run.  The driver also perished in the crash, apparently having been addled on drugs to some capacity.  In time, the ravenous criminal activity had been quelled, though the true culprit and motivation behind what spurned her father’s death was never found.  Her mother had died years before the event, which only surmounted more pressure on both the Niijima sisters.  Needless to say, it sounded like a pretty tough life to undergo.

“You gotta be pretty tough to endure all that,” Akira admitted with a somber expression.

“Yours hasn’t exactly been easy either,” Makoto said, looking equally downtrodden.  “I knew of your assault case, but to be framed?  All for protecting some innocent woman?  That’s terrible…”  Akira let the air escape through his pursed lips as he slowly felt the salt manifest within from thinking about it.  No matter how long it had to sink in, it never failed to rear a bitterness from him.  “Had I known, I wouldn’t have judged you so harshly.”

“That makes two of us.”  The girl sat in silence, just watching him while he leaned casually back in his seat.  This side of Akira was quite different from what she was previously accustomed to.  He had a great sense of empathy to him that was completely cathartic.  The natural charisma he exuded made her barriers fade away.  “You made a mistake in judgment, Makoto.  I’ve done it before too.  Happens all the time.”

“Perhaps, but I should’ve done a better job.  Reach out to you and confirm suspicions for myself.  But I was far too worried about my reputation and what Principal Kobayakawa might say.”  Her brow twitched in irritation at the mention of that slug of a man.  To know of Kamoshida’s misdeeds and to cover them up in order to save his own skin.  Reprehensible.  “I let my apprehension consume me when I could’ve done something to stand against him.”

“There wasn’t much you or Ann could do,” Akira reasoned.  “Kobayakawa could bury anybody he wanted with enough pressure and litigation.  It’s no surprise Kamoshida was able to get away with it as long as he did.”  Kobayakawa was no better than the man that had gotten him expelled all those months ago.  Throwing innocents under the bus for his own well-being.  “You can’t blame yourselves for it.  You were strong-armed like the rest of us, and I shouldn’t have just thrown you in with the rest of them.  I… owe you an apology, Makoto.”  A heavy sigh swept through her nose at hearing these words.  The tension and doubt in her chest had been supplanted by relief.  To have someone sympathize.

“I’m sorry as well for how I’ve treated you and all the others.  But there’s still a lot of growth I need to achieve.  For the school, for my sister, and for you guys.”  At last, she had a goal.  Something to work towards.  No longer would she live exclusively in Sae’s shadow.  She would make her own spotlight.  “…Though I could use some guidance.”

Akira couldn’t help but chuckle at her words.  Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, and now Makoto.  So many people he was helping find some direction in their lives.  Which he himself lacked.  But his opportunity for a future and direction had passed.  Taken from him with his criminal record.  In times like these – where he could help others find the direction and stability he desired.  Almost made up for it.

“Sure thing.”

* * *

 

_7/12/17 – Tuesday_

Classroom 2-D maintained a quiet civility to it, mostly empty now that school ended.  Only a few students remained to converse among one another.  A calm before the storm that would catch them tomorrow.  Kaneshiro had his heart purified and had been carted off to jail.  Ordinary, such an occasion would call for a celebration, but the dreaded exam week had come forth once again.  Only Makoto seemed to be ready for it.  The other Phantom Thieves were mired in uncertainty.  Though mostly dread at the thought of nonstop tests back to back.

Though Ann herself had other things on her mind.

Akira had left the classroom to see Makoto about something.  Ever since she got through to him back in the Palace, he had spent more and more time with her.  A lot more than expected.  It wouldn’t ordinarily bother her.  It shouldn’t bother her.  Yet something in her was not at ease.  A sense of restlessness ate at her with him gone. 

It was odd to try and process.  She felt the same for Shiho but for more legitimate reasons.  She couldn’t return to school because of her injuries.  But she got to see Akira in class every day.  Yet why did not being able to hang out with him as often leave her with this feeling of emptiness?  It was only natural to miss one’s friends.  This was something different though.

“Yo, guess what I just heard from Eiko-chan!”  Behind her, one of the girls had burst in and gathered with the others.  Immediately did they get to work gossiping.  Ann only half-listened in as she found such baseless chatter beneath her.  Words were fickle things, she had learned.  But this mentality only held out so long once the bombshell had been dropped.  “Makoto-senpai is dating the transfer student!”

It took all of her strength not to whip around and inject herself into the conversation.  She maintained her composure for the most part, fingers gnarled and gripping the edge of the desk.

“Seriously?  How’d she know?!”

“Eiko’s going on a double date with them after exams.  I didn’t think Makoto could get herself a man.”

“Apparently she’s into bad boys.  Who knew she was such a wild card?”

“Oh, Makoto-senpai, you can do better than that…”

Ann was at a loss.  She hadn’t expected the proverbial rug to be snatched out beneath her like this.  It was so strange to think about.  Her closest friend and her newest friend dating.  Potentially dating.  It was just hearsay at this point.  Mere conjecture.  She had no reason to believe any of what the girls said was true.  After all, Akira would have told her.  Well, the team, she should say.

…Though it was entirely possible they’d want to have it kept secret.  Ann herself definitely would have wanted that.  The hassle of their friends and the student body would have been too much.  Plus, Morgana would just make it super awkward given his infatuation with her.  No, Ann would have wanted to remain private about it.  It wouldn’t be completely unreasonable that Makoto and Akira would want the same.  _If_ that was even happening, that is.  Which it might not be.  But what if it was?

Ann folded her arms and pouted to herself.  Her pride somewhat hurt at this revelation.  She had known Akira since April while Makoto had only known him a couple weeks.  The blonde had hoped they could form a friendship, but she hadn’t anticipated this level of friendliness.  Just made a bit more sense to her that he’d take a greater interest in her since they’d known each other longer.  Had a closer connection, spent more time together.

Her attention was drawn to the door swinging open, with none other than Akira approaching her.  The gaggle of girls swept past him while giggling to one another.  Such a display had the boy utterly confused, more so than usual at the goings on around school.

“The hell’s up with them?” Akira asked.  The look on her face read complete perplexion.  It drew some sliver of comfort into her heart that this was all some misunderstanding.

“Just being weird,” she dismissed.  “Spreading rumors about you.”  An irritated dry huff left the boy.

“Oh for God’s sake, what else can they say about me?  Thought we covered the whole catalog.”  His frustration at the matter caused Ann to giggle.  Having not spent time with him in a while caused her to take more extensive notice of his mannerisms.  And just how much she missed them.

“Apparently you’re dating Makoto now.”

“ _Pfft!_ ”  A quick snicker escaped through his lips, the boy completely caught off-guard by this revelation.  Ann forced herself to laugh a bit in order to look like she wasn’t interested in the slightest.  To maintain the façade of aloofness.  “I mean, they’re only half right.”  The sound of a car skidding to a half resonated inside her head.  Her breath caught in her throat at his words.  Twice had she been utterly blindsided.

“Wh-when did _this_ happen?”  The blonde leaned back in her chair.  Crossing her legs, arms folded.  Though inside her mind was reeling.  Akira merely waved a hand dismissively at her.

“No, we’re not _actually_ dating.”

“ _Oh, thank God…_ ”  That was supposed to be for herself.  An internal thought.  But far too late did she realize it had slipped out of her subconscious and through her lips.  A fine red heat was amassing on her neck and threatened to spread to her cheeks if it wasn’t quelled soon.  “I mean, not that it’s a problem for me or anything that you guys were dating.  You can date whoever you want!”  The perplexed expression on his face only made the nervous laughter feel more awkward.  “…So how did these rumors start then?”

“Okay, well get this…”  He sat her down and explained the plan Makoto had concocted.  Eiko Takao was her friend and had apparently gotten herself involved with a host named Tsukasa, an older gentleman.  The third-year had feared Eiko was being preyed upon given the shady nature of the Shinjuku nightlife and high school girls.  But Eiko dismissed Makoto’s concerns by claiming she was ignorant to romance and relationships.  In order to get closer and find out the true nature, Akira had agreed to masquerade as her boyfriend.

“….Ohhhh, so it’s like a stakeout!  Or an undercover sting operation like on TV!”  Relief washed over her in waves.  They weren’t dating after all.  Not as though that was a problem.  Which it wasn’t.

“Yeah, I’ve been helping Makoto with a ton of stuff for a couple weeks now.  Helping her come out of her shell and stuff.  Plus, I’ve been pretty swamped in my off time too.  Besides the Mementos contracts we’ve had to do, I’ve been helping out Ryuji, Yusuke, Mishima, the fortune teller in Shinjuku.  Plus there’s my part-time jobs at the diner, the flower shop, the airsoft store, and my volunteer work with the doctor at the clinic and learning public speaking down at Station Square.  And I gotta help Sojiro tend the store…”  It genuinely hadn’t occurred to Akira just how jampacked he had made his schedule since Kaneshiro had become a thorn in their side.  It had all just sort of blurred right past him.  “…I need to slow down.  Fuck, and tomorrow is when exams start too…”

“Ugh, it seems like we just had exams…” the blonde whined.  Akira sighed and nursed his eyes, already feeling the exhaustion coming on.

“And we’ll need to study tonight too.  Dammit… I’m gonna swing by Leblanc and ask Sojiro if we can commandeer the store for another all-nighter.  We’ll gather everyone up, and Makoto can help us cram.  Wanna come with?”

As though he needed to ask.  Any opportunity to spend time with him was one to take.  Though she had wished it was just the two of them again.

While she followed Akira out of the classroom, her mind reeled as she tried to process what was making her mood fluctuate so rapidly.  It wasn’t like her to be so all over the place.  What was the concern?  It was just Akira and a female friend.  One that happened to be spending more time with him than she was recently.  She was being ridiculous in getting so flustered.  Akira could befriend and even date whoever he wanted.  Though she was incredibly glad to know they were just friends.  But why specifically?  Never had she felt something like this before.  She couldn’t describe what it was she was feeling.

In the coming months and after so much occurred, she would finally be able to put it to words. 

Jealousy.


	21. The Fireworks Fiasco

_7/17/17 – Sunday_

Sunday morning came, and Akira made his way to Central Street.  While he was dining on some of Sojiro’s curry and finishing it off with a cup of coffee, she had texted him to hang out.  With no plans scheduled for the day, Akira was more than happy to accept.  She hadn’t stated anything definite they would be doing, but a day with a friend was not one wasted. 

Morgana had invited himself along in order to be close to Ann.  Secretly, Akira had preferred this to have just been the two of them.  It had been a bit too long since the both of them had hung out.  As a couple.  Couple of friends, of course.  But Akira was just glad to be out and about, not cooped up inside some classroom writing endlessly.  And the weather was positively gorgeous out.  He got over it rather swift.

The sun shined brightly in the lovely clear blue sky, complimenting it ever so perfectly.  Akira couldn’t ask for a better day to hang out with Ann.  He rounded the corner to see the plaza of buildings and people.  The arcade, the Big Bang Burger, Untouchable, the bookstore, and all of Akira’s other hangout and work spots he frequented when he wasn’t with friends, at school, or plunging deep into the dark heart of a parallel psionic dimension existing parallel to his own.  Thinking about it all in context nearly made Akira’s head spin.  Morgana poked his head out of his brown leather satchel to survey the area.

“I wonder where Lady Ann could be in this maze of people,” the cat inquired.

“Would be hard to miss her,” Akira said.

“Yeah,” Morgana said in a dreamlike state.  “Her beauty is unparalleled and radiates such energy that only a fool could miss it.”  He fluttered his eyes while Akira squinted at him bewilderedly through his peripheral.

“…Well, I guess that’s one way to put it-”

“Look!  There she is!”  Morgana pointed his paw as a crowd parted, showcasing Ann before the both of them.  Being a day off from school, Ann had replaced her school uniform for more casual attire.  She wore a black tank top with white lettering on it, red sunglasses hanging from her collar.  A red flannel shirt was tied around her waist with matching red sneakers.  It didn’t take much of a genius to figure out Ann’s favorite color was red.  What caught both Akira and Morgana’s attention, in particular, were her denim shorts, showing off a generous amount of thigh.  Even from a distance, the skin looked smooth and silky.  Shorts.  Something about them just got to Akira in some way.  Maybe it the denim, maybe it was how close they hugged her form.  Although, they were not the only two to have taken notice.

Two boys were standing in front of Ann, chatting away with rather confident looks on their faces.  Ann, however, appeared nonplussed.  She had her arms folded and was turned away.  The boys prattled on and gestured, missing all the hints she was dropping.  As Akira approached, one boy flicked his wrist at Ann and guided his cohort away.  One boy was much thinner than the other and with hair of equal unkemptness to Akira’s, but significantly greasier.  His friend had much tidier hair but was way rounder.

“Yeesh, how stuck up,” the heavier set boy said.

“Guess Kamoshida’s former bitch is too good for young dick,” his greasy companion replied.  Akira’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance, and Morgana hissed at them.

“Lemme at ‘em!” he sneered.

“Let it go,” Akira said flatly, attention fixated on Ann.  “Not worth it.”  What a mood dampener.  Even after all the spotlight shed on Kamoshida, some people still turned to sullying Ann’s good name out of sexual frustration.  Ann rubbed her forehead in frustration and looked up to see Akira before her.  Her scowl evaporated immediately, replaced with a pleasant and relieved smile.  Akira smirked at her in return.  “Guess we came just in time, eh?”  Morgana peered over his shoulder with concern.

“Lady Ann, did those boys hurt you in any way?  Offend your honor?”  The blonde dismissively waved a hand in their direction.

“It’s nothing,” she assured them.  “Just some assholes trying to get some from me.”

“I figured as much,” Akira said flatly.  “Couple of shit talkers, those two.  Taking behind your back while they walked off.”  Ann smirked dryly and folded her arms, leaning back on her left leg.

“Let me guess.  Something involving Kamoshida?”

“You guessed it.”  Ann let out a heavy sigh, chewing on the inside of her cheek.  Her lips were puckered and formed into a frown.

“Of course.”  Akira placed his hands in his pockets and shook his head.

“Sorry about those guys.  They’re idiots.”  Ann merely shrugged.

“At this point, I’m used to it.”

“You shouldn’t have to be.”  Ann shrugged once more.  She didn’t disagree, and it wasn’t as though their words didn’t bother her.  They were just irritating to deal with.  But they were just that: words.  Far be it for her to get hung up on what someone else thinks of her.  Morgana leaned forward, balancing himself on Akira’s shoulder.

“Don’t let them besmirch you like that, Lady Ann!  Show them your fiery fury!”  Akira held his finger and thumb together, pointing them at his feline companion.

“You’re laying it on a bit thick there,” he said.  Ann let out an amused huff of air through her nose and shook her head.  It was always funny to see him exchange banter with Morgana.  Mostly because the cat was greatly outclassed by Akira’s wit.  Most people generally were.

“Anyway, enough of those guys.  Let’s have some fun.  I had something particular planned, but…”  She limply kicked a rock on the ground, making it skid across the pavement.  Ann honestly hadn’t planned this far ahead.  Rather foolish as Akira wouldn’t have a reason to decline her invitation to come out here.  But to have him actually be here and ask him to do this?  Suddenly a lot more nerve-wracking. 

“But what?”

“We’ll do anything you ask, Lady Ann.”

“It’s a little embarrassing,” Ann said.  “You see… there’s this movie I wanna see.  _Love Possibly_.”

“Oh,” Akira said slowly in realization.  “A chick flick, eh?”  Her cheeks pinkened a little bit at his words.  Ordinarily, she would’ve asked Shiho to watch such a thing with her.  And they’d shed a few tears as they got immersed in the experience.  But that wasn’t an option available to her.  So she had to ask a boy.  A boy in her social group very close to her.  Her best friend and leader of the Phantom Thieves. 

“That figures,” Morgana said teasingly.

“The main thing is that I get kind of weepy at these things, and it’ll be embarrassing watching it by myself.”  Akira couldn’t help but snicker at her bashfulness.  Ann being shy?  This wasn’t something he saw much of.  Matter of fact, Ann typically beamed with confidence.  He had to admit it was rather adorable.  “B-but I mean, if it doesn’t interest you, it’s totally fine.  I get it, it’s not really a guy thing.  We can do something else if you’re-“

“Sounds good to me.” Ann’s eyes lit up like fireworks at his response.

“You’re serious?”  Akira gave a single nod.

“Yeah.  I’m not too big into chick flicks, but you wanna see it.  And you’re insistent on not going alone so I may as well.  Plus, you never know.  Might be fun.”

“That’s the spirit, Akira!” Morgana said, tail curling around his neck.

“Yes!” Ann said excitedly, pumping her fist.  “Thank you so much!”  She was excitable as can be for the opportunity.  She had partially expected him to decline but was ecstatic to spend some time with him.  To sweeten the deal, she paid for their popcorn and drinks despite his protests.  He even offered to pay for both of theirs.  Akira truly was a gentleman.

 _Love Possibly_ proved to be a bit more complex of a film than Akira had assumed.  An ensemble film starring many famous Japanese actors showcasing different love stories all intermingling at points.  Akira was rather surprised to see just how packed the theater was, full of couples.  Like he and Morgana, no doubt they were there at the behest of their girlfriends and wives.  The movie wavered in how it held Akira’s attention, more so than Morgana who fell asleep halfway through, but Ann had his eye throughout.  Akira didn’t find the film as engaging as Ann did but had to admit to himself that a couple parts did moisten his eyes a bit.  Thankfully, the theater was dark, and both Ann and Morgana were too distracted to notice.

The whole time, Ann was holding back tears.  Her crystal blue eyes were running with heartache and passion as the characters in the film ensnared her heart.  Though she couldn’t let them flow as freely as she did when it was just Shiho.  Akira wouldn’t judge her for her emotional state, that much she knew.  But it didn’t make him seeing her cry and less embarrassing.  The blonde was glad Morgana had come along this time.  At first, she wished it had just been the two of them, but she wasn’t sure she could handle the anxiety of being alone with Akira at a PG-13 romantic dramedy film.

The film ended and was greeted by thunderous applause by the women.  A couple men clapped enthusiastically, but most of the testosterone portion of the room gave mild golf claps to appease their women.  Akira and Ann left the theater with Morgana rising from the satchel.

“I used up two packs of pocket tissues,” Ann said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.  Akira let out a hearty chuckle.  “Don’t make fun!  It was a good movie!”

“I’m glad you liked it,” Akira said with a sincere smile.  “It was well put together, I’ll give them that.”

“Sorry you had to see me look like a blubbery mess.  It’s a little embarrassing to get worked up over something so cheesy, huh?”

“Nothing wrong with a little cheese.  Plus, there’s nothing wrong with crying at a movie.  It’s a good thing to let yourself be emotional.  If something touched you in such a way, that’s a good thing, isn’t it?”  Akira smirked and playfully shrugged.  Ann giggled in amusement at his profoundness.  Even with something as simple as watching a movie, Akira managed to find a way for her to learn something.

“I guess girls like me want that perfect, romantic kind of you see in the movies.  I mean, I’m not really big into that cheesy kind of dating stuff, but it’s fun to fantasize about, right?” 

“I can understand the appeal of that.  Everybody loves a good idyllic fantasy here and there.”  Ann nodded and gave him a warm appreciative smile.

“Thanks for going along with it.  That movie wasn’t geared toward guys at all so it must’ve been a chore for you.”

“Nah,” Akira said earnestly.  “It’s not my forte, but I can appreciate something different every once and a while.  I like testing the waters and seeing new things.”  Ann giggled at his enthusiasm.

“That’s one of the reasons why I like you, Akira,” she said.  “You’re so out of the box.”  Morgana leaned forward on his shoulder with starry eyes.

“Akira and I like to indulge in our sensitive sides,” the cat gloated.  “A gentleman always knows when to approach a situation with grace and care, the likes of which can only be founded with love and care.”  Akira rolled his eyes at his feline companion but couldn’t help but find some charm in Morgana’s attempt.

“Anything else on the agenda, Ann?”  Ann pursed her lips and rubbed a finger along her chin as she contemplated what the rest of the day could offer.

“Not sure,” she admitted.  “I could go for something sweet.”

“Hmm… How about we try and hit up the crepe shop again?  And hopefully not be interrupted this time.”  Things were going so well today, but if she had to see Mika of all days, Ann would positively scream.

“Ooh!” Ann exclaimed.  “Good idea!  I hope the double cream is still half off!”

“How about you, Morgana?”  Sweets.  Akira should have foreseen such a decision.  Her sweet tooth was part of her charm.  A childlike fascination with confectionaries.  The cat yawned and hopped out from his satchel.

“Think I’ll head back to LeBlanc,” he said.  “I could use a nap.”

“Bye, Morgana!” Ann said with a wave.  The cat’s eyes lit up with wonder as she said his name.  Her happy face enraptured his mind.

“Goodbye, Lady Ann.”  Morgana bowed gracefully before her.  “May we meet again.”  With that, he began to prance through the crowd.

“Are you sure he’ll be okay on his own?” Ann asked.

“Oh yeah,” Akira said, nodding.  “He goes off on his own sometimes when I’m working or doing stuff with the others.  I swear, he knows the city better than I do at this point.”  Ann giggled, holding a hand over her mouth.  Akira couldn’t help but smile at her.  Though he often made fun of Morgana for how overly extravagant he was in admiring her, the boy couldn’t deny his words had some weight to them.  She truly was a treasure all her own.  Unparalleled in beauty and heart.

“I’m gonna use the bathroom.  You mind getting me one?  I’ll pay you back.”

“Ah, it’s no big deal.  I’ll spot you.”  She thanked him and wandered off while Akira stepped in line.  The crowd was fairly small for a Sunday so his wait consisted of about two minutes.  The fifty-percent off deal was still in effect.  Akira clenched his fist in victory at his luck.  Two bowls of double cream made their way into his hands, with yen making its way into the owner’s.  He eyed the cream with anticipation, the confectionary looking delightful.  He could practically taste it just by looking at it.

“Yo, transfer student.”  Akira turned around to see an unfortunate sight.  The two boys from earlier had made their way back.

 _Great,_ he thought to himself.  Still, to keep things civil, he acted on his best behavior.  “Hey, fellas.  How we doing?”

“Pretty alright,” the greasy haired one said.  “Saw you were hanging out with Kamoshida’s old girl.”  Akira’s eyebrow twitched at his comment.  Didn’t take long at all.  It was bound to happen eventually.  Somebody thinking with their lower head instead of their upper one and giving Ann trouble.

“She’s not his ‘girl’, just so you know,” he said calmly.  “She turned him down.  Never was interested in him to begin with.”  The other boy scoffed.

“Whatever, buddy.  You’re just saying that so you can get you some.  Being the nice guy to net her, eh?  Pretty good strategy.” 

“Or because she’s my friend,” Akira stated with a shrug.

“You don’t hang out with a girl that fine and not have ulterior motives, dude,” the shaggy boy said.  Akira shut his eyes and shook his head glumly at them. 

“You guys don’t get out much, do you?” he asked.

“That’s just the way of life, man,” the shaggy boy replied.  “Every man is after pussy, and Takamaki is prime tail.  Now that she’s back on the market with Kamoshida gone, we got a chance.”  Akira wanted to vomit.  But the cream was just too good to not keep down.

“Which begs the question: why’s she hanging out with you?  She could do much better.”  Akira glanced flatly between the shaggy and portly boys. 

“And you two are the better alternative apparently.  Is the bar that low?”  The heavier boy huffed through his nose.

“You talk a lot of shit, transfer student, but you got no chance with Takamaki.”

“Well, she’s hanging out with me and not you, so…”  Akira shrugged, smirking comically at them.  He dipped his head down to the cup of cream in his right hand and licked it.  The boy smacked his lips as he tasted it.  “This cream bitter?  No?  Must just be you then.”  The shaggy boy sneered with contempt back at him.

“Don’t think just because you got a couple clever comebacks means Takamaki will give it up for you.  That slut only gives it up for older guys, I hear.”  Akira merely rolled his eyes.

“You only call her a slut because she won’t sleep with you.  Sounds like a problem with you guys, not her.  Because if you were as good as you imagine yourselves to be, we wouldn’t be having this conversation to begin with.”  The shaggy boy threw up his hand dismissively at him.

“Whatever, transfer boy.”  He skulked away with his portly sidekick in tow.  Akira scoffed and shook his head in disgust.

“Tck.  Dickheads.”

“Pricks,” a feminine voice said. Akira turned around to see Ann standing there, glaring in the direction of the boys.  Arms folded and lips pursed.

“How much did you hear?”

“All of it,” she said.  “I just hopped out and heard you dealing with their shit.  You know, you really kept yourself calm.”  Akira smirked with satisfaction and shrugged.

“They’re not worth the effort of getting worked up over.  Just treat them like a minor inconvenience, and they shrivel up and scurry away.  I’ve dealt with pricks like them before.  This is par for the course in high school.”  He handed her the cream in his left hand.  Ann looked down at it as she took it, stirring the cream with the plastic spoon.

“I’ve dealt with those guys before.  All talk but no balls.  Just your standard wannabe macho guys.  Thanks for sticking up for me, by the way…”

“No problem.  Hey, let’s go find a seat.”  She nodded, and Akira led her to an empty picnic table close by.  The area was thankfully vacant of many people.  It was a little bit before noon so they had some time.  Akira dined on his cream, able to now fully appreciate the rich flavor now that the boys were gone.  Ann ate hers quite swiftly, pouting as she did so.  Akira couldn’t help but chuckle at her expression.  He hadn’t seen her this worked up since Mika getting the best of her before.  “You eat when you’re mad?”

“Maybe,” she said, pouting in a rather adorable fashion.  She slowed down and resolved to stir the cream in its bowl.  “Ugh.  I try not to let it bug me, but to hear comments like that after all we’ve done is just…”

“I know.  I know.”  Akira placed his hand on her shoulder.  “Don’t let those guys get to you, alright.  They’re full of shit.”

“You’re right, but still…”  She looked off in the direction the boys had gone.  No sign of them.  She scoffed and placed a spoonful of cream into her mouth.  “Assholes.”  Akira smirked with satisfaction at her fire that refused to be sullied by some ignorant punks.  He tapped the rim of his bowl with his spoon as he thought of better subjects to discuss.

“The cream is really good,” he admitted.  “Shiho will approve.”  A small smile appeared on Ann’s face.

“Yeah,” she said.  “I should ask to see if she’s allowed to have some.  She’s on a sort of special diet for her rehabilitation and all that.”

“I don’t see why not,” Akira said.  “Dairy and sugar are good for you.  Strengthens bones and gives you energy.”  Ann giggled.

“That your official diagnosis, Doctor Akira?” 

“Pfffffft.”  Akira laughed silently at her.  His laugh and wit brought a brief smile to her face.  Her mood sullied a bit as she thought more about Shiho while staring into the cup.  Her bright blue eyes were dulled with sadness.

“Shiho…” she whispered.  A heavy sigh escaped her chest.  Standing atop the school rooftop.  Plummeting towards the ground.  There wasn’t a day that went by where she didn’t think about it at least once, no matter how brief.  It would haunt and follow her forever.  “Akira?  Do you ever wonder how things could’ve been different?”  The boy gave her a somber slow nod.

“Plenty of times.  But you’ll drive yourself nuts stressing over things you can’t change.  The past is the past.  All you can do is focus on the now.”  A hypocritical notion for him to preach, given that every night before bed his mind always drifted to the court trial.  To that night where his world was turned upside down because of the greed of one man.

“I gotcha, but…”  Ann chewed on her bottom lip.  “I’m just thinking about Shiho.  Kamoshida and all the rumors.  Just…”  She inhaled softly through her nose and rested her head on her arm.  “I know it’s wrong, but I sometimes feel if I had just done what Kamoshida asked me, then maybe none of this would’ve happened-“

“Now you know that’s not true,” Akira stated, pointing at her.  “Don’t do that to yourself.  Not again.  If it hadn’t been for you, Kamoshida would still be at Shujin Academy abusing students.  You owe it to yourself to find forgiveness and solace in that.”  Ann nodded, hearing his words but not fully listening to them. 

“But if I had gone along with it, Shiho wouldn’t be in this situation.  She wouldn’t have tried to jump off the roof.”

“Then for all we know, it would’ve been you to jump off that roof,” Akira said.  “Pushed to the edge by Kamoshida’s sexual abuse.  You’d be laid up in a hospital, and Shiho would be guilting herself just like you are now.  And for all we know, you wouldn’t have been as lucky as her.  Now tell me: is that truly the better outcome?”  Ann chewed on her bottom lip as she stared at him, thinking over his words.

“W-well….”  Her lips dried out from the warm air.  “But…”  She let out a defeated sigh and shook her head.  “No.”  How many times they had this conversation, she had lost count.  And it would always boil down to the same conclusion.  She blamed herself, and he tried to bludgeon through her guilty with hard reasoning.  And he could bludgeon pretty hard.  Akira never wavered in his resolve either.  Always consistent, sticking to his guns.  Then again, so did she.  Guilt didn’t easily subside, after all.

“Exactly,” he said with a stern nod.  He leaned forward, eyeing her with great determination.  “You didn’t do anything wrong.  Kamoshida was the adult, the teacher.  His responsibility was to protect and help the students.  He failed on both accounts.  The fault lies with him, not you.”  Ann limply nodded, hand shifting to rub the back of her neck.

“I hate it when you’re right.”

“Do you?” Akira asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.  Ann pursed her lips, biting down on the bottom to prevent herself from smiling.

“…No.”  Akira let out an amused cackle.  “I’m glad you’re our leader, Akira.  You really hold everything together.”

“Just doing my best.  Plus, I got a great team backing me up and keeping me going.  That helps.  A little.”  Ann gave off a small smile and finished her cream.

“Sometimes, I just wish we were powerful over here too,” she said.  “Not just in Mementos.”  Akira nodded in agreement.

“I know the feeling,” he relented.  “Over there, we have greater strength.  Personas, advanced combat skills, stylish outfits.”

“We are pretty stylish,” Ann admitted.  “Although, I think you’re the most stylish out of all of us.”  Akira smirked with satisfaction.

“Well, I don’t mean to brag, but I can pull off a trenchcoat rather well.  Although you’re pretty stylish herself.”  Ann’s cheeks pinkened a bit.

“I still think my outfit is a bit much.”  The catsuit overwhelmed her every time she donned it inside the Metaverse.  Well, “donned” is a bit generous.  Wasn’t as though she had a choice in the matter.  But Akira liked it so it made wearing it more tolerable.

“Morgana likes it.”

“Of course, he does.  He has no choice but to love a catsuit.”  The two shared a hearty laugh together, the breeze cooling them down under the sun’s heat.  “I think I know how Ryuji feels.  I’m a little restless with no new target and Kaneshiro locked up.”

“I can sympathize with that,” Akira said.  “I’m liking our downtime right now, but I do feel that itch, you know?  The desire to cut loose and venture into the shadows to fight.  I’ve been training a little bit at home, but it doesn’t have the same effect on me mentally as gunning down a demon or punching in some monster’s head.”

“Have you checked the website lately?” Ann asked.  “Does Mishima have anything?”  Akira scrolled through his phone to his previous messages.  Sure enough, a few requests had been dropped in his inbox.

“A good handful of stuff.  Want me to gather the guys, and we’ll go to Mementos?”

“Don’t bother,” Ann said.  “Everyone else was busy today.  I texted them earlier to see if anybody wanted to hang out with us.  Yusuke says he’ll be busy with some new art project of his, Makoto is studying for college entrance exams again, and Ryuji is helping out his mom.”

“Well, that’s nice of him,” Akira admitted.

“Yeah,” Ann said, nodding in agreement.  “But it means we’re several people down.”

“And Morgana doesn’t have a cell phone so we can’t contact him.”  Ann sighed, leaning her head on her hand.  “Guess we’re on hiatus.”  An idea came to Ann’s head.  It was a bit of a long shot, but Akira seemed reasonable enough.

“Hey, maybe after tomorrow’s fireworks festival… just the two of _us_ go?”  Akira blinked at her in surprise.  “Like a secret mission?  Kind of like what you and Makoto are planning on doing.”  Akira furrowed his brow, and he pondered his chin.

“Hmm… it’s risky going in with just two people,” he said.  “We don’t know how deep Mementos goes, and it’ll be time-consuming to travel without Morgana.  And there’s always the threat of the Reaper.”  The name sent a chill down Ann’s spine.  When they had first entered Mementos, Morgana warned them of this mysterious Reaper.  His presence would spell certain death, but they had never seen him.  Sometimes, Akira even forgot it existed.  Still, the idea of some monster lurking down there made her anxious.  “But we did clear out the first couple of levels.  The shadows down there are baby tier.  Easy kills and they drop decent loot.  Plus, there’s a few smaller subzones we never bothered to explore.  Those contracts need filling.  And the money we gain would help us out in the long run…”  Akira went silent as he mused to himself some more, his fingers and thumb on his left hand stroking his cheeks all the way up to the point of his chin.  “Ah, what the hell.  We'll pencil in a time for us to go.  Just the two of us.”

“Yes!” Ann cheered, rising from her seat with anticipation.  “I can’t wait to whip some shadows into shape!”  Akira rose up and discarded their empty cups into the trash.

“That’s the spirit,” he said, grinning afterward. Akira loved seeing her fired up like this.  It only served to make her more attractive.  If that was even possible.

* * *

_7/18/17 – Monday_

The heat was bearing down more than usual, even deep within the subway tunnels.  The night did little to stave off the warm air that permeated over the city.  Though the temperature was sweltering, it would do little to detract from the beauty of the fireworks.  Soon, it would be time for the fireworks to shoot off into the night sky, dazzling the populace below.

Akira waited within the tunnels below with Ryuji, Yusuke, and Morgana.  Ann and Makoto were running a bit behind, much to Ryuji’s annoyance.

“It’s so hoooooot…” the blond boy groaned.  Even in his casual summer clothing of a yellow tank top and khakis, he was sweating.  Akira felt a moistness on the back of his neck but possessed a higher heat tolerance than his friend.  Not by much though.  He’d embrace being cooped up inside the cool classroom all day in place of this evening inferno.

“I feel like I’m being baked,” Morgana moaned from within Akira’s satchel.

“Yeah, that fur can’t be doing anything for you,” Akira commented.  The satchel’s shade did little to keep the cat cool, and the metro tunnels’ ventilation was on the fritz.  Thus, the boys had no choice but to endure.

“Those girls are way too late…”  Akira eyed his friend warily out of fear of him collapsing.

“It must be taking time for them to put on the yukata,” Yusuke said.  The heat did little to phase the young artist, his blue yukata and hair neatly resting upon his body.  “Why aren’t you two wearing one?”

“I don’t got clothes like yukata,” Ryuji said, a tad embarrassed.

“And I’m too busy pouring all my funds into the you-know-what,” Akira said.  After Ryuji had blown their cover with Makoto, Akira wished to retain some semblance of ambiguity.  Though it would grow rather difficult with their increasing roster of Phantom Thieves.  “So I have barely enough for train fare and feeding both me and Morgana.”

“I figured you’d budget for the occasion, Akira,” Yusuke stated.  “You always go on about how much you adore your outfit in Mementos.”  The boy smiled at being called out in such a way.  It was rather amusing whenever he bantered. 

“A yukata won’t help us out in Mementos.  Weapons and medicine will, however.  It’s all about priorities.”  Though part of him did wish he had one.  No doubt it would impress Ann.  He was rather lacking in any sort of formal wear.  Well, he had a tie and some collared shirts but such things hardly seemed appropriate for the occasion.  He was attending a fireworks festival, not going to a job interview. 

“Man, you look way too normal in that.”  Ryuji’s eyes trailed up and down Yusuke’s outfit.

“People often say that to me.”  The artist reached down to adjust his yellow sash, keeping it snug.  Just as his eye for precision on the page was, it was equally honed in on his fashion.  Though not to the extent of Ann.  She severely outclassed all of them. 

“By the way, about the exams…”  Ryuji fidgeted with his foot with obvious discomfort.  Just like last time, his facial expression betrayed his lack of confidence. 

“Man, I don’t even wanna think about exams right now.  I can go my entire life without touching a single pencil.” 

“What’re _you_ worried about?  You got an A last time!”  Morgana immediately erupted from within Akira’s satchel with newfound energy.

“I bet you got a big fat F on them!” he taunted.  Ryuji glared at the cat with great annoyance.

“Shuddup!  We-we don’t know that yet!”

“For your sake, I hope you did fairly decent,” Akira said.  The thought of Ryuji’s grades earning the ire of Makoto had him praying for his mortal soul.  The sound of wooden sandals clacking on the floor drew their attention.  Two girls stood before them, but neither were Ann or Makoto.  One wore a pink yukata with roses while the other wore a black yukata with pink and red flowers.

“Heeeey,” the girl in the pink said enthusiastically, eyeing Yusuke.  “Are you going to the fireworks festival?” 

“That’s right,” Yusuke stated, his attention not fully focused on them.  His aloofness only served to draw them further in.  Though the artist remained completely unaware of their interest in him. 

“Us too!” the girl in the black said, inching a bit closer to him.  “Wanna go together?”  Ryuji’s eyes widened with anticipation.

“Dude,” he said to Akira.  “Are we getting hit on?”

“We?”  The two girls’ eyes never left Yusuke’s direction, making it fairly evident who their real target was.  Akira merely sighed at his friend’s naivety.  Sometimes he wished he could live in whatever illusions Ryuji concocted.  The girl in the pink giggled shyly.  Ryuji clutched Akira’s shoulder while sporting the biggest grin.  He was living for this moment.

“Are you seein’ this?”  The boy phased out of the conversation and instead became lost in his own little world.  Content to observe the world around him while Ryuji and Yusuke tended to the girls.  Though it was hard to observe much of anything since it had all been reduced to blurs and smudges.  Because of his lack of a yukata, Ann insisted he arrive without his glasses just to look different for the occasion.  This came at the price of being completely nearsighted.  Morgana had to act as his eyes while navigating to their train.  It was strange, not being able to see.  With great clarity could he see in the Metaverse.  His time in Mementos and his magic abilities greatly amplified his strength and stamina, it couldn’t do anything for his bad eyes.  Though, he made sure to keep them in his front pocket.  By no means did he plan on going the entire night near blind.

“Do you happen to be a model?” the girl in black asked, giggling with joy at Yusuke.  “You look great in that yukata.”  Ryuji pulled Akira in close, still grinning.  His excitement was through the roof.

“Waitin’ around’s a pain, so can we just go with these chicks?” he asked.  Akira merely gazed at him flatly.  “The ratio of guys to girls is off, but we can do something about that later.”

“You’re still going with this “we” thing, huh.”  He didn’t have the heart to tell his friend of the girls’ true interest, even though the act of pulling the rug out from underneath him would’ve been fairly enjoyable. 

“That’s enough,” Yusuke stated sternly.  Their eyes collectively fixed on him in surprise and confusion.  Rarely did he speak with such vitriol.  At least not since defending Madarame.  “You’re disgracing your yukata.  You should be more aware of your womanhood.”  The girls merely shook their heads at him and headed off, leaving a dumbfounded Ryuji in their wake.

“How could you?”  His voice resonated with heartbreak.  It was so meek and comical, Akira almost laughed.

“Why don’t you go after them then?”  The three boys and the cat turned to see Ann and Makoto finally arrive.  Ryuji did a double take while Yusuke and Morgana stared in awe.  Akira donned his glasses to take them into full view and found himself pleasantly surprised.  More than, in fact.  The girls looked absolutely fantastic, but he found himself drawn to Ann more so.  She wore an ocean blue yukata with a red sash, with yellow, red, pink, and white circles adorning the fabric.  He could scarcely take his eyes off her.  It hugged her slender form so closely, an almost bloom emanating around her.  Though that may have been because of the subway lights. 

“Wow… you guys look great.”  The girls gave him a pleased smile.  But Ann’s resonated more strongly with his compliment.  She sported that beaming expression Akira had come to find comfort in.  The blonde switched to a playful smirk and tapped her brow, earning a raised eyebrow from him.

“You’re not supposed to be wearing your glasses, remember?”  Akira nodded and removed them promptly.  He missed being able to see with clarity.  Although, strangely enough, Ann was still crystal clear to him.  “Ooh, you look so different without them!”

It was neat to witness for herself.  To see his view not obscured by either frames or mask.  She had to admit he was rather handsome.  Not to say the mask or glasses distracted from that.  Far from it.  But to get a greater image of him, even if it might be just for tonight.  It sent a jolt of excitement into her little heart. 

 “So _those_ are the kind of girls you like, Ryuji,” Makoto said.  The women from before had already moved on to another target.  A tall looking guy – much older – wore a sleek looking yukata with dark coloration.  Makoto’s tone resonated with content, something the boy definitely picked up on.  He floundered about trying to make an excuse while the girls teased him and Yusuke. 

“You know, Yusuke’s such a pretty boy, but he is really missing out because of what he says,” Ann said.

“I guess,” Makoto said.  “But he’s more likable since he stays true to his ideals.  Definitely more than somebody I know.”  While Ryuji was being grilled, Morgana eyed Yusuke apprehensively from within the satchel.

 _P-pretty boy?_ the cat thought himself.  _Sh-she thinks he’s pretty?  Oh no, this isn’t good!_ His mind began to reel with conjured images of Yusuke with Ann on his arm, her eyelashes fluttering as she gazed at the artist longingly.  He panicked and began rambling to himself inanely about the need to return to his human state as quickly as possible.

“I-I heard Ryuji’s pretty much failed his exams!” Morgana blurted out.  Makoto’s auburn eyes narrowed as she glared daggers through the blond boy. 

“Oh?” 

“Mona, you little-“  Ryuji glanced away from the girls but could still feel the steam emanating from his neck.  Makoto’s gaze was fierce and fiery, rivaling even Ann’s.  It now began to occur to Akira just how outclassed the guys were.  Even if the girls were outmatched two to four, they sure could command a presence.

He made a mental note to help Ryuji study more thoroughly for the next exams.  Otherwise, Makoto might make him eat the books in order to try and retain the knowledge.  Although, perhaps it might actually help him.

* * *

 

The streets of Tokyo were packed with people lining the sidewalk for a chance to see the sky light up in sparks.  People had been anticipating the fireworks display for weeks now, and it was expected to dazzle everyone set against the glowing neon city lights.  A kaleidoscope of colors and intensity.  That was the idea, the fantasy.  And the sky even began to light up with a few early ones.  Reds and orange dotted the night sky like multicolored stars raining down. 

And then the rain came.

Disappointment washed over the populace faster than the water did.  The Phantom Thieves stood miserably in front of a convenience store, tucked out of the downpour.  The rug swept out from under them.  Literally in this case, as the shopkeepers brought it inside.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Akira groaned dryly.

“Why now?” Makoto said.  This was supposed to be her celebratory induction.  Their good luck never seemed to last long. 

“Ain’t this like a sign of bad luck or something?” Ryuji asked.  Akira merely shrugged and drew his glasses.  With all the rain, the festival would definitely be canceled.  Not like he’d miss much, unable to see them and all.  Though it was a shame the others had to be deprived of the opportunity. 

The lot of them had gotten relatively soaked before they could make it to cover.  Makoto had planned ahead in her case by dabbing at her damp hair with a small cloth brought from home.  Ann, however, had gotten the worst of it, her yukata soaked by accidentally stepping into a freshly formed puddle.  The blonde girl set to work ringing out the water, unaware of the display she was making.  Holding a decent sized amount of cloth in her hands revealed a generous amount of thigh. 

Akira froze in place as she inadvertently showed her leg to him.  The water had dampened her skin resulting in her thighs having a slight gloss to them.  Streams of rain trailed down her long leg tantalizingly.  Her skin was pure and clear enough already, and the water only seemed to amplify this fact.  That shine from the light reflecting off the damp and pale form.  The trickles descending down to kiss her legs with their cool touch.  As strange as it was, Akira found himself a bit jealous of the water.  To be as close to Ann as they were.  Her natural beauty accentuated by the yukata, the wet shiny skin, the warm evening air.  What gave her the right to be so damn attractive? 

Though he was not the only boy to notice as Ryuji and Yusuke joined him in ogling her.  The latter attempted to be somewhat subtle while Ryuji’s eyes remained as wide as dinner plates.  Akira swore he might as well have been eyeing up a rack of ribs.  Morgana peaked out from underneath the satchel with his blue eyes lighting up almost as brightly as the fireworks did the night sky. 

“Meow-velous~” Morgana purred softly, positively enraptured.

“God, shut up,” Akira muttered back.  That was twice the cat had gotten him with that pun.  Twice too many.  As he turned away from his companions, Ann took center stage once more.  The street lights cast a slight glow around her, almost heavenly in appearance.  The mist that had formed from the rather heavy downpour was to thank.  Guess this washout wasn’t all bad.  And Ann was thankfully too engrossed in wringing out water to take notice of them. 

But Makoto wasn’t.

The student council president eyed the three boys with an amused smirk.  Akira’s breath caught in his throat as the two of them locked eyes.  He had been caught.

 _SHIT!_ he thought to himself.

“Ann,” she said softly.  Swiftly as he could, Akira returned his glasses back to his pocket.  If he couldn’t see, he couldn’t be called out, right? 

“Yeah?” the blonde asked.  Makoto gingerly tipped her head towards the boys.  The three of them stood at attention with rather stiff posture.  Making sure to look anywhere and everywhere but directly at them.  The wore their most inconspicuous expressions which only served to make them stand out more accordingly.  Ryuji’s made him look the guiltiest.  Of what, Ann couldn’t decipher.  She turned back to Makoto and shrugged, who then pointed down to her leg.  The blonde looked down at her bare leg and blinked.  She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to be viewing.  It was just her leg.  Granted, it was rather wet and shiny.  And the yukata was hiked up a bit.  All the way up to her thigh.

The realization hit her like a ton of bricks, and her face exploded with redness that rivaled the fans on Makoto’s white yukata.

“Come on!” she said, frowning at them.  Flustered over a mere thigh. 

“Looks like you need help…” he muttered innocently out of the corner of his mouth.  She latched onto his tank top and shook him.

“Then why don’t you go buy me a towel already, huh?”  Akira smirked to himself at seeing Ryuji get berated by Ann once again.  Something about her ribbing him never failed to amuse.  Her verbal onslaught was interrupted as a voice came over the city loudspeakers.

“Due to the sudden change in weather, a heavy rain and flood warning has been issued nearby.  Since the festival cannot proceed in this weather, we truly apologize for canceling today’s fireworks show.”  A collective sigh rang out from the group as they shuffled inside the store and out of the rain.

“Great,” Akira said dryly to himself at the turn of events.  “Amazing, fantastic, absolutely fucking perfect.”  All around them were people huddled in groups, yukatas and summer clothes drenched like theirs.  And they all shared his dissatisfied sentiment.

“Look how crowded it is,” Ryuji noted.

“I guess everyone had the same idea,” Ann said somberly.  She had been looking forward to the fireworks display more than any of them only to be greeted with such a lackluster evening.  The girls began to talk amongst themselves about someone else Makoto saw while Akira traded his satchel to Yusuke.

“Hold this for a bit.”  He donned his glasses once more wandered to the back of the store.  An idea donned in Ryuji’s head as he made eye contact with the little cat.

“Ooh!  Time to show your skills, Mona!  We need you as a car!”

“It’s not possible in the real world!” the cat scoffed.  Despite their playful banter, Ann was quite glum about the whole ordeal.  The one chance to celebrate, and it had flown out the window.  As to when they’d have another opportunity was beyond her.

“My feet hurt, it’s cold, the festival’s been canceled.  This sucks.”  They all mirrored her downtrodden mindset, huddling together out of the cold rain inside a cramped little store.  The complete shift from fun to frustration hit them with such whiplash.

“We made such a commotion with the public, and this is what we get?  Laaame.”  Ryuji sighed and limply shrugged with disappointment.

“Here you go, ladies,” Akira said, rounding the corners.  In his hand were two white towels.  Nice and pristine for the both of them.  “Something to dry yourselves off.”

“Sweet!” Ann said, taking hers up eagerly.  The girls swiftly tended to their damp bodies.  But Ann made quite sure to avoid the hair.  It might have been soaked, but there was no way she’d allow herself to have a bad hair day.  “Thanks, Akira.”

“How much do we owe you?” Makoto asked.

“Forget about it,” he insisted.  “Barely anything.”

“Hey, Akira,” Ryuji said.  “Aren’t heroes that lurk in the shadows boring?”

“Like what do you mean?”  Akira retrieved his satchel back from Yusuke while Ryuji attempted to relay what he meant.

“You know.  Like just stayin’ quiet and lettin’ the fame pass you by.  I wanna change the world with a loud bang.  Like a huge firework!  Then again, we aren’t gonna find someone bigger than Kaneshiro that easily.”

“Baby steps, Ryuji,” he said, patting him on the shoulder.  “Can’t build a house in a day, you know.  Besides, look at all the good we did.  We stopped an abusive volleyball coach, an abusive plagiarizing artist, and a criminal involved with abusing the poor and underage.  We saved a lot of people.  That alone should be worth more than any fame or recognition can offer.”  Yusuke smiled softly and nodded.

“Akira is correct.  A good deed is its own reward.”

“True,” Ann said.  “Though it would be nice to get a “thank you” or something.  Just once.”

“I mean, it would be nice, but you don’t help people because you expect something in return,” Akira said.  “You do it because you should.  It’s the right thing to do.  Not getting recognition is fine by me.  Honestly, I prefer anonymity.  Means I have to watch my back less.”  Ryuji let out a heavy sigh.

“Why’s he gotta be so noble?”

“Nobility is the mark of the Phantom Thief,” Morgana stated, perching on Akira’s shoulder.  The boy smirked with amusement at his feline companion.  “Good to know you've learned at least something I’ve taught you.”  Akira merely rolled his eyes and just let the cat showboat.  In all honest, Akira couldn’t fault Ryuji for his desire to be acknowledged.  Everyone wanted to have their accomplishments be given attention.  It was just human nature.  But doing a good deed should be done because it’s good to do, not just to receive adoration.  It cheapens out the accomplishment as a whole and just makes it feel so fake.  Though by no means would Akira ever doubt the nobility in Ryuji’s heart.

Yusuke’s gaze drifted to the windows.  The view of the street was more definite.

“The rain is letting up.  Though it’s regrettable, we should go our separate ways for today.”

“Yeah,” Morgana said.  “Let’s go home.” 

“We’ll have to celebrate some other time, guys,” Akira said.  The group said their goodbyes and went off in different directions.  Akira touted Morgana in his satchel and left the store, meeting Ann outside.  She stared solemnly at the dreary sky, looking over to him with a sad smile.

“Would’ve been nice,” she said.  Akira merely nodded in agreement.

“Well, at least it’ll be a funny story to share with people later, huh?”  Ann let out an amused huff through her nose, her demeanor picking up.

“Shiho’ll definitely get a good laugh from it.”  Already was she buzzing with excitement at getting to tell her tomorrow.  Getting rained out, soaked, and catching the boys ogling some leg.  “Still, it’s a shame you don’t own a yukata.  I think you’d pull it off really well.”  She could just imagine it.  Him donning such a stark garment, his hair perhaps straightened just a bit.  Not that she disliked his shaggy hair.  Matter of fact, it retained a perfect messiness to it.

“When I have more money, I’ll invest in one,” he said.  The boy took a couple steps past her and lingered.  Just for a bit as he tried to read her intent.  “You uh… going my way?”  She looked up and faced the direction he was standing.

“My place is on the way to Leblanc so I guess I’ll let you tag along for a bit,” she said teasingly.  This caused the boy to wrinkle his nose in amusement, earning a laugh from her in return.

“Uh, I believe I asked _you_ to tag along.  Get your lore straight, first of all.”  Side by side they journeyed down the sidewalk.  The towel was still draped around Ann’s neck and was absorbing some of the dampness.  “Thanks again for the towel.  I wasn’t being serious when I told Ryuji to get one, but it’s a big help.”

“Not a problem, Ann.”  He looked up to the sky only to be greeted by clouds instead of stars.  “What a ripoff.  I like the rain.  Just not being caught in it.”  Ann nodded in agreement.

“Can you believe the guys staring at me like that?” Akira shook his head with a smirk.

“Bunch of animals, I tell you.  No class at all, right?”  This time, Ann was the one wrinkling her nose in amusement.  Watching him attempt to weasel his way out.

“You know, Makoto told me you were staring too.”

 _That goddamn snitch!_   Akira scratched the back of his head, laughing with embarrassment as she side-eyed him smugly.  Ratted out by his own teammate to his other teammate.  Not that he’d fault her.  Makoto was at least coming out of her shell and unwinding a bit.  A good sense of humor, she exhumed.  He probably would have blown the whistle on them staring too if he was her.

“You caught me,” he admitted, throwing his hands up.  No way he’d lie to get out of this one.  His code of honestly always held even in joking situations.  She nudged his ribs playfully.

“And you were gonna throw Ryuji and Yusuke under the bus!” she teased.  He shrugged comically.

“It was funny though.”  His gaze trailed her up and down.  With the murky weather, she stood out with her bright blue outfit.  Then again, in his mind, she always stood out from the rest.  “You know, you look really nice in that.”  She beamed at him warmly.  Morgana then burst from the satchel and leaned on Akira’s shoulder.

“Lady Ann’s already unparalleled natural beauty is only accentuated by the lovely flowing yukata.  Its bright coloration fits your loving self.”  Akira merely gazed ahead flatly, a look of annoyance on his face that tickled Ann pink.  She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her snickering.

“Thanks, Morgana,” Akira said flatly.  “I’m so glad you’re my wingman.”  The cat cleared his throat and patted his cheek.

“I think you mean that you are MY wingman, right?”  Akira rolled his eyes at his feline friend, which earned more giggles from Ann.

“Of course.  What was I thinking?”

“Hey, Akira,” Ann said, fiddling with her sash.  “You know all that stuff you said to Ryuji?”  Akira looked at her curiously and nodded.  “That was… really inspiring, to be honest.”  He blinked in surprise.  A confident and proud smile made its way onto his face.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” she said.  “Fame or recognition isn’t a deal to you.  You just like helping people.  It’s very noble.”

“Well, he learned from the best,” Morgana interrupted.  Akira merely shoved him back within the satchel.

“Zip it, cat boy,” he teased, ignoring the muffled protests coming from within.  

“That’s one of the reasons I like you so much, Akira,” Ann continued.  “Your kindness and resolve.  And you’ve got this air about you like you’ve got everything figured out ahead of time.”

“Pfft.”  Akira rubbed the back of his warm neck bashfully.  Not exactly used to compliments or being doted on.  “Truth be told, I usually just play all this by ear.”  She blinked at him, surprised.  He nodded back at her.  “True story.  I have no idea how all of this will go down.  I just roll with the punches and make the best of it.”

“Our leader has no idea what he’s doing,” she said teasingly.  “Now that inspires confidence.”  Akira smiled in amusement at her jests.

“I haven’t heard you complain before now, have I?”

“Fair enough.”  The two shared a laugh at Akira’s expense.  “It’s amazing to think about.  You basically improvise all our plans and yet manage to keep calm and collected the whole time.  Don’t you ever worry?”

“Sometimes,” Akira admitted.  Which was only half true.  He preferred to underplay his inner concerns and turmoil.  If he looked confident, it would make them feel confident, right?  “But then I remind myself of the team I have at my back and remember that everything will be fine.”  Ann smiled bashfully, playing with her sleeves.

“Oh, come on.  We only got this far because you’re our leader.”

“Honestly.”  He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.  “A leader is only as good as his team.  Let’s be honest.  You, Makoto, and Morgana are the only ones on this team with any real sense.  While Ryuji, Yusuke, and I are running ourselves ragged trying to shoot shadows full of holes, you guys are in the back making sure we don’t collapse mid-battle.”  He wagged a finger at her.  “And that’s not nothing.”  She giggled softly at him.

“Well, somebody has to keep you jackasses afloat,” she said.  It was true.  Their healing magic had saved their skins more times than Akira could count.  Only a couple times had they cut it too close for comfort, but he was in good hands.  Makoto, in particular, had really proven herself.  Healing magic, a solid punch, a motorcycle Persona, and nuclear spells.  Felt like she belonged on the team from the start.  The clouds above had parted, leaving a pristine clear view of the starry night sky.  “Hmph.  Now it decides to clear up.”

“Just our luck...”  Akira and Ann continued conversing through the evening as they made their way to the subway tunnel.  School, Mementos, food, her rivalry with Mika, Shiho’s recovery, and a few lighthearted jokes about Ryuji.  Laughs and deep musings were shared, but their time together ended with the divergence of their path upon two separate trains.  Akira and Morgana waved goodbye to Ann as she boarded a separate ride.  “Text you later?”

“Absolutely!”  The doors slid shut as the train prepared to take off.  With luck, Akira managed to grab a seat to himself.  He held his leather satchel in his arms as he gazed over to Ann’s train.

“Hey, Akira?”  He looked down into the satchel to see Morgana looking up at him with doughy blue eyes.

“What’s up?”  Morgana chewed on his bottom lip shyly.

“You know what you said earlier?” he asked.  “About me having the most sense?”

“What about it?”

“…Did you mean it?”  Akira smirked at him and reached down to scratch behind his ears.

“Of course.  I never say anything I don’t mean.  You’re our healer, getaway driver, and navigation expert.  Without you, this team would’ve never progressed past me and Ryuji.  And we’d both be expelled and hanging out in juvie together.”  Morgana let out an amused chuckle.

“Well, good to see somebody who showcases some appreciation around here.”  The cat’s ears folded as his thoughts turned inward to the lingering presence of self-doubt and his ego.  Makoto’s penchant for strategy and surprisingly effective combat expertise had left him feeling a bit deflated.  “It’s just that sometimes…”

“What?” Akira asked, raising an eyebrow.  “Not certain in yourself?”

“M-maybe,” the cat said.  His face burned with embarrassment underneath his fur with his divulging such private interpersonal feelings.  Akira couldn’t help but chuckle. 

“Isn’t a gentleman supposed to be confident in his abilities?  After all, you’ll never woo a lady if you’re doubting yourself all the time.”  Morgana felt a small smile form on his face.

“You’re making fun of me.”

“A little bit,” Akira said before ruffling his fur.  “But nobody on this team is useless, bud.  We all got our parts to play.  And if you’re ever struggling with self-doubt, bud, you can always talk to me about it.  That’s what friends are for.”  Morgana said nothing.  He merely sat inside the satchel, his tail slowly drifting back and forth.

“…Akira?”

“Yeah, pal?”  The cat stuck his head out and stared eagerly into his eyes.

“Can we get some fatty tuna?  I’m hungry.”  Akira let out a hearty chuckle and ruffled his fur some more.  So much for their heartfelt moment.  Then again, he could use some food himself.  And Kaneshiro did leave them a little more extra spending money.  Plus, they could both use a pick-me-up after the fireworks fallout. 

"Eh, why not?"


	22. Rendezvous

_7/19/17 – Tuesday_

There were only two rules: don’t get separated and don’t go too deep.

A simple, precise, and effective code mutually agreed on.  Nothing too complex for just two of them.  They would stick to the first two floors of Mementos, cutting down all the weakling shadows and harvesting their yen.  Though navigation without Morgana would make their journey a bit lengthier.  Regardless, the two were cleaning house left and right.  It almost made them feel sympathy for the shadows.  Almost.

“Bufu!”  The little Jack Frost that Akira commanded cast its ice spell upon the shadow monster, freezing it instantly.  The intensity of the frost seared the creature trapped within.  Ann’s eyes shined with excitement as she withdrew her whip.  The fiery young lady leapt high into the air, twirling with her whip like an Olympic gymnast.  A deafening crack resonated as her whip slashed through the ice block like nothing, sending the pieces flying through the air along with the frozen bits of the shadow before it evaporated.  Ann twirled her whip playfully as Akira collected the yen.  A paltry sum but greatly appreciate.  “The Phantom Thieves thank you for your donation.”  Ann giggled in amusement at him.

“This is so much fun, Akira.” 

“Ah ah ah,” he said, winking at her while wagging a finger.  “It’s Joker, remember?”  She smirked and rolled her eyes at him.

“Oh, come on,” she said.  “It’s just us.”

“You know the rules.  We have to remain in character.”  Akira spun around, his trenchcoat flowing in the breeze.  “Indulge me, will you, Panther?”  Akira never ceased to keep Ann entertained.  She slung the whip over her shoulder and healed the both of them.

“Oh, fine,” she said, feigning reluctance.  “…Joker.”  He cackled in amusement, pumping his fist.

“Hell yes!”  He inhaled deeply as he looked down the distorted metro tunnel.  His fists were clenched, his face sporting a wicked grin.  The ethereal energy of his Persona boiled in his blood like a fire wanting to burst free and light up the night.  “God, I’ve missed this!  Kicking shadow ass has never been more satisfying.” 

“Totally!” Ann said eagerly.  “We’re absolutely trashing these guys!  Although, I wish they were a bit tougher.”  Akira nodded, stroking his chin.

“True.  We could use more of a challenge…”

“Oh, I thought you wanted us to stay up on the first two floors.  Second guessing yourself already, Joker?”  She nudged his ribs, eyeing him smugly.  Akira merely side-eyed her with a smirk.

“Tck.  Not a chance.”  He turned sharply to accentuate the flow of his trenchcoat.  Ann couldn’t help but burst into laughter as he led them farther in.

“You’re such a prima donna with that coat of yours,” she teased.  Akira merely shrugged, smirking back at her.

“What can I say?  It looks fantastic.  I am stylin’ and profilin’!”

“Oh brother,” Ann said, rolling her eyes.

“You disagree, Panther?”  He spun around to watch his trenchcoat flow with his movement.  “This is one badass coat.  Where could I find one of these in the real world?”  She folded her arms and rolled her eyes in a comical fashion.  Akira stretched out his arms and examined the sleeves of his coat.  No matter how often he donned it, the majesty never failed to dazzle.  “And these cuffs!”  He pinched the corner and tugged on it, admiring the firmness of it encasing his arm.  “These are some strong looking cuffs.  His hand reached up to run the length of his extravagant collar.  The other hand trailed down to his chest, hovering over the front pocket with a handkerchief sticking out.  “Just look at all this style, this sophistication!  I could look at myself all day in this.”  Akira turned to look at Ann, standing there with an amused smile.  Even under the red mask, her bright aura shone through.  “Say, Panther.  What’s your favorite part of my costume?”  Ann placed a finger to her chin and pretended to think.

“Hmm…” she mused.  “I think…”  Her eyes ran up and down to examine the outfit in full detail.  “The mask!  That’s my favorite.”  Akira raised an eyebrow in amusement, his confident smirk unable to disappear from his face.

“The mask, huh?  Is it because of how dashing it is?  How regal?  Suave?”  Ann snickered at his showboating.  Were it anyone else, she’d be put off and unimpressed.  But Akira’s was all in good fun.

“Nah.  I think it’s because I don’t have to see your silly stupid face.”  Akira let out a wheezy laugh, clutching his ribs in joy.  She stuck her tongue out at him playfully, skipping ahead.  Ann twirled her whip childishly in her hands as they ventured further into Mementos’ metro tunnels.  Nothing caught their eyes within the dismal halls.  The scenery was bleak like their subway, save for all the red.  Akira glided along with such smoothness, his hands shelves into his pockets as he strode forward with steely-eyed focus. 

Underneath his mask, his eyes wandered over to Ann.  The boy’s cheeks reddened as he took more prominent notice of just how tightly the catsuit hugged her form.  Though he had taken notice of her in it many times before, being by themselves allowed him to really take in all the details.  The shiny red latex shimmered as the subway lights hanging above streaked down the sides.  The maroon thigh-highs got a sweat building upon his neck.  They were so oddly enrapturing, especially with the way Ann walked.  She strode with such grace and confidence.  The heels clicked upon the ground and echoed down the tunnel.  Each step poised and calculated.  The blonde had really stepped up her game since committing against Mika. 

She wore all of it well despite her reluctance to accept the choice of attire.  More than well, in fact.  Like she was destined to look so damn good.  It drove him wild.  Even more so after their little collision in Kaneshiro’s Palace.  Stifling his attraction to her was a losing battle at every turn.  And he didn’t feel too upset with that.

“You know, Panther, I’ve been thinking about your outfit.”

“It’s really bizarre, isn’t it?” she said.  “I mean, it looks amazing, but the boots.  The mask.  All the latex.  And this tail.  And why are there zippers on my boobs?  What do they do?”  Akira snickered softly.

“Maybe they’re pockets.  Try unzipping them to find out.”

“Pssh!  You wish!”  Akira’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head as he caught sight of her rear.  The catsuit seemed to cradle this area most of all, squeezing and holding it tightly.  The clip-on tail swung back and forth with the sway of her hips.  Her walk was hypnotizing, although he expected such grace and attention drawing from a model.  A gasp caught in his throat as he noticed a groundbreaking detail.  The tail was clipped to a zipper that ran up the small of her back.  And dipped even lower past her bum.  “It all seems a bit too kinky, don’t you think?”  He nearly choked as her eyes met his, a cold sweat breaking over him.  He cleared his throat and shook the shaggy hair out of his eyes.

“Maybe it’s trying to tell you something about yourself,” he said with a smirk.  Ann merely blew him off, rolling her eyes at him.  A sigh of relief escaped his lips.

_Almost got caught there…_

“Did we ever figure out what Yusuke’s costume was all about?  Like, I get Ryuji’s and Makoto’s, sort of.  But what about Yusuke?” 

“Codenames, remember?”  He rubbed his chin with his pointer finger as he mulled over her question.  “As for Fox… something painter related?”  Ann shrugged.

“I guess.”  Akira reached into the inside of his trenchcoat and gripped the desert eagle.  The metal shimmered in the pale industrial light.  With a confident smirk, he began to twirl the gun with his finger.  It was much heavier than the other pistols he was used to, but the right amount of coordination and his enhanced strength inside Mementos allowed him to handle it with ease.  The air whooshed as he spun the shadow shooter in his hand.  His work at Iwai’s airsoft shop had led him to appreciate guns a bit more, especially this one.  If there was one thing Americans knew how to do with style, it was craft firearms. 

“Having fun?” Ann teased.  Akira looked over to her with a smug look on his face, the gun still twirling around his finger.  “You practice?”

“Saw it in a video game once.”

“Pfft.  Nerd.”

“Whatever,” Akira said with a chuckle.  Ann smirked and shook her head at him.

“You boys and your love of flashy toys.”

“Says the chick packing a Tommy gun.”  The Thompson machine gun wasn’t the most efficient rifle in Iwai’s collection, according to him anyway.  But it looked good and suited Ann quite well so it was good enough for him.

“Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask.  Where do you get all this stuff?  And how can you afford to supply the entire team?  These weapons must be really expensive.”  Akira glanced aside as he pondered how exactly he could tell her that he was working for a former member of the Yakuza. 

“… I know a guy,” he stated simply.  “I get them at a discount.  He even does custom work.  See?”  Akira pointed the barrel of the desert eagle up to the sky, tilting the gun to show Ann the engravings.  Iwai had decked his weapon of choice out with traditional decals spanning along the sides, save for a small flattened spot on the bottom half of the barrel.  The name ‘ _Arsene_ ’ was engraved with black lettering.  Iwai lectured the boy on the superfluous nature of such flashy displays, but Akira merely brushed it aside.  It was all for that sweet aesthetic. 

“Ooh…” Ann was enraptured by the detail and look of the gun.  The deadly shadow busting weapon looked like a true work of art.  Even Yusuke would be envious of the craft behind it.  “You think I can get my Tommy gun outfitted like this?”  Akira let out an amused chuckle.

“So much for just being ‘flashy toys’, eh?” he teased.  “And I’m sure I can make something happen.  But it’ll be our secret.  I don’t want everybody copying my style, you know?”  Ann ruffled his shaggy hair playfully.

“You nerd.”  Her eyes fell back to the desert eagle once more, squinting as she caught something of interest.  “Wait.  I thought you only named guns after girls.”

“I think that’s boats, actually.”  Ann summoned the Tommy gun shoulder and looked it over.  Where exactly the big weapons were stored was beyond them.  Pistols were easy to deal with, just being tucked in the pocket.  But the big rifles and shotguns would disappear until called for use.  The Metaverse truly was a mysterious thing.

Akira glanced over and took his time to marvel at it as well.  He recognized it to be the M1921 variant, a bit of gun lore that Iwai would be proud to have heard aloud.  Its wooden stock and grip combined with the signature drum magazine made it one of the most iconic and beautiful looking guns ever made.  His keen eye wandered over it, looking for a potential spot for Ann to engrave.

“This is the gun they use in all those old American gangster movies, right?” she asked.

“The one and only,” Akira said.  “Beautiful looking gun.”

“Jealous?” Ann asked in a cheeky tone.  Akira smirked and began twirling the deagle in his hand once more.

“A pistol suits me just fine.”  A blinking sound echoed from within the tunnel, both Ann and Akira’s phones vibrating.  The boy holstered his gun and swapped it for the phone.  The Metaverse Navigator showed something on the map around the corner, splitting off from the path heading straight ahead.  An unusual anomaly resonated on the display.

“What is it?” Ann asked, looking over her phone as well.

“Might be a target of some request from the Phan-Site.”  Akira reached into his pocket and cradled the pistol in preparation for whatever resided behind the corner.  The lights farther down the hallway were off, and with Mementos shapeshifting every day at random, the layout wasn’t familiar either.  Ann gripped the Tommy gun with both hands, finger on the trigger.  Akira backed himself against the wall and waved her with him.  She fell into place behind him.  Ever so slowly did the boy peak out from behind the corner.  The train rails they had walked on had spiraled into a red vortex emanating a foreboding presence.  Akira stepped out from behind and sauntered before it with Ann in tow.  “Yep, this is it.”

“Who is it for?”  The Navigator scanned the psionic energy of the rift.  A name and a young boy’s picture popped up.

“Yoshimori Sakoda, apparently,” he answered.  “You remember that one kid, Daisuke Takanashi?  This guy was being strung along at the behest of Yoshi here.”  Daisuke was one of their older requests back when Yusuke had just joined the team.  After having his heart purified, the boy decided to lay low for a while.  Akira had managed to catch him being squeezed by Yoshimori for money a couple days ago. 

“A bully behind the bully,” Ann said disdainfully.  “A vicious cycle.”

“Well, we’re ending this cycle,” Akira stated firmly.  “Here and now.”

“Damn right.”  Side by side, the two entered the vortex to face Yoshimori’s shadow.  The darkness wafted and wrapped around them before fading away, revealing a completely new room.  It was bathed in a dark blue with red spider webs clinging to the metal and concrete walls.  Black fungus grew in a corner, pulsating and moving as though it were alive.  Gnarled red roots emerged from ventilation shafts and twisted together, flowing farther down the misshapen tunnel until swallowed up by the dark haze in the distance.  These small areas were where Mementos grew to its most unsettling.  The foundations of a castle had been placed and would ultimately have grown out of control if they did not interfere.    Their target in question stood before the tunnel, or at least his shadow did.  No fancy outfit like Kaneshiro, Kamoshida, or Madarame.  None of the smaller shadows sported these.  Rather, he bore a regular Shujin Academy uniform.  Wisps of black smoke trailed off him, his yellow eyes staring right through them.  Akira and Ann strode up to him nonchalantly, though Ann kept her hand on the whip in case. 

“Who goes there?” Shadow Sakoda growled.  Akira swung his arm over his head and snapped his fingers, pointing at the monster.

“Listen up, dirtbag,” he stated.  “We’re the Phantom Thieves, and we’re taking your heart.”  Shadow Sakoda narrowed his eyes as he glanced between them.  The shadow’s lips curled back into a vicious sneer.

“Only two of you?”

“Two’s all we need, baby,” Akira gloated, his steely eyes and smug smirk agitating the shadow even more.  “You’ve been blackmailing Daisuke Takanashi to do your dirty work.  Because of the both of you, a lot of people have been hurt and extorted.  The jig is up, pal.  We’re ending this.”

“You think you can blame me for what I’ve done?” Shadow Sakoda roared.  “Idiots!  It’s a dog eat dog world!  Didn’t you hear?  Might makes right!”  Akira rolled his eyes disdainfully while Ann glared daggers at the doppelganger.  “The weak who can’t survive in this world become prey for the strong.  Nothing’s wrong with that!”

“You don’t get out much, do you?”

“Silence!” Shadow Sakoda demanded, pointing at him.  “You’re a stupid dog that’s all bark and no bite!”  The young teenage shadow continued to rant and rave at the both of them, musing over the power of the strong and the more adaptable.  “In this world, it’s kill or be killed!”  Akira shook his head and sighed.

“I’ve had enough of this dude,” he said to Ann.  He reached for the deagle inside his inner coat pocket.  “Let’s light him up, eh?”

“Let me do it,” Ann said, tautening her whip.  “You always get the first hit in.”  Akira let out an amused huff through his nose before offering her a slight bow.

“Be my guest, Panther.”  The whip unfurled in her grip, and she began to spin it around.  The tip smacked against the rough concrete of the floor.

“You’re just a coward and a bully,” she declared.  “Trying to hide your insecurities behind a made-up philosophy!  You’re lower than scum, and we’re taking you down!”  Shadow Sakoda laughed maniacally at them.

“You mouthy little bitch!” he declared.  “If you think you can take me down, then hit me!  I dare you!”

“Gladly…”  The sharp crack like lightning and an earsplitting screech resonated through the small chamber.  The shadow fell to his knees, hands having fallen to his crotch for support.  Agony resided on his face, and tears dripped through his eyes.  Akira winced in sympathetic anguish as he watched the shadow write on the ground in pain.  Ann looked down at the whip with concern.  “Think I may have put a bit too much power into that one…”  Shadow Sakoda groaned in defeat on the ground.

“I give up… you win…”  His voice sounded sickly, as though he might vomit from the pain.  Akira tugged on his collar nervously.  A cold sweat had built upon his neck from seeing the full power of Ann’s might.  “Please no more…”

“That was… startlingly easy,” Ann said.

“Maybe we’re a bit too powerful for these upper levels,” Akira said.  Shadow Sakoda rose to his feet, knees trembling as he struggled to support himself.  Akira was impressed with the shadow’s resolve.  Being able to rise after taking a critical hit to such a sensitive zone was a feat in and of itself.

“I’m not a loser…” the shadow wheezed.  “I’m strong… aren’t I?”  Akira merely shook his head in contempt.

“Why don’t you just admit you lost?” Ann asked.  “You’re acting kind of pathetic right now.” 

“Yes…” The shadow stared down at the ground, unable to face either of them.  “I know I am.”  He spat onto the concrete.  A remorseful smile stretched over his face.  “You Phantom Thieves don’t let up, do you?”

“And we never will,” Akira said, voice stern.  “We’ve all gotten the short end of the stick, kid.  But society didn’t get like this from picking on the weak.  We’re all in this together, and we built this place side by side.  Too many have forgotten that, both big time and small time chumps like you.  The Phantom Thieves will never turn a blind eye to abuse and exploitation from bullies, regardless of age or position.  And don’t ever forget that.”

“Please…”  The shadow fell to his knees, panting heavily.  “Forgive me!  I’m sorry!” 

“It’s not us you need to apologize to,” Ann stated.  The whip was slung over her shoulder, but even coiled around her shoulder, it struck fear and apprehension in both boys.  “Find Takanashi and apologize to him.  Leave him alone unless you want us to pay you another visit.  Got it?”

“Delete the tapes too,” Akira added.  “You’re not exploiting anyone ever again.  From now on, you’re gonna bust your ass to do your own work.  Like a real man would.”  The shadow let out a low amused chuckle as his form was consumed by light, the dark energy wafting off him evaporating.

“You Phantom Thieves are the real deal,” he said weakly.  His head rose to face them, a melancholic smile on his face.  Perhaps he had more to say, but his form disappeared before their very eyes.  A small glowing orb hovered before them.  It emanated a pure light that offered comfort in this cold dark place.  Akira snatched it up in the blink of an eye, stuffing it in his coat pocket.  Ann placed her hands on her hips and beamed at him with pride.

“Too easy,” she bragged.  Akira huffed with amusement through his nose, nodding at her.

“Straight for the balls, eh?” he joked.  “Taking no prisoners.”  Ann scratched the back of her head.

“I meant to hit his chest,” she said.  “I felt a little guilty at first, but at least we beat him.”

“Yeah, well most guys get weak in the knees when a girl goes below the belt.  In more ways than one.”  Ann gave him a look of both amusement and contempt, to which Akira responded with a cheeky grin and a bow.  “I’ll be here all day.”  Ann gazed back at the spot where the shadow used to stand.

“Hopefully that’s the last of this bullying problem.  Any others we can knock out?”  Akira sighed as he browsed the Navigation app.

“No good.  These other requests are deeper down, some farther than we’ve been before.  We’ll have to go in and clear some of the lower levels with the team before we can explore the smaller subzones.”

“So we’re done here?” Ann groaned.

“Sadly,” Akira said with a reluctant nod.  Both of them left the pocket zone Sakoda’s shadow created, stepping through the miasma of dark energy.  The two lone Phantom Thieves turned to watch it dissolve on the spot.  The twisting railways collapsed, and the billowing wisps of energy dissipated.  All that remained to signify its existence was a blank concrete wall.  “Easy come, easy go.”

“There’ll be others,” Ann said, checking the tunnels around them.  Both were empty of shadows.  Not that any of the ones this high up would give them any sort of trouble.

“True.”  Akira stretched his teenage body to ease the strain traversing Mementos had placed on him.  He could definitely go for a few more hours, but his bed in Leblanc did seem to be calling to him.  “Ready to head back?”

“How about…”  Ann knelt down, positioning herself like how he and Ryuji did when they ran around the school block.  “Let’s race to the entrance.”

“Race?” Akira asked with a raised eyebrow.  “But you’re wearing heels?”

“Scared to lose?” Ann asked, sticking her tongue out.  A confident smirk found its way across Akira’s face.

“Is that a challenge?”

“Hell yes it is.”  The boy cracked his knuckles and knelt down beside Ann.  Working out with Ryuji as well as in the evenings when it was too rainy to head out had helped build his endurance.  But he dared not underestimate Ann.  That girl was a force to be reckoned with.  The two locked eyes, confident grins on their faces.  “Whenever you’re ready-“

“Go!”  Ann darted like lightning out ahead of him.  Akira almost tripped as he sprinted out after her.

“Hey!  That’s cheating!”  Ann merely laughed as she trailed ahead of him.  The fire sparked in Akira’s eyes as he pushed himself to the next level, his feet barely touching the floor as he shot forward.  The hall curved to the left, and Ann darted to both sides to keep him from passing.  But the Joker would not be so easily bested.  A wolfish grin formed as he eyed the walls.  In the real world, he could never pull this off.  But with the altered state of reality in Mementos, it would work flawlessly.  With a shout, he leapt up onto the pipes lining the walls.  He ran towards where they curved and jumped to the opposite wall, running along it before touching down in front of Ann.

“Whoa!” Ann gasped in amazement.  Akira cackled with satisfaction at how masterfully executed his wall run was.  A small set of stairs rose before him, but another idea came to him.  Putting all the strength into his legs, he jumped up and extended his hands out.  Akira tucked his body and rolled across the grate with expert precision.  This flashy but effective move earned him a bit of distance from Ann.  “You got some moves!”

“Damn right!” he gloated back.  The two leaped across pipes, zipped through ventilation shafts, and sprinted down the hallways, each attempting to outdo the other.  Akira’s heart was racing from all the excitement, a sweat building on his neck.  The grin never left his face.  Rebellion, excitement, and youth all boiled into one raging fire within the both of them.  Were they to keep going, they might burst into flames with how it flared up within the two.  Onward and onward they raced, breaths ragged from the force they put their bodies through.

There!  The entrance.  The finish line.  It was a straight shot.  No obstacles, no curves.  All it took now was speed and cleverness.

Throughout the race, Akira kept up his lead.  The trenchcoat whipped in Ann’s face tauntingly.  He would not give her an inch to pass him, and she pressed him for every inch he could potentially spare.  Ann, however, was determined to persevere.  A wall run wasn’t something she was sure she could pull off.  And the space between the wall and Akira was sparse.  Her blue eyes made their way to the ceiling where some pipes were pointing horizontally, and an idea was born.  She would show Akira she was just as craft as him.  Ann unclipped the whip from her hip and cracked it at one of the pipes.  The taut material wrapped its way around firmly.  With a mighty leap, she swung herself up and over Akira.  The Phantom Thief stared up in awe at a red blur whooshing over him.  And straight for the finish line.

“Oh no, you don’t!”  Akira dipped down and slid across the floor.  His rugged pants prevented the floor from chafing his soft skin.  With Akira below and Ann above, it was anyone’s race at this point.

“Ha!  I win!” they both said in unison. The two of them peered down to see their feet touching the bottom step.

“No way,” Akira said.  “I got here first.  Powerslide, baby!”

“You wish.  I so vaulted over you.”  The two teased each other back and forth over which one was the true victor, but a conclusion could not be reached.  They stood face to face in a standoff, neither one willing to credit the other.

“If only Mona was here.  Then we’d have a way to break this tie.”

“Easy,” Ann said with a giggle.  “I’d win.  Because he likes me best.” 

“Pfft,” Akira said, rolling his eyes.  “Figures out of all the people, the cat would be the one that’s pussywhipped.”  She playfully shoved him, biting her bottom lip to avoid laughing.

“Shut up!”  Akira stumbled back, giving Ann a cheeky grin as she herself burst into laughter.  “That was so much fun!  I haven’t felt that energized since we fought Kamoshida’s shadow.”  She leaned on her knees, chest rising and falling with each ragged breath.  Akira placed his hands on his hips as he panted as hard as she did.

“What a rush.  I don’t even run that fast with Skull.”  He held a hand to his chest, his heart racing within.  “You know, you oughta try out for the track team. It’s been reinstated now that Kamoshida has the boot.”

“I would, but between modeling and Phantom Thieves business, I wouldn’t have much free time.”  Still, the thought of being a track star was rather appealing to the young girl.  It would give her just one more thing to strive for as well as something she could talk to about Shiho.

“Same for me,” Akira said.  “Gotta avoid extracurriculars.”  The two strode up the escalator and out of the Mementos entrance.  They retrieved their phones, priming the Navigation app for their departure.  “Next time, it’ll be all of us here.  I’ll talk to my guy to see how much we can get out of the treasure we collected here.”

“Won’t he be suspicious of where you got it all?”  Akira merely flicked his wrist casually.

“Nah,” he assured her.  “My guy doesn’t ask questions.”  Munehisa Iwai warned him of the dangers of asking too many questions.  Yakuza training and paranoia went a long way in the business world.  True to his word, he never asked where he got all his inventory.  It added to his rugged charm as well as heavily intimidated Akira.

“How much do you think we’ll get?” Ann asked, starry-eyed.

“Uh-uh.”  Akira held up a solitary finger and wagged it gingerly.  “I keep the money.  You guys don’t get a single bit of yen after that stunt you pulled last time.”  Ann’s cheeks flushed at his reminder.  Instead of using the yen he loaned her to buy weapons, she instead bought a luxury designer purse.  Akira had since never let her live it down.

“I didn’t even know where you can buy weapons!  And Ryuji bought shoes, remember?”

“That’s reason number two why you guys don’t get any more money.  So I have to be the Phantom Thieves’ sugar daddy from now on.”  Ann grimaced with revulsion, averting her eyes from him.

“I’m gonna gag.”  This only got Akira cackling some more.  Though it was probably a more effective idea for him to buy the weapons instead of have the others shop for themselves.  Less of a trail if they end up getting caught.  Not that Iwai would rat them out, but the shop was wired with security cameras.  Cameras the police could look through.  As the leader, he had to ensure their safety.

No matter what.

* * *

Akira walked into Leblanc with his backpack heavier than usual.  Their treasure had not netted him as much money as previous halls, but Iwai’s special discount did compensate for this a tad.  Akira had bought himself a fancy new karambit knife, some durasteel knuckles for Makoto, a metal slingshot for Morgana, and a hand-fashioned aluminum bat with barbed wire wrapped around it for Ryuji.  Smuggling the goods out of Untouchable and through the streets was a trial, but somehow, he managed to pull it off.  Not a hair out of place, but his neck and back were certainly sweaty.  All the tension and suspicion of the populace around him had him perspiring as though he were lounging in a sauna.  He had hit the local bathhouse and soaked for nearly an hour.  The refreshing waters melted away the stress of the exams that had piled upon Akira, leaving him relaxed and refreshed for the night ahead of him. 

Sojiro greeted him casually, none the wiser.  Akira went upstairs to drop his pack off when sitting on the bed before him was Morgana.

“Where have you been all day?” he inquired, hopping off the bed to circle him.  He began to discard his clothes and retrieved his pajamas.

“Been out and about.  Hung out with Ann for a good long while.”  The cat’s blue eyes lit up like a solar flare at the mention of her name.  His favorite subject.

“Is Lady Ann doing well?”  Akira chuckled.

“Yeah, she’s doing just fine.”  And looking pretty fine too.

“Oh, good,” the cat said with a smile.  “If you’re going to entertain her the whole day, I hope you know how to properly escort a lady.  No ordinary tactics will do.  A gentleman must be poised and calculated…”  Akira smiled softly, rolling his eyes at his feline companion.  His thoughts drifted back to Ann and the adventure in Mementos.  Opting to keep their little rendezvous secret.  Just another thing he could share exclusively with Ann.  “You know, you should invite me next time you’re with Lady Ann.  I have a few things I’d like to discuss.”  He smiled at the cat before sliding his pack under the desk.  The boy scratched Morgana’s chin, which elicited a purr.

“I thought you said you weren’t a cat,” Akira joked.  Morgana swatted at him in annoyance.

“I-it felt good is all!” he spat, flustered by his response.  “You’d feel the same if someone scratched you like that in this body.”  Akira chuckled warmly, ruffling the fur on his head.  Sojiro soon called for him to help close the store, and he found himself occupied for a few more minutes.  But being as skilled as he was, it didn’t take long to get the store under wraps and send Sojiro on his way.  Leblanc was all snug and secure, ready to rest just as the young boy inside it was.  Akira flopped onto the bed, leaning back and resting on the pillow with his hands behind his head.  Morgana leapt up and curled beside his legs.  It was a favored spot of his as it happened to be the warmest and felt the most secure.  The sound of crickets outside chirping underneath the moonlight was incredibly soothing.  His body felt like lead as it sank into the soft mattress.  He let out a soft comfortable sigh, flipping through various social media devices until his eyes would be too heavy to keep open.  “Hey, Akira,” Morgana said softly, looking up at him with curious eyes.

“Hmm?” He didn’t look down at the cat, instead staring nonchalantly at his phone.  Morgana kneaded the bed with his paws tentatively.

“I wanted to ask you about… Lady Ann.”  Akira quirked an eyebrow and peered curiously down at the feline.

“What about?”

“It’s… serious,” the cat insisted.  He slumped onto his side and dangled his paw of the edge.  “I really like her.  A lot.” 

“I couldn’t tell,” Akira said with a dry smirk, chuckling before eventually subsiding.  The expression on the cat’s face indicated this wasn’t the laughing matter he designated it as.

“No, like I… _really_ like her.  I want to… to _be_ with her.  It’s why we need to start pushing further into the Metaverse, finding targets faster.  So I can become human again.”

“ _Ohhh…_ ”  Akira sat in silence and mulled over his friend’s words.  It was only a matter of time before they were expected to seriously confront this conundrum.  Morgana’s attraction to Ann was rather well known as was Yusuke’s infatuation.  And Ryuji had admitted before that given the opportunity, he’d go for her.  All four guys on their team had the hots for Ann.  Very little could’ve made Akira feel more awkward.  Like that, the guilt of his crush came back to haunt him. 

“You think you could… talk to her?  Maybe find out what she desires in a man."  The question had caught him completely off-guard.  Mementos had rendered him completely tired upon returning home, but Morgana’s question had smacked him right away.

“I… don’t see why not.”  What was there to lose?  Ann didn’t really seem to have an attraction to Morgana.  He was a cat, after all.  At least physically.  “Doesn’t hurt to ask.”  His mind was buzzing with much more to say.  It was a conversation they really needed to have.  If in some weird way Ann actually did have a thing for Morgana, perhaps it would be wise to back off.  How he was expected to find out who she was into would be a game of risk all on its own.  Just thinking about it made him wish he was taking exams again instead.  He let out a great yawn, blinking his heavy eyelids.  “Now, I’m going the fuck to sleep, alright?  Don’t keep yourself up stressing about some girl.”  Morgana curtly nodded at him before curling up into his spot, smiling.

“Night, Akira.”

“Night, bud.”  Akira turned onto his right side and seemed to fall asleep almost instantly.  His soft sighs could scarcely be heard over the sound of the night outside.  Morgana sat peacefully but did not sleep just yet, his blue eyes open.  He stared out into the darkness but looked at nothing.  The black void was a thing of fascination for him, as mundane as it was in this other world.  Nothing like the shadows and darkness of Mementos.  No demons skulked in the shadows out for his soul.  Many nights, he would sit in this spot and look out into the blackness in contemplation.  Though he tried to put it out of his mind, his thoughts drifted as they often do to the mystery of his true form.  And of Lady Ann.  His pride could not let him accept Akira’s words lying down.  All Morgana needed was a chance, at least according to himself.


	23. Planting the Seeds

_7/20/18 – Wednesday_

It was a shaky morning for Akira as he awaited to rendezvous with his friends in the subway before school.  He was no morning person by any stretch of the imagination.  Not entirely out of the ordinary to see him rather quiet this early in the day.  But the day had started him off rather embittered.

Akechi had taken to running his mouth on television the night of the failed fireworks display.  Some new group had come up by the name of Medjed, looking to butt heads with the Phantom Thieves.  Hackers that use the internet to obtain and ratify classified data.  At Ryuji’s behest had he turned to Mishima for any information but no such luck.  Akira personally found the idea of battling faceless anonymous hackers to be just a mere nuisance.  A viewpoint Akechi shared with him, much to his chagrin.

Even after taking down Kamoshida, Madarame, and Kaneshiro, the detective continued to denounce them as evil, corrupt, and as bad as the oppressors they took down.  Even going so far as to imply the Phantom Thieves were bringing such atrocities to fruition by being publicly acknowledged.  It reeked of such egotism to Akira, made even worse when he somehow ran into said detective and had to deal with his best television smile.  All while Akira maintained a civil expression to behold.  He just wished he could return to bed.  How anything else could spoil his morning was beyond him.  But it didn’t take long to find out.

“Oh, hey!  Akira!”

_Goddammit…_

He didn’t even have to turn in order to recognize the owner of that soft silky voice.  Like summoning a Persona had his name brought him here.  How Akechi always managed to find him, Akira had no idea.  Their schools weren’t even in the same vicinity. 

“Glad I was able to catch you.  I’d like to discuss some things with you now that I have your ear.”

“Hmm…”  The boy merely grunted before rubbing his eyes. His brain wasn’t operating at full force just yet.  Barely coherent, and stewing on the bitterness he felt over Akechi’s words only got him further riled up.  As expected, Akechi was woefully ignorant of Akira’s state of being and body language – whether through ignorance or by choice.  The coy exterior was starting to get rather old to the Phantom Thief.

“Heh heh, not a morning person, are you?”

“Nothing gets past you, Detective…” Akira managed to grumble, earning another amused chuckle from the boy.  This didn’t stop Akechi in the slightest, who merely continued on with his idle conversation.

“It’s really summer now.  The heat has really picked up in the last few days.  I get sweaty just walking a little bit.”  Small talk.  Akira faintly listened.  He knew what Akechi was really fishing for.  This was just an attempt to reel him in for his true focus.  And then he struck.  “I didn’t think Medjed would pounce on the Phantom Thieves.  Interesting things keep happening this year.  Their influence knows no bounds… I underestimated it, honestly.”

_Yeah, you did…_

“I wonder what the public thinks of this.  Are they entertained?  Or perhaps inconvenienced?”

“Entertained, most likely.  It’s just like a celebrity breakup or some foreign political scandal.  Out of their influence and just something to gawk at while they go about living their everyday lives.”  Like clockwork, Akechi smiled and chuckled at his words.  His reactions were almost Pavlovian.

“How astute as usual.  But yes, entertaining.  I’d say I agree.  It definitely serves as a great source of entertainment.  A luxury for the uninvolved.”  It didn’t stifle the troubles the detective felt.  These serious crimes and the reactions to them viewed in such a charming light to the outside.  Not that he could blame them.  They didn’t understand the law as he did.  Though his trouble mind drifted swiftly elsewhere as he beheld his watch.  “Whoops!  I don’t have time for more, I’m afraid.  My attendance has been poor due to interviews lately.”

“Must be so rough on you,” Akira said with as much dryness as he could muster.  But of course, Akechi merely smiled and thanked him for his time.  As the detective took his leave, Akira couldn’t help but huff in irritation.   His overt politeness and soft-spoken demeanor annoyed him to no end.  Even if genuine, it only appeared to him as a trap to lure him in to trust a cop.  Never again.  Not after his expulsion.

“Hey!”  Akira spun around and felt his whole attitude change upon seeing her.  Sweet smiling Ann.  A sight for sore eyes.  “Good morning, Akira.  How are you, sleepyhead?”  Akira gave a groggy chuckle at her teasing.  The blonde was the only morning person he could tolerate.  Anyone else would feel like the equivalent of nails on a chalkboard.  Even Morgana took great effort to get him responsive.

“Better now.”  She beamed and giggled amusedly at him, wrinkling her nose playfully. 

“I saw you talking to Akechi.  What did he want?”  The boy scoffed and waved a dismissive hand at the notion.

“Nothing important.  Just running his mouth in typical fashion.”  The salt was fairly palpable.  Ann could practically taste it on the tip of her tongue.  Not that Akira tried to disguise it.  Both he and Ryuji were quick to voice their displeasure at Akechi’s slander.  The blonde couldn’t quite blame them.  It was rather disheartening to have their accomplishments undermined on television with no way to defend themselves.  “Fuck that guy.  He’s a spineless wimp.  Easy for him to criticize from his televised armchair.  He’s no better than somebody like Mika.  Just an attention seeker standing around to look pretty.”

“W-well… to be fair, Mika really did work hard to get where she was, even if she’s not exactly a good person…”  It still befuddled Akira to no end seeing Ann defend Mika.  Though he couldn’t help but admire her commitment to it.  Turning her bitterness into the resolve to better herself.  “Anyway, where’s Morgana?  He too tired to hit on me for once?”

“He stepped out earlier this morning.  Said he’s meet up with me before school.”  The cat was anxious to get some sort of dirt on Medjed.  Keeping an ear to the ground while the rest of them could only spin their wheels.  Which turned out to be the perfect opportunity for all of them.  Akira had almost forgotten about it completely from last night.  “So about Morgana…”  The blonde blinked curiously at him.

“What about him?”  Here was the uphill battle.  How to pop the question at hand.  Any way he sliced it, it would turn out awkward.  He may as well just bite the bullet and be direct.

“What do you think about him?”  Ann found the question rather odd herself.  Not at all picking up on Akira’s intent.

“He’s nice.  A good friend, reliable in a pinch, and he’s a cute cat.  Though his flirting can be a real pain sometimes.  Why do you ask?”  All in all, it seemed to provide the answers to what he sought.  Completely platonic all across the board.  He had expected as much, but it didn’t make the task of relaying the news to Morgana any less of a chore.  But he needed to hear the definitive answer.

“You like him?  Like… romantically?”

“Pfft!”  Akira blinked in surprise at how blunt her reaction was.  Not wholly unexpected given the circumstances but still.  “...Oh, you’re serious.”  Akira winced awkwardly and gave her a nod.  The blonde sheepishly tended to the back of her neck.  “Well… no.  Not at all, really.  I mean, he’s nice and all but not my type.  Plus – you know – being a cat and all.  Why?  Did he ask about me?”

“…Perhaps.”  He had anticipated the awkwardness such a topic would bring.  But the worst was yet to come.  “He thinks if he becomes human, then you’ll date him.”  Ann wrinkled her nose just a tiny bit.

“Well, I said I’m not interested already so him becoming human won’t really change my mind.”  The blonde felt a tiny bit disappointed at the news.  Did Morgana really perceive her as that shallow? 

“Well, I’ll talk to him about it later, alright?  He’ll probably take it better coming from me.”  At least he hoped so.  It was already painful enough to air their laundry as is.  The less public the discussion became, the better.

“I kinda doubt this will be the end of it,” Ann stated.  So did Akira.  “I didn’t wanna say anything, but his flirting does get annoying sometimes.  He just lays it on too thick.”  Now Akira felt remorse.  Not that she was wrong.  He shared her sentiment entirely.  But Morgana was still his friend which only served to make him feel worse about all this.  “But if you think you can get through to him, go ahead and try.”  A sigh of relief coursed through Akira’s body.  He wouldn’t stop her if she spoke up to Morgana personally.  He just preferred to keep this quiet, especially this early in the morning.

“Hey, Akira!  And hello to you as well, Lady Ann~”  Speak of the devil, Morgana himself slinked up to them through the crowded masses.  Bringing Ryuji with him as well.

“Hey, guys…”  Akira nervously watched her, but she remained composed and kept her displeasure quiet.  The cat wasted no time in shuffling into Akira’s bag, peering amorously at the blonde with shining blue eyes. 

“ _Did you ask?_ ” the cat whispered.   He gave a curt nod of acknowledgment before their attention was shifted towards the oncoming train.

“ _We’ll talk about it later…_ ” Akira muttered back.  Despite Morgana’s numerous protests, Akira stuck to his word.  He’d had enough of such a topic for now.  A day of slow school work sounded like heaven right about now.

* * *

 The day had proven to be nothing short of problematic for Akira.  Being strong-armed into a job by some Alibaba and receiving an anonymous letter in the mail.  Not only did they have his information, but they knew where he lived.  Frustration and nervousness swelled up in his chest yet again as he stared up at the ceiling from his bed.  The fourth now had they been subjected to these games.  It seemed no matter what, they never had the advantage.  He hated to no end this feeling of being toyed with.  Strung along like some puppet.  Whoever this Alibaba was, they were gonna have their ear chewed clean off whenever or however Akira got hold of them.

“We don’t nearly have enough intel,” Morgana spoke up.  “All we can do is wait for them to make a move.”

“I don’t give a shit about some hackers online,” Akira dismissed bitterly.  Medjed had also taken to showboating on television about their apparent “victory” over the Phantom Thieves and warned the public to resist praising them.  At the risk of dire consequences.  As far as Akira was concerned, they were far at the back of his mind.  It came off as a pathetic attempt at upstaging the Phantom Thieves for social spotlight.  A spotlight Akira himself hadn’t wanted in the first place.  This Alibaba took precedence over some faceless computer fanatics shouting how they won a battle they hadn’t fought in the first place.  “This shit’ll blow over once we get a real target to square off against.”

“I wouldn’t underestimate them if I were you, Akira.  We don’t know what we’re up against.  This Alibaba might be in league with them.  They know where you live, remember?”

“I’m well aware…”  He nearly growled it through his teeth from how irritated he was.  Every new conundrum they were thrust into just seemed to further twist the knife.  None of which had gone unnoticed by Morgana.  The cat perched himself on the corner of his bed, tail twitching.

“Let’s change the subject then.”  Akira offered a welcome sigh as acknowledgment.  “Like… what I asked you about last night.  About Lady Ann…”

_Of course…_

Akira was surprised he hadn’t seen it coming.  Morgana had been rather quiet about it for the longest time.  No doubt buzzing all day with anticipating at what Ann had said.  And Akira had to deliver the news right before bed.  The stress and agitation would keep him up all night at this rate.

“I hate to do this to you, but it’s a no-go,” Akira said bluntly.  No other way would work besides being direct.  The cat looked absolutely gobsmacked at his words.  “She doesn’t like you in that way.”

“B-but how can that be?  I’m charming, handsome, kind, considerate.  All the things a gentleman wants and needs!  I’m just not human!”

“That’s just something you have to accept.”

“No… this… this can’t be!”  Morgana covered his head with his paws, consumed by defeat.  Akira looked down and shook his head before reaching over to scratch him behind the ears. 

“There, there.  That’s just one of those things, man.  You can’t win everything.”  Morgana leaned into Akira’s hand for comfort to get the really good scratch.  It provided some level of comfort for his weary heart.  But he couldn’t believe his ears.  She just didn’t know him well enough.  See him as he saw himself.

“Maybe if…”  Morgana’s mind drifted to the ethereal realm of the Metaverse.  To Mementos.  Where his journey began.  His missing memories, the mystery of this other reality.  His gut burned with determination at the thought of it.  There was no doubt in his mind that it held the key to his old life and to become human once more.  He had to be human.  There was no other explanation for how he could talk or possess all these magic powers.  No way he was just a cat…  “You think if I become human again, Lady Ann will give me a chance?”

“I already asked her that.  The answer’s still the same.”  Morgana blinked at him, frowning.

“But she doesn’t know what I look like.  How can she be so certain?  She has to give me a chance, right?”  Akira let out an exasperated groan and pinched the bridge of his nose.  He knew it wouldn’t be easy.  Morgana was nothing if not insistent.    “Damn this furry little form!  If I turn back to being human, surely she’ll take notice of me, won’t she?” 

“I think you should be a bit more considerate of Ann’s feelings on this.”  Perhaps what he really needed was Ann’s own words for himself.  Morgana sighed, completely lost in his own idyllic fantasies. 

“Where should I go when I become human?  I wonder where she’d like to go.”

“Morgana…”

“An amusement park, a movie theater, a fancy café, shopping…”

“Morgana-“

“What do you think?”

“I think you’re not listening to me.”  He firmly lifted the cat up in his hands and locked eyes.  “It’s really important that you listen to me, alright?”  The cat grew deathly silent from the expressionless look on Akira’s face.  Blank like the visage of a doll.  “You have to respect her boundaries.  You’re just gonna have to come to terms with the fact that she only sees you as a friend.  Looking for some solution to circumvent that is just gonna drive her away.  Which will divide us as a team.  You hear what I’m saying?”  Morgana drooped limply in his grip.  His furry ears folded sheepishly as he was set down.  “That’s just how she feels, and you gotta respect that.”  Morgana remained silent, his small chest rising and falling with each breath.  Akira frowned at his companion’s unusual silence.  Even during class, he wasn’t this quiet and unresponsive.  The boy ran a finger over his chin as he brewed up an idea.  “Okay, how about this?  I’ll approach this in a way that might accommodate your mindset better.  You like romantic tales of daring and adventure, right?  Old school literary classics and poetry?”  Morgana tilted his head slightly so he could eye him out of his peripheral.  Akira smirked to himself at getting the cat’s attention.  “Well, I’m sure you’re familiar with this phrase, right?  ‘If you truly love something, set it free.  If it returns to you, it was meant to be all along.  If it doesn’t, it was never yours in the first place.’ “ Morgana didn’t respond, but his tail did flick with more energy.  His ears perked up, and he stared out into the darkness of Akira’s room.

“…Akira?”

“Yeah?”

“…Do you think she likes Ryuji instead-?”

“Oh, fuck off.  I’m going to bed.”  Akira lacked the time and patience to continue this conversation.  Morgana was just being stubborn at this point.  He just hoped the cat would exercise some restraint.  Not that he could completely blame him.  It was a difficult thing to accept, a romantic interest not being mutual.  But it just had to be. 

As Akira turned over and curled up in his blankets, the cat remained unresponsive.  His words were touching upon something inside.  Something Morgana couldn’t accurately describe.  But they had the gears turning.  Something had to be done.  To make Ann see.  He just needed one chance.  That was all it would take, and he was sure she’d be his.

* * *

  _7/23/17 – Saturday_

The last few days had proven to be an absolute hassle for Akira and his band of merry Phantom Thieves. The series of events piled onto one another had begun to really get under his skin.  As though his irritation with Akechi and these Medjed rumors wasn’t enough, things picked up with the introduction of the mysterious "Alibaba" who wanted him to steal the heart of a "Futaba Sakura."  Even worse was the unexpected arrival of Sae threatening to take Sojiro to court last night.  Just one thing after another for the young teenagers. Already, Akira began to miss their downtime.  The only thing that had brought him solace was the team's recent venture into Mementos after school.  With more of them on the team, they could push deeper into the mysterious labyrinth.  More requests were solved, Personas added to Akira's roster, and more yen in their pocket.  They were all sporting new weapons and armor courtesy of Iwai's shop.  Like usual, he never asked where the goods came from or what Akira was using the stuff for.  As long as the yen was good, that was all that mattered to the former Yakuza.  He would fill the boy's pockets only to empty them right after with new stock.  A win-win for him all around.

Saturday came upon them with cloudy but warm weather.  Akira had organized an impromptu meeting and divulged the full details of last night. They all shared shock and disbelief on their faces. Makoto noticeably seemed to be the most troubled out of all of them. 

"So to summarize what you told us, Futaba is Boss' daughter, and he's abusing her?" she asked.

"That's not confirmed," Akira countered.  "Sojiro might be a bit rough around the edges, but I refuse to believe he'd do such a thing.  Especially without evidence."

“But it sounds like this woman has evidence to take Boss in,” Yusuke said.  “If not, there’d be no reason to confront him directly within his own shop.”  Akira fell silent.  The double tap of sending a letter and confronting him in public didn’t look good on Sojiro’s behalf.

"I don't know him very well.  Is he really the type of person who would do that?"  Makoto’s question only twisted Akira’s insides further.  This was hitting far too close to home for his liking.  If they were investigating Sojiro, their sights might be set on him as well.  Which would spell trouble for the Phantom Thieves as a whole.

"…There's no way.  Sojiro just wants to be left alone to tend to his coffee shop.  He's not a bad person.  Just keeps a lot of walls up is all."  Despite his dissatisfaction of how Sojiro regarded him, it wasn’t a crime.  Nor did it indict him as some sort of child abuser.  “I just can’t see him as someone that would beat his daughter.”

"I would like to believe so as well, but we don't have any conclusive evidence, do we?"  

“And as much as I hate to admit it, Sojiro’s image could be a detailed illusion meant to hide his inner self.  Like Madarame…”  It didn’t sit well with Yusuke to contradict Akira like so.  They were friends, and Sojiro had been nothing but hospitable.  But in their line of work, nothing could be ruled out in totality.  The Metaverse was a playing field all its own.  "But even so, I just can't fathom Boss as being the type of person to abuse a child. He has been very receptive to us thus far, offering us beverages and a pleasant café atmosphere."

Akira let out a dry sigh as the stress began to eat away at him.  The worst-case scenario of an investigation and Phantom Thief call to actions right on his doorstep.  Walls would start closing in fast at this rate if they couldn’t resolve it soon.  His thoughts were interrupted by his phone vibrating.  While he thumbed through his texts, the others began to talk amongst themselves.

He's always pleasant to me and Makoto," Ann said.

"I won't deny that Boss has been an admirable host," Makoto said. "But still, it sounds like the woman has enough against him to get her way. There's more going on under the surface here."  The blond boy scratched at his head in frustration.  This stumbling around in the dark had him all sorts of scrambled.

"Why don't we just ask him? Just knock on his door and chat him up."

"He’s already been threatened to be kicked out for asking about Futaba.  I'd rather us solve this in a way that allows Akira to retain security."  Ann shared Yusuke’s sentiment.  The tightrope they were being forced to walk on was way too narrow.  And there was little they could do to help Akira if Sojiro wasn’t bluffing.  It also served to make him a bit more suspect.  To be cordial in front of them but be cold and uncaring to Akira behind their backs.  The blonde couldn’t help but find herself rather irritated with the man.  Especially after smiling right to her face. 

“Holy shit!”  They snapped around to face Akira as he stared at his phone with a satisfied grin on his face.  When Ryuji pressed him for info, he held up his phone to them.  "Alibaba just called the whole thing off!"

"No way!" Ann snatched his phone and stared at the screen in awe.

"Hey, lemme see!" Ryuji said, peering over her shoulder.  Makoto and Yusuke joined the two as they read Akira's conversation with this "Alibaba."  It panned out relatively simple at first, Alibaba grilling Akira for answers as to the progress on stealing Futaba's heart.  Things took an interesting turn when asked to meet up.

**_[Akira: I wanna meet with you.]_ **

Afterward, the conversation spiraled into mystery, with Alibaba rambling half to himself and half to Akira.

**_[Alibaba: OK. It's a shame, but I'm calling this deal off. Stop looking into Futaba Sakura. Forget this ever happened. I won't report you to the police either, don't worry. Sorry for taking your time. Now if you'll excuse me…]_ **

**_[Akira: Wait a second.]_ **

**_[Alibaba: I said the deal's off! We're never going to speak again. Don't expect me to contact you anymore either.]_ **

None of them had any reaction to the chain of events besides confusion.  And whenever Akira tried to reply, it would send back an error.  Blocked from communication.  Just as quickly as they had met, Alibaba had disappeared.

“He seriously just shut the whole operation down?”  Ann voiced.  “Just like that?”

"This doesn't make any sense," Morgana protested. "Not only can Alibaba not go out, but he won't let us meet Futaba either?"  Ryuji merely shrugged.

"Well, it's none of our business now.  We can't contact him anymore."  Akira seemed to be the only one joyous at this turn of events.

"See, that’s the thing about these internet nerds that act tough online.  When they have to meet someone in the real world, they back off."  He let out a hearty chuckle.  Slightly sadistic in tone, to see Alibaba shrivel up and vanish after hamstringing them along in such a fashion.  "Finally we can get back to taking it easy."

"But what do we do about Medjed?"  Ann asked.  "We won't be able to get Alibaba to help us with them now."

"Maybe they were just prankin’ us," Ryuji said.  "They made that huge declaration, but they ain't done nothin' since.  I bet we got 'em freaked out."

"See?  I told you.  Just nerds talking shit online.” Akira dismissed with confidence.  "No sense worrying about it.  We got better things to do than get wrapped up in a social media fight." 

"You mean they backed out because they're afraid we'll change their hearts?" Morgana asked.  Ryuji grinned as he became swept up in Akira’s cockiness.

"Yep," Ryuji said with a satisfied grin.  "It'd just make 'em look lame if they came out and apologized.  I guess with Alibaba and Medjed outta the picture, can we just say this case is closed?"  Makoto resisted at first.  Something just stuck out to her.  But as she saw Ryuji and Akira basking in victory, she smiled softly and nodded.

"You do have a point," she admitted.  "I guess it is safe for us to relax a little."

"Nerds trying to be tough are all talk and no game, Morgana,” Akira said.  “Just some butthurt teens and thirty-year-old neckbeards with Risette dakimakuras who played too much Innocent Sin Online.  Trust me, this'll all blow over in a couple days."  Akira and Ryuji high-fived and cackled together at their apparent victory.  "Take it to the bank, fellas.  We're back on Easy Street!"  Ryuji's eyes widened in realization, something long forgotten returning to the forefront of his consciousness.

"Hey, remember Kaneshiro's treasure?  Prepare to have your minds blown!  We got one hundred and fifty thousand yen out of it!"  Their biggest haul yet.  Strange that their next celebration would be out of the pocket of a crime boss.

"That's awesome!" Ann said, blue eyes flickering with excitement.  "We can really go all out with that money!"  Ryuji cackled with excitement at all the possibilities.

"Let's make up for what happened at the fireworks festival!  We gotta go eat somethin' fittin' for the Phantom Thieves' worldwide debut!"  Akira felt his enthusiasm fade with Ryuji's words.  His mind fixated on "worldwide debut", echoing in his head.  There was something uneasy in them. A feeling of exposure and vulnerability took root in Akira's chest.

"Where would we good?"  Ann mused, leaning on him for support.  Akira snapped back to reality, looking back as she blinked at him searchingly.  "Wanna pick a place, fearless leader?"

"Yeah, where do you think we should go all out at, bro?" Ryuji asked.  Akira rubbed his upper lip as he pondered their situation.  The fireworks festival had indeed been a bust, and they were now sitting on a pretty fat stack of yen.  And Iwai didn't really possess much new equipment that Akira felt they could need.  Plus, with Makoto's healing spells, he didn't need to spend as much money on Takemi's medicines.

"Well…" He smirked at them playfully.  "We all could do with a bit of unwinding.  And we do need to make up for the fireworks rainout."  Their expressions lit up with excitement and expectation.  Akira's eyes fell to Ryuji.  "Where does the food connoisseur himself recommend?"  A happy grin stretched across the blond boy's face.

"Sushi!" he declared.  "I could really go for some eel too!"  Yusuke nodded and leaned against the railing.

"The best method is to fill yourself on ginger before beginning to eat sushi," he stated.  "That is my master technique."

"Ooh, master technique, huh?" Akira asked.  "I should've expected an artist to have such good taste in dining."  Yusuke chuckled with satisfaction.

"You don't need to do that this time," Makoto said.  "Actually, definitely don't do it, okay?  You can afford to go all out and treat yourself for once."  The artist’s eyes lit up at the opportunity to indulge himself for once.

"I'm all for sushi!" Morgana said, pouncing on Akira's shoulder.  His white tipped tail flicked side to side with anticipation.  "You're okay with that too, right?"

"Absolutely," Akira said with a satisfied nod.

"Glorious!" Yusuke declared, posing melodramatically. 

The plans were made then and there.  Tomorrow would be their celebratory sushi special.  The group said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.  Morgana split off and ventured forward into the city, something about getting himself nice and hungry for tomorrow.  Akira wasn’t quite sure what he meant by that but wasn’t too worried about.  His thoughts drifted over to Ann, who just happened to be heading in the same direction.  Away from the others.  And towards him.

"Anything planned this afternoon, Ann?" he asked.  He couldn’t have asked for a more perfect time to hang out with her.

"Nah.  Though I admit I'm kinda hungry."

"I was thinking the same thing. What say we grab some food?  My treat."

"Come on.  You paid for crepes last time. Let me pay."

"That was barely food.  It's not a problem, Ann.  I'm more than willing to-"

"I'm paying!" she stated while pointing up to the sky in an exaggerated fashion, smirking at him.  "And that's that."  Akira smirked back, greatly amused.  Who was he to argue with a free meal?  Especially when it was with his best friend.

"Yes, ma'am."  She giggled and leaned against his shoulder, looking up at him.  Perhaps it was the feeling in the air from having Alibaba swept under the rug, but she was feeling a lot giddier now.  More playful.  Stranger still was the fact that she didn’t seem to catch these feelings until it was just them alone together.

"Good."


	24. Food and Friends

_7/23/17 – Saturday_

The evening had crept up on Akira and Ann faster than they had anticipated.  Both of them had dined at the ramen shop on Ann's penny, fully satisfied with their meals.  It never failed to surprise the blonde to see just how much Akira could put away.  For someone as frail as he was, she expected him to be a lot rounder.  Not that she was complaining.  Matter of fact, she took a liking to his slender form.  The warm air hung over them like a blanket as they headed home, laughing amongst themselves as they swapped amusing stories.  From how hard the both of them were going at it, they must have looked like absolute lunatics

"So me and Yusuke are in the middle of the church, right?  He's trying to sketch his version of the Crucifixion.  I ask him as a joke if he wants me to strip to model after Jesus.  And he actually says yes!" Ann burst into laughter, holding her chest.  Tears nearly came to her eyes.

"That's so messed up!" she said.  “You guys are so going to Hell.”

"He at least had the common sense to realize that was a bad idea."  Akira was giggling like a madman at his own joke as well as Ann's reaction.  "He keeps wanting me to put more energy into my poses, so we're standing at the front of the church, arms and legs spread out and folded in like a bunch of damn lunatics.  Then the priest comes in and is basically all "What the fuck are you two idiots doing? Please stop, you're upsetting the congregation."  And at that point, I couldn't handle any more so I just…"  He could no longer continue recanting the story, now laughing deep from his gut from putting it all into context.  Tears welled up in his eyes from the laughter, wiping them away.  Ann and Akira slowed themselves down to take in deep breaths.

"I'm gonna have hiccups all day tomorrow," Ann said.  Akira nodded, still snickering.

"I was there for all this.  This shouldn't be so damn funny to me."  His chest and ribs ached from how hard he had laughed.  Ann held a hand to her breast, breathing heavily with an occasional giggle escaping.

"Those are the best stories, aren't they?  The ones that you were there for but still get you every time you tell them."

"Like how Shiho told you your paintings sucked dick that one time?"  Ann almost choked as her laughter picked up again.

"Yeah," she managed to utter, voice breaking.  More tears welled up only to be quickly wiped away.  "It's amazing how that's where our friendship began."

"That's literally my relationship with Yusuke and Makoto.  At first, I hated the shit out of them for getting in our way.  Now they're my absolute best buds."  Their laughter faded, the two of them walking side by side with faint giggles rising up occasionally.

"Our lives are so weird," Ann said.

"Wouldn't have it any other way."  Akira held a hand to his chest and let out a deep satisfied sigh.  "It feels like forever since I've laughed like that."

"Same.  I love laughing that hard."  Silence set in as the laughter finally subsided.  The sound of the city around them provided a soothing ambiance complimented by a warm summer night.  All the lights and neon from the skyline shined and captivated their eyes, looking like a kaleidoscope set against the dark sky.  Small smiles graced their faces, and the comforting silence allowed their thoughts to set in.  Ann's mind went back to what he had told them all earlier.  Of Sojiro, the woman, and Futaba.  Though this Alibaba had called it all off and Medjed seemed to be full of hot air, something dangled at the back of her mind.  Like an itch she couldn't scratch.  The smile faded, washed away by her uncertainties.  "Hey, Akira…"

"What's up?"  He looked at her expectantly, a simple smile on his face.  Immediately did her lost smile return from just how infectious his charm was.  It was a feeling that Ann herself had come to really enjoy being near.  But it only made asking the question all the more difficult.  To have the cull the good vibes so early in order to dig into this mystery.

"It's about Boss…"  His smile wavered a bit, and his gaze shifted up towards the streets.  He pursed his lips in thought.

"I think I know where this is going…"  Not wholly unexpected, he would admit.  It was too much to expect the matter to be fully buried and done with.  He himself would have dug it up eventually.  Curiosity always got the better of him in the end.  Just didn’t know when to leave well enough alone. 

"I know you said you don't believe he would do anything to hurt Futaba, but are you absolutely sure?"  A faint sigh escaped from the boy.  His hands slid into his pockets as he focused on the path ahead.

"I can't really wrap my head around it," he said. " Sojiro's a lot of things.  A bit cranky, closed off, a hard worker.  Kind of a dick sometimes.  But beating his daughter?"  He shook his head with great certainty. "Don't think so."  

Ann tucked in her bottom lip and nodded, mulling his words over. Akira's testimony was not to be taken lightly. Still, even he did not know much about Sojiro.

"Do you think there's even a small possibility?" No response. Not right away, at least. Akira chewed on his bottom lip slowly, in thought.

"I…." He grew silent.  The exact opposite of what Ann had wanted.  His words always brought some degree of comfort even in the worst of situations.  It was his silence that proved to be the most deafening of all.  Being stumped and trying to guide all of them.  His eyes looked from the horizon to the ground as if searching for some definite answer along his path.  "…I don't know."

"I'm not trying to imply you're wrong, Akira. It's just…"  She paused for a moment before letting a frustrated sigh slip through. The words seemed to fumble in her mouth as her mind struggled to put them in the proper place.  Sojiro was different from Kamoshida, Madarame, or Kaneshiro.  He was someone they could trust.  And he gave Akira a home when no one else would.  All of this was quite delicate. " We're dealing with things no one has ever seen before.  We get our results in ways nobody else can.  I just think we don't have the full picture."

"Well, that's a bit obvious," Akira said, a faint smirk appearing on his lips.  "The man won't tell me shit. And to be fair, it's not really my business.  But…"  He sighed, rubbing his eyebrows with a finger and thumb.  "I can't deny anything that you're saying.  But just what do we do about this?  How do we get our answer?"

"We could always check the Nav."  Akira stopped, staring straight ahead and blinking.  The breath had left his chest, and his mouth had dried.  Such a simple solution had stared him right in the face the whole time yet completely eluded him.  He turned and grabbed her shoulders.

"Ann, you're a fucking genius."  He retrieved the phone from his pocket and booted up the app quickly.

"You just now realizing this?" she teased.  Akira licked his lips, staring into the red and black eye on his screen.  It unnerved him to look at for so long.  The stark contrast between the colors was aesthetically pleasing but also hurt his eyes to look at for prolonged periods of time.  Though Igor had provided it to assist in his "rehabilitation", there was something uneasy about it.  An underlying mystery that chipped away at the back of his mind.

 _Why isn’t it blue?_ he thought to himself before stifling the intrusive thought.  They had a task at hand.

"Sojiro Sakura."

" _No candidate found."_

Akira stared down at his phone with genuine surprise as well as relief.  Ann stood in silence, looking at his screen.  The two made eye contact, stunned and at a loss for words.

"Okay, you try it now," Akira said urgently.  Double checking wouldn’t hurt.  Plus, it was always possible different people could elicit different responses.  A shot in the dark but what had they to lose?  Ann nodded and followed his suggestion.

"Sojiro Sakura."

" _No candidate found._ "

A low whistle escaped her lips, and the feeling of intense pressure and apprehension evaporated from her chest.  Akira felt the same and leaned on his knees for support.

"Thank God.  So now we know he's innocent."  Ann wiped her brow, a bit of a sweat built up.

"Looks like you were right after all, Akira."  Yet the clarification didn’t fully quell the uncertainty within.  The app stared up at her almost tauntingly.  "But how do we prove it to that lady?  The only way to do it would be to reveal the Metaverse and the Phantom Thieves."  Akira let out a nervous sigh and shook his head.

"And that opens up a whole new can of worms.  We’ll get arrested for vigilantism, and who knows what else if the Metaverse is revealed to the world."  Ann stared glumly down at the ground.  Though Sojiro was innocent, they had no concrete evidence to prove their case.  Back to square one with nothing to show for it.

"This is one hell of a mess we're in," Ann lamented.  Akira gave a limp nod of acknowledgment.  Even though Sojiro didn’t care one bit about him, he still felt an obligation to look after the old man to some degree.  It was only fair to try and defend his reputation. 

"Yeah…" An amused huff of air escaped his nose, rising into a low chuckle.  Ann looked up with a puzzled look.  He smirked and pointed at her.  "And you thought he was a bad guy."  Her mouth fell upon in surprise before a wry smile emerged onto her pretty face.

"Um, _you_ thought he was too for a bit there."  She poked his ribs tauntingly with her finger, causing his legs to rise and his arms to twist.  Contorting in all himself between giggles as he tried to evade her touch.

"H-hey, easy," he warned between giggles. "I'm ticklish there." A mischievous look came over the blonde girl's face in sudden realization.

"Oh, you are, are you?"  She held her hands out at him and wiggled her fingers menacingly.  A mischievous cat-like smirk donned on her face as she closed the distance between them with each step.

"Oh no," Akira said, shaking his head but unable to hide his amused smile.  He held his hands up to try and block the oncoming assault. "Don't you dare…"  She went to work poking and tickling his ribs while Akira twisted and moved all about, giggling hysterically.  No matter which way he turned, Ann was right there to prod the right spot.  Her arms wrapping around him like he was an insect being ensnared into a spider web.  "No! No, please, come on!  Stop!  No more, I give up!"  His voice was shaking from his laughter, with Ann getting caught up in it.  Akira reached for her hands to snatch them, but she was too swift. Darting between and around his arms to tickle his soft ribs underneath his white shirt.  Lightning-like precision did she go after him, ignoring any of his pleas for mercy.  Finally, he managed to get ahold of her wrists and seized them up. "Stop!"

She collapsed into him, resting her head on his chest while he held her wrists.  His chest was rising and falling rapidly with each breath and giggle that seeped out.  Her cheeks and chest hurt from all the laughter they shared.  Akira let go of her wrists to clutch at his sore ribs, still giggling childishly.  What a workout routine.  Ann laid her hands on his shoulders for support while her giggles slowly began to fade as she relaxed.  As did his.  The two stood in silence, warm comfortable smiles on their faces. Ann was still snickering to herself at what she had witnessed. To see him in such a state was absolutely adorable to her.  Ann softly nuzzled his chest to feel his soft heartbeat.  It was a comforting sound to her ears.  The rhythmic thumps and the feeling of life coursing through his body.  He was soft.  And quite warm.  Warmer than the summer air draped over them.  The warmth rose and soon began to spread all over her face.  Cheeks and neck grew hot as the situation came into full realization in her mind.

Her eyes widened but felt herself unable to face him as she leaned against him so intimately.  Yet she couldn’t rip herself away.  Awkward to remain in place, awkward to step back and try to brush it aside. Slowly and delicately did she look up.  Akira bore the same blush and awkward expression.  The two pursed their lips and felt the nervous chuckles slip out involuntarily.  A couple feet of space was made between them.

"Heh heh, s-sorry," Ann said clumsily.  "I don't know what came over me."

"Pssh," Akira said, rubbing the back of his hot neck.  "Hey, y-you know, it happens, right?  Get caught up in the moment.  Two friends being silly."  Two friends.  That was what it was.  Just two friends sharing an oddly specific moment of prolonged physical contact.  Akira had never been that close to a woman before.

Ann nodded, unable to directly look him in the eye as she felt her heart fluttering nervously.  About as flustered as that time he complimented her on the rooftop for her bravery.

"It'll make a great memory, huh?"

"Yeah…" Akira and Ann stood under the warmth of the summer night, bathing in the glow of the neon lights of Tokyo.  Not a soul seemed to be around them.  Two young teenagers alone together under the cityscape.  If he heard one day he’d end up like this, Akira would have dismissed it as merely a wish-fulfilling fairy tale.  Yet here he was.  Living it.  With her.  He coughed to break the silence between them while Ann fiddled with her plaid skirt.  "We should get going.  Don't wanna stand out here all night."  Ann smirked at him while she adjusted her purse.

"As long as the company is good, that wouldn't be so bad."  She stuck her tongue out at him and led them along.  Akira huffed with amusement and let her take the reins.  All the while as they continued on, swapping more stories about school, life, and their friends, never losing the warm and comfy smile on his face while he gazed at her.

* * *

_7/24/17 – Sunday_

The Ginzu sushi bar was rather packed for a Sunday, the seats lined with five young teenagers.  Morgana sat eagerly within Akira's satchel as their platters were lined out before them.  The generous stack of yen Ryuji had earned them from selling Kaneshiro's briefcase sat in Akira's pocket, being the only one deemed accountable enough to be entrusted with it.  Each of them stared in amazement at the vast amount of variety before them. Flounder, eel, tuna, shrimp, lobster.  The list went on and on.  Akira savored the spicy crunchy roll in his mouth, the soy sauce and seaweed sending tingles all throughout his body from the complexity of the flavor.  For anyone else, the amount of saltiness would be too high to tolerate.  Akira, however, was a man with a complex and strong palette.  And rather salty himself at times.

"Maaan," Ryuji gushed as he dined on his fish.  "The flounder is outta this world! That texture…"  It melted in his mouth like a piece of pure heaven straight from the ocean.  Moans of pure happiness filled the air.  All save Yusuke seemed to share in the revelry.  The artist eyed his platter tentatively, craning his neck as he scanned the bar before him.

"I-I don't see any prices listed here…" he uttered.  His stomach felt like it was sinking into the ground from both hunger and worry.  He was used to living the life of a starving artist.  This all felt too good to be true.

"It's called market price," Ryuji clarified between bites of fish.  In actuality, the blond hadn’t even thought about their spending limitations.  Just content to go crazy and chow down.  After the fireworks fallout, he wouldn’t allow them to skimp out on the good times.  "Don't worry 'bout it; we got the cash!" 

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Ryuji," Makoto lectured, nibbling on her lobster delicately.  She dined with such elegance.  As though she were at a fancy restaurant and not amongst her classmates.  Someone among them had to hold onto their leashes.

"Sooo gooooood…"  Ann cooed as she packed the sushi into her soft cheeks.  Her mouth and tongue tingled all over.  Each piece was seasoned, lathered, and cooked to perfection.  Akira sucked the remaining meat out of the shrimp tail in his spicy crunchy roll when a pawing at his leg drew his attention.

"Hey!  Is the fatty tuna ready yet?"  Morgana whispered.  His blue eyes were flashing like fireworks as he gazed longingly at the shellfish in Akira's clutches.  It was torture now more than ever to be trapped in his furry form.  And not to have thumbs.

"Hold your horses," Ryuji whispered.  "And don't talk!"  Though they had taken Morgana to many places he was not supposed to be, the sushi bar was strictly off limits.  Were they found with a cat in their possession, it would be sayonara to Ginzu's sushi joint for good.  Delectable flavor gone in the blink of an eye.  The cat grumbled to himself and sunk back into the satchel, tail twitching sporadically in wait for his chance.

"By the way, Akira-kun," Makoto piped up.  Her hazel eyes fell to him, concern in her gaze.  "Is Boss really the kind of person who would abuse someone?"  The boy solemnly sat the piece he was eyeing back onto his plate. 

"That again?" Ryuji sighed.  The blond boy shoveled more fish into his mouth to keep his mind off the conversation.  He didn’t want to think about that sordid affair in the slightest.  No Alibaba and no Medjed.  Just sushi.

"I'm sorry.  I just can't get it off my mind.  Especially if it means he could be taken to court."  She wasn’t wrong.  There was still a lot they didn’t know, and Sojiro was super evasive about his outside life.  All Akira knew was that he was a coffee brewing guru and a ladies’ man.  Self-labeled ladies’ man.  Because Akira hadn’t seen any other girls around other than Makoto and Ann.

"It's out of our hands, at this point," Akira said before inhaling another spicy crunchy roll.  Makoto sighed and rubbed her brow, disliking the uncertainty that hung over their situation.  Her father and Sae’s natural intuition never gave her an inch.

"Well what kind of person is he?" she asked.  "Do you truly believe he'd do such a thing?"  He sat in silence while reflecting on the question.  No matter how many times he returned to the same conclusion from before, he would end up second-guessing himself.  The Nav didn’t lie.  It couldn’t.   

"Don’t think so…" he stated.  Akira nursed the drink in his grip before continuing.  A combination of the stress and soy sauce was drying his throat out.  "But it's not like I could know for certain.  Sojiro-san keeps a lot of distance between himself and me."

"Because of your record?"

"Bingo.  He keeps to himself and doesn't interact with me much, save for helping around Leblanc. He just tells me to mind my business and keep my nose clean, or he'll throw me out.  Doesn't seem to trust me or really want me here… Like when I arrived Saturday and I had to be get registered at Shujin, and I was considered a… a waste of his…. Sunday…" Akira's heart hung deep in his stomach as he recalled just how disdainful Sojiro was of him.  Never in all his life had a stranger made him feel like a bigger waste of a human being.  Their relationship had improved with Akira's assistance around the coffee shop, his friends, and good grades, but the memories of the shame and self-loathing he felt consuming him upon arriving in Tokyo are not so easily lost to time.

"Oh…" Makoto chewed on her bottom lip with guilt.  The whole mood took a sharp turn downward as the others sulked with him.  Ann blinked at him in surprise.

"He said all that?"

"Yeesh," Morgana said, wincing.  Ryuji glanced aside awkwardly.

"Damn.  A waste of a Sunday.  I wouldn't say that to anybody."  Akira stared down at his platter glumly, feeling positively defeated just by simply recalling the event.

"I can safely say I've never felt that shitty before," he said solemnly.  Ann looked at him with a deep frown. She could never picture Sojiro being so callous towards him after how nicely he had treated her and the others at Leblanc.  He saw her irritable look from his peripheral and straightened up. "B-but even so, that doesn't make him a child beater.  He might've been a bit of an ass to me when I first showed up, but being an asshole isn't a crime.”

"Hmph," Ann said, folding her arms. "Perhaps I misjudged him after all."  Akira mentally kicked himself for letting his pain slip out.  They needed to be on Sojiro’s side, not against him and suspecting him of misdeeds.  Though a small part of him did find comfort in their sympathy. 

"Hey, come on, guys-"

"If it's really true about the abuse, he'd be a no-good jerk pretendin' to be a guardian," Ryuji interrupted.

"Listen, can we just-"

"Maybe the chief is the one who needs a change of heart," Morgana said, poking out from the satchel.  Ann opened her mouth to speak but cut herself off as last night's memories dashed to the forefront of her mind.

"Hold on a sec!" She retrieved her phone and looked towards the black and red app on her screen. "About that… Akira and I actually got curious after our conversation yesterday, and we checked his name in the Nav." Akira nodded at her while Makoto nursed a roll of tuna.

"Sounds to me like there wasn't a hit," she said.

"Right," Ann replied.  "Anything beyond this is his family's problem. We probably shouldn't get any more involved."  Akira smiled and nodded graciously.

"Thank you, Ann. As usual, you're making sense out of our little circus here."  She beamed at him pridefully.  "I mean, like I said, being an asshole isn't a crime.  He may not like me, but that doesn't make him an abuser.  Besides, he's mellowed out a bit.  Just keeps me on a short leash."  Ann sighed, glancing aside with disdain.

"Still not a big fan of him treating you like that."  Akira merely shrugged, sipping his water.

"It's in the past," he rationalized, to the others as well as himself.  It was true that things were a bit warmer between the two.  Yet he could not help himself but feel dejected in his presence.  An all too familiar feeling he had always hated.  Being a nuisance and a chore to have around.

"Does it bother you?" she asked. "Those things he said?" Akira paused, pursing his lips as he sipped the water. The liquid cooled his throat as it drifted down.  Instead of answering, Akira waved a hand dismissively.  This topic was too sore for him.  The guy looking after him and being seen as some sort of victim.  None of it sat well with him.  Between bites did he utter some sort of reply.

Ann narrowed her eyes at him while Akira looked down at his platter, shoveling sushi into his gullet to block out the bad vibes creeping on him.  It wasn’t like him to not give a definite answer.  To shut out their concern in such a way.  It was like she was confronting him in the courtyard all over again.  But the others didn’t seem to sense anything off and continued with their dining.  Ann tapped her pointer finger slowly on the counter, side-eyeing Akira.  To let himself languish in pain by himself bothered her.  He had opened up to her before quite willingly at the Big Bang Burger when she confessed about Kamoshida.  Why erect walls now of all time?  There really was something more than he let on.

"Wait!" Ryuji said, holding up a finger.  All eyes fell upon him.  He had a twinkle in his eye as the creative gears went to turning.  The absolute twist of the century he was about to unveil on them.  "You think Alibaba could be Boss' ex-wife?"  Swift silence set in.  Followed by looks of pure confusion as Ryuji continued to explain his theory.  "He musta cheated on her, and that's where Futaba came from." As the silence grew more prominent, Ryuji felt his stomach sink at how hard they were sandbagging him.

"Doubtful," Ann scoffed.  Makoto merely shook her head at the boy.

"Your imagination has run rampant."

"How foolish," Yusuke stated dryly.  Akira chuckled lowly to himself.  He held his stomach with amusement.

"Don't quit your day job, bud," he joked.

"Aww, come on!" Ryuji protested.  "Akira, you know Boss more than we do. Am I at least a little onto something?" Akira ran his finger over his chin in contemplation.

"Hmm… maybe."  The group's gaze snapped swiftly over to him.  "Sojiro does have a policy of not keeping any men's numbers in his phone.  And apparently is good with women.  His words, not mine."

"A-ha!" Ryuji cried. "I knew I wasn't nuts!"

The group merely groaned at his raving before continuing on with their meal. Yusuke had squished the flounder tentatively between the chopsticks as he soaked it in soy and chewed on it delicately. Hums and moans of satisfaction emanated from him as he dined.

"This is delicious," he mused, a look of pure bliss on his face. "I've never experienced anything quite like it before." Ryuji nodded in agreement, grinning excitedly.

"And it's all thanks to us for bein' the Phantom Thieves-" A swift kick from Akira promptly silenced him.  Almost a reflex at this point.  But it was too late.  Ryuji had let his tongue work ahead of his mind yet again.  The chef's curious gaze had fallen upon him, and the group felt a collective chill roll down their spines. 

"Uh, Ph-Phan…" Makoto stammered, stringing together something on the fly.  "Fantastic! This sushi is delicious!"

"Y-yeah!" Ann chimed in. "The fish is so fresh!"  Akira quirked an eyebrow at Makoto.  Her attempt at covering for Ryuji was the clumsiest he had ever heard.  But it seemed to work as the other people inside glossed over them.  Just another group of teenagers rambling about something or other. 

"Hmph," the older woman scoffed as she spoke to the man next to her.  "Everywhere we go, we hear about these Phantom Thieves."

"What rubbish," her male companion huffed.  Akira glowered lowly at Ryuji through his peripheral, eyes squinted.  The others shared his contempt, and the blond boy began to sink into his chair out of shame.  The heat built upon his neck as their stares only deepened.

"Think about where we are, Ryuji!" Ann whispered.

"Sorry," he said, holding up his hands.  "It just kinda slipped."  Akira merely shook his head before rubbing his eyes.

 _You and Morgana are gonna be the death of me_ , he thought to himself in exasperation.  If someone like Akechi had been around, he might have strangled Ryuji right then and there.  Akira was starting to see the detective nearly everywhere nowadays.  To almost suspiciously comical levels.  They were all going to have to be a lot more careful with the pressure building up around the Phantom Thieves, regardless of whether this Medjed threat is legitimate or not.

Though if luck were willing, Akira wouldn’t see Akechi again for a while.


	25. Bleeding Heart on the Sleeve

_7/24/17 – Sunday_

The team had eaten their fill and then some before heading back home.  Morgana fidgeted in the satchel with great anticipating, eager to snap the fatty tuna purchased for him.  After so much stress from exams and the issue of Medjed, it felt therapeutic to finally relax.  Definitely made up for getting rained out. 

The subway tunnels' menial shade and slight internal air conditioning offered some bit of reprieve from the harsh sun above the surface.  They would spend the rest of their day relaxing around Leblanc.  Perhaps indulging themselves even further with some of the remaining money Akira had left.  All in all, today had been a good day, and Akira had nearly forgotten the near heart attack he had endured earlier from Ryuji.  Though the rest of their day would pan out smoothly as long as he didn’t run into-

"Niijima-san? What are you doing here?"  Akira froze in place and felt a great sense of dread rising in the pit of his chest.  Immediately recognizing the source of the voice without even needing to look.  A heavy sigh escaped him, and he turned to see the man he was not at all planning to meet today.  Goro Akechi.  He stood before them, a blue and grey diamond-patterned sweater vest with a white collared shirt underneath and sporting khaki pants.  In his hand was a heavy silver suitcase.

"Akechi-kun," Makoto stated simply with surprise.

"Akechi?" Ryuji whispered.  The blonde was on immediate edge now.  He would not have a repeat performance from earlier and let anything slip.  The boy detective sized the lot of them up with genuine surprise.

"You're the ones from the TV station," he stated.  "Could it be that you're friends of Niijima-san?"  What a quaint turn of events he found himself stumbling upon.  Like they were all connected.

"Do you know this guy?" Yusuke asked.

"Would've been nice to know," Akira muttered softly, flatly and with a frown.  Makoto felt a heat rise on her neck from Akira's disapproving glare.  She was not only the younger sister of a police prosecutor but was also well-acquainted with the rival detective?  It was bad enough that Sojiro was being investigated and Akira kept running into Akechi everywhere. 

"It's nice to meet you.  My name is Akechi.  Glad to make your acquaintance, Yusuke Kitagawa."  The young artist blinked in surprise.

"How do you know my name?"  The detective delivered his most award-winning smile at the artist’s question.  Which only served to further raise Akira’s ire.

"Well, it's because I'm a psychic, of course."  Akira's eyebrow twitched, and he twisted the strap of his satchel in his hand impatiently.  "I'm only joking, of course."

 _So glad you needed to clarify,_  Akira thought, seething internally.  The detective broke the rule of explaining the joke, thus negating the punchline.  As part of his namesake, the Joker took comedy very seriously.

"In truth, I'm a rookie detective.  You're a former pupil of Madarame, right?"  Yusuke furrowed his brow and eyed the detective suspiciously.  "I have actually just recently joined the investigation team looking into the Phantom Thieves.  Did you see Medjed has declared war on them?"  The others blinked in surprise save Akira, who couldn't look any more disinterested. 

"War?" Ryuji asked.

"Big deal," Akira said flatly with a shrug.  "More important goings-on in the world than an internet feud."  If there was one thing he was more tired of than seeing Akechi everywhere, it was hearing about Medjed squaring up.  The ego mixed with the near-constant daily reminder from the gossip around school.  Just for once he’d like some long-term peace and quiet.  Akira couldn’t for the life of him imagine why Ryuji would want to be at the center of attention for all this. 

"Don't be so sure," Akechi said, an expression of concern on his face.  "Their website was updated just a moment ago."

"For real?"  Ryuji fumbled with his phone and almost whipped it across the station.  Akira merely shook his head at the lack of subtlety.  They needed to lay low.  Especially right now, in front of the detective looking into them.  "English again!" Ann retrieved her phone and set to work translating.  What she found was rather surprising.

"What?" she declared.

"What's it say?" Ryuji asked.  Akechi gave them a peculiar searching look.

"Hm?  Why do you seem so agitated?"  Ann holstered her phone in her back pocket, averting the detective's gaze.

"Oh! Um…" 

"She's, uh… a huge fan of the Phantom Thieves!" Ryuji lied.  "A total nutjob for 'em."  The blonde offered a clumsy agreement to further bolster his cover story.  Whether Akechi believed it or not, Akira couldn’t read.  But his playful smirk just twisted the knife even further.

"Hm, I don't know how wise it is to be a fan of groups like them," he said simply.  The mood took an immediate shift from his words.  Uncertainty, worry, and irritation pervaded the group in tandem.  Akira's lip curled up into a sneer at just how condescending his tone was, be it intentional or not.

“Excuse me?”  He took a step forward, hands shelved into his pockets.  Now he was really getting under the boy’s skin.  Trying to dictate their behavior with such unwarranted comments.  It positively reeked of egotism to him.  “Is having an opinion a crime now?”

"What is with these comments?" Makoto asked, now feeling less charitable herself.  She had tried to remain steadfast in remaining cordial to Akechi.  As anything could come back on her through her connection with her sister.  But he just remained steadfast in poking that beehive.

"My apologies," he said, holding up a hand.  "I didn't mean to butt into your conversation."

_I bet._

"But I must say, this is an interesting group."  Akechi began to slip into his analytic state, dissecting their composition like some sort of science project.  "Prosecutor Niijima-san's sister, an ex-pupil of Madarame, and a few Shujin Academy students…"

"Are you going somewhere with this?" Akira asked flatly.  He just wanted to go home now.  Put the detective and his intrusiveness out of his mind.  But Akechi merely delivered a sweet smile.

"It just seems you're all connected to the Phantom Thieves.  Perhaps you have better intel than I do."  Ann could physically feel the disdain emanating from Akira.  They all could.  Akechi had to be able to sense something in the air.  No way could he be so ignorant.  "Ah, yes. I wanted to ask you something." His soft brown eyes fell upon Akira.  "Do you mind?"

"You're going to anyway," he huffed.  They had painted a rather large target on their back by bringing Yusuke and Makoto into the fold.  Cutting it way too close now now.  Akechi’s observations were right on the mark.  Almost like he could see right through him.  This all just felt like he was a cat dangling them by his claws.

"Regarding this whole Medjed commotion…"  He gently ran his fingers through his long auburn locks, an innocent act that somehow managed to agitate Akira even more.  "If you were one of the Phantom Thieves, what would you do?"

"I don’t care about Medjed in the slightest so the question’s moot."  Akira took his glasses and polished the lenses with his shirt.  "I got real things in my life to deal with than focusing on some internet fight."  Akechi's smile faded ever so subtlely, but he kept it on his face the best he could in front of them.  Akira's lip curled up to the right a hair with the satisfaction that he took the wind out of him, albeit slightly.

"Hmm. That is unexpected. Only a small minority of people seem to share your sentiment."

"Interesting..." Akira's tone sat flatter than the ground they stood upon.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but we're just normal high school kids," Ryuji huffed.  "If anything, we wanna hear what you gotta say, Mr. Detective."

"We do?" Akira asked flatly, turning to give him a cold look.  Ryuji averted his eyes from his icy glare.

"Gladly," Akechi said with a smile. 

_Goddammit…_

The detective wasted no time in showcasing his knowledge on the subject at hand.  Almost as though he had been chewing at the bits for such an opportunity.

"My profiling of the Phantom Thieves has led me to believe they are a group of juveniles," he continued, lost in the sound of his own voice.  "They have a relative amount of free time after school, and a hideout to slip away to."  The others' eyes darted amongst each other, a soft heat building up on each of their collective necks save Akira.  He merely stood there and listened to the detective ramble on, huffing with obvious agitation at prolonged exposure to him.  Which was only surmounting from how on the mark he was.  "Furthermore, considering Kamoshida was their first target, it seems they began activity around April."  His face grew serious, and his eyes burned with a sternness that focused intently on Akira himself.  "In a way, all I've just said about the Phantom Thieves coincides with the group you have here." Ryuji let out an annoyed huff and glared daggers at the boy detective.

"What?" he spat.  "You gonna report us?"  

"I didn't say I was being suspicious of you," Akechi said reassuringly.  Only half-teasing them. 

“So what then?  Did you just come here to hassle us?”  The others eyed Akira warily as they could all sense his patience was dangling by a thread.  But he forced himself to behave.  To remain cordial.  But boy did he feel his insides boiling as a roast festered to the surface. 

“I just like gauging your reaction is all,” the detective answered earnestly.  “You really are an intriguing one and always provide some valuable insights into what I have to say.”  Despite the sincerity in his words, Akira couldn’t help but feel he was just buttering him up.  Just another part of his game to catch him in some sort of slipup.  A gotcha moment.  “I lack your calm mannerisms, but don’t you think my deduction is an interesting one?”  Akira certainly had a lot he could say.  Enough for all of them.  But all he could muster was a weary sigh.  Being so angry and irritated was draining him, and he didn’t want to deal with Akechi lest he say something he might regret.

“Sure, whatever…”  His aloof dismissal of the detective’s words had his smile wavering.  This had been on his mind all day, and he had been chewing at the bits to poke at Akira once more.  No way could he allow himself to be sandbagged like this.  “Look, we gotta get going so-“

“But surely you must have some opinion in the matter,” Akechi pressed.  “That clever wit of yours would go to better use at my side.  I bet we’d make a great team if we worked together.”  This was the second time he had made such an offer.  What exactly made Akira stand out so thoroughly that Akechi wanted on his side?  Or in his pocket?  For the life of him, he couldn’t make heads or tails of it.  Neither could Ryuji, who was much more vocal about his disbelief.  But Akechi had actively tuned the rest of them out.  Hyperfixed solely on Akira.  “I’m curious to hear what you have to say.  You seem to be a wealth of information.”  The detective narrowed the gap between the both of them excitedly, prompting Akira to take a step back.  “In return, I’ll teach you how to make deductions.  I believe that is a fair trade-off for you.”

Now Akira felt like laughing.  Not out of amusement but contempt.  Akechi really believed he was doing Akira a favor by offering himself as a mentor.  Yet couldn’t bust any of the Phantom Thieves’ three previous targets despite all the evidence floating around.  It was like a joke.  Though Akira couldn’t deny the opportunity was rather lucrative.  Access to inside information and he could bust targets as well as cover their tracks without the police knowing a thing.  But to have to play second banana to Akechi.  Even worse, be in the pocket of another corrupt politician who’ll throw some kid under the bus to save his hide.

“Pass.  I’m not interested in working for feds.”  As far as he was concerned, the conversation was over.  Akira was tired of being strung along by Akechi.  They were going to enjoy the rest of their day even if it killed him.  Just choke down the anger and turn away.  It was as simple as that.  Or it should’ve been.  But it seemed Akechi didn’t know to leave well enough alone.

“I can understand your hesitation given your criminal record and all.”  Akira stopped dead in his tracks after having turned away.  A cold and deathly silence had fallen over the group as the exchanged worried glances between the two boys.  Akira remained blank and emotionless, but they could all feel the heat resonating off of him.  “But working with us would help heal your reputation in the eyes of the public, wouldn’t you think?”  Slowly and with great deliberation did Akira turn around to face him, gazing darkly at the detective from beneath his shaggy bangs and glasses.  He had not only crossed the line but leapt straight over it by a country mile.  The others could all sense what was coming.

“Akira…” Morgana warned cautiously from inside the satchel.

“Get his ass,” Ryuji muttered with a devilish grin.  He had been waiting for someone to take the wind out of Akechi.  He was positively living for the chance to see this.  Makoto tugged nervously at her shirt collar, knowing full and well what Akechi was about to get.  She could only pray Akira wouldn’t be as harsh in language with him like he was with her on that rooftop.

“I have your attention?” Akechi inquired.

“ _Oh yeah you do…_ ” Akira growled darkly.  The detective was delighted to hear what he had to say.  Blissfully unaware of what was about to hit him.

“Excellent!  Now please, I have to know what your thoughts are on my deductions.”  Akira clenched his fist, the popping of his knuckles sounding like a bomb detonating to the rest of them.

"Well, you have some very astute observations there, buddy boy," Akira said dryly. Yusuke rubbed his rising heat on his neck, being able to taste the palpable venom in his voice.  Makoto had told him of Akira’s vicious tirade against her before.  As though it were a legend being passed down from prior generations.

"Why, thank you."  Akechi beamed with pride and basked in his words of praise.

"If only Tokyo's finest had that precision busting Kamoshida or Kaneshiro, then there wouldn't be a need for the Phantom Thieves."  The smile on Akechi's face evaporated almost immediately.  Like his words had slapped it clean off.  Unexpected from the polite young man he perceived before him.  "So if you're not suspicious of us, then what?  You're just coming over here to waste our time by being an asshole?  Just to flex on your knowledge?  Must be tough having no friends so you gotta harass me unprompted and air my dirty laundry."  Akechi blinked in surprise at his language.

"Oh boy," Ryuji muttered to Ann from the corner of his mouth.  "Here we go."  He positively shook with excitement.  Ann felt less enthused, feeling her stomach sink in sympathy for the detective.

"Akira-kun," Makoto whispered, holding out a hand.

"In fact, you wanna know what I _really_ think, Detective Conan?  I think you’re just some two-bit wannabe pretty boy detective whose only real talent is being a useless manwhore on television so the girls can get their panties wet.  And an asshole for coming over here to harass a bunch of kids doing nothing but hanging out and heading back home with your inane conspiracy theories about teenagers at war with some internet trolls while you twiddle your dick in the corner because you couldn't be bothered to stop a Yakuza member extorting the poor and trying to traffic high school girls.  In fact, what the fuck do you even do besides take up space?  You breathe air.  Here's my hypothesis on the situation since you like to be up my ass about it all the damn time since I had the unfortunate opportunity to meet you at the studio.  About you, the Phantom Thieves, and all these changes of heart.  I think you're a piece of shit fuckface bastard whose insecure about the fact that he's never contributed to anything useful in his life outside of being a flavor of the month TV pretty boy desperate for attention because your parents probably didn't give you enough at home, I bet.  And now you gotta venture into _my_ neck of the woods and give _me_ shit for living _my_ mundane life because I guess you've got nothing really important going on in yours, is that it?  That how you get your kicks?  Dragging up my personal business in front of everyone unwarranted?  Make me feel like shit about my criminal record after society already did so?  Everyone at school avoids me and thinks I’m dangerous, the teachers find me a nuisance, my own parents won’t talk to me, and the guy who’s taking me in wouldn’t give a single shit if I dropped dead.  So since you wanna dig into my personal life and hassle me for it in front of my friends, there you go.  You get to know all the little facts.  Satisfied?  That what you wanted to hear?  It’s not enough I have to live on probation for a year but you have to hound me too?  In fact, instead of twiddling your dick in my business, go find one of your raving fangirls and twiddle it in hers.  Or are you lacking the proper length to do the job down there, Dickless?"  He stepped forward and jabbed his finger at Akechi, poking his chest firmly like he were using a knife.  "So if you don't mind, " Detective Prince", would it be at all possible for me and my friends to go about our business and enjoy ourselves on what little time we have this Sunday evening without you trying to climb up my ass?  Is that alright with you?"

They all stood in a stunned uncomfortable silence as the heat built upon their necks.  Never had any of them been so embarrassed on someone else’s behalf before.  All save Ryuji who was sporting the biggest grin imaginable.  Everything he had wanted since the Madarame aftermath had been given to him on a silver platter.  Akechi stood dumbstruck by his verbal onslaught, mouth hanging open but no rebuttal to be found.  He had never been thrashed so verbally before by anyone else besides his boss.  He licked his dried lips tentatively.

"I…. wasn't anticipating that response," he managed to make himself say.  The melodiousness tone that once shimmered in his voice was gone. "I, um… I suppose I have overstayed my welcome here."

"What gave it away?" Akira asked rhetorically.  The boy had endured enough.  Whether deserved or undeserved, he let his temper fly free to tear into Akechi.  Guilt or remorse could come later.  He just wanted him off his back.

"I-I apologize," Akechi said swiftly.  It took great effort now to speak after being thrashed in front of all of them.  "I won't take up more of your time.  Please, excuse me."  The detective swiftly made his exit away from the group without a single glance backward.  A devious smirk rose on his Akira's face as he watched the detective flee with his tail between his legs.  The others were still too stunned to speak, necks hot and anxiety twisting in their chests.

"Daaaaaaamn," Ryuji finally said.  "You lit him up, dude!  Up and down and all around!"  A heavy sigh escaped Akira as he felt the equivalent of an anvil being shrugged off from his body.  The display was utterly cathartic for him.  All the frustration and toxin allowed to bleed out onto the surface.

"Did you really have to be so harsh?" Makoto asked, wincing sympathetically.  It felt almost as painful as being on the receiving end to witness such a display.  Yusuke stood in silence while tending to his sketchpad.  The sheer passion and ire he felt emanating off Akira had him inspired.  The way he tended his lines.  The sharpness, the stark contrast.  Akira himself was almost as bewitching a muse as Ann was.

"Fuck him,” Akira dismissed with a huff.  “I’ve got no time to be followed around, interrogated, and have my personal business put on display like that.”

"He was being kind of a dick," Ann had to agree.  Even if no ill intent was meant, it was rather rude to pull the rug out from underneath Akira unprompted.  Akechi might have been a cop, but Akira had done nothing to deserve such treatment.  Though it didn’t really detract from how far Akira had gone himself.  "But still… you didn't have to lay him out like that.  Just felt really extra and kinda mean."  

"Don't play with fire if you're not looking to get burned.  That's what I say."  Ryuji grinned and wrapped his arm around him, nudging his ribs playfully.

"That's our leader," he said.  "Don't take shit from nobody.  Maybe he'll think twice before comin' 'round here again, eh?"  Ryuji was on top of the world and over the moon.  Seeing the man having dragged their name through the mud repeatedly be cut down to size.  He was really itching to go after their next target now.  Throw salt in the fresh wounds.

"I’ve heard of your impassioned temperamental state before, but to witness it firsthand…”  Yusuke trailed off, getting lost in his pencil sketch.  Just more and more ideas kept bleeding out and over onto the canvas.  “You must harbor a lot of resentment within your soul.”

"Um, did you guys forget why he's here in the first place?" Ryuji asked.  "Cops and the people Akechi’s battin’ for screwed him over.  And after all we did for this place, you don't think we got a right to be a little pissed off about it all?  Gettin’ shit talked all over TV without being able to defend ourselves?  Like we’re the bad guys or something?" 

"Well, you're not wrong," Makoto admitted, looking towards the ground glumly.  "I just don't like seeing people get torn to shreds like that is all."

"I guess you're a little right, Ryuji," Ann agreed.  "But I'm with Makoto as well. That was pretty harsh. But he did have some of it coming for that comment about his record."  Ryuji glowered at them.

"You're takin' Akechi's side?"  Ann shot him a look.

"I just said he had part of coming, didn't I?"  She didn't like the accusation of picking a "side" in this case.  Akechi was a bit invasive and working for a rather incompetent police force, but Akira was in a league of his own as well.  Always had he insisted he never be above reproach, something that only deepened her respect for him.  But this was still very thin ice to tread upon given his history.

"Enough," Akira stated, holding up his hands.  "We all got our own opinions on the matter.  Ann and Makoto are right, though."  Ryuji blinked in surprise at him.  "Akechi had it coming, no doubt about that.  Even if he didn't, I still would've gutted him then and there like that.  But was it harsh and over the top?  Yeah.  I won't apologize for it, though, or act like you have to agree.  But we're a team.  I'm not gonna let this Akechi nonsense tear us up.  We know what we've done and what we're about.  Akechi can't take that away from us, right?"  The team nodded amongst themselves.  Nobody was really wanting to make this into a larger thing than it already was.  They were all rather back and forth on how to feel about it.  But Akira wasn’t in the mood to hear about it.  He was already troubled as it was by his display.  Yusuke was right.  His resentment really did go deep.  Deeper than he thought.  And the others saw his open wounds.

He didn’t like it.

"But what do you think that was all about though?" Ann asked, looking to where Akechi had departed.  "What brought all that on?"

"Do you think he's ascertained our true identities?" Yusuke asked.

"Nah," Ryuji said, a twinge of unconvinced apprehension in his voice.  "Couldn't be…. Right?"

It was a clever deduction, Akira had to admit.  The composition of their social group made them prime suspects.  He was actually kicking himself for not having seen it before.  It was getting too close a shave with everything building up.  And yet…

"Doubtful.  We left no fingerprints, DNA evidence, video surveillance, footprints, plans, backdoor entrances unlocked, or any of that jazz.  The Metaverse leaves nothing behind." He smirked smugly and pushed his glasses forward.  "He's got nothing. We can't be touched."

"Maybe," Makoto stated.  "I'd like to say that it's simply us overthinking this, but…"  She chewed on her bottom lip tentatively.  "It may be best to remain cautious from now on. We shouldn't forget that Alibaba was able to discover who we are."  Akira nodded in agreement.  Though he bore little confidence in Akechi's abilities, Alibaba was an unknown.  A wild card with abilities far beyond theirs' or Akechi's.  They had even sent a calling card to his address personally.

"True," Yusuke noted.  "But Akira is right.  It's not as though he had tangible evidence to prove that discovery.  If he did try to convict us, his name would be sullied forever.  Just keep acting normally."  Ann retrieved the phone from her pocket and opened the Medjed tab.

"More importantly, things are getting serious with Medjed!"

"Oh, yeah!" Ryuji said excitedly.  "What'd they write?"

"Here. I'll read it."  Ann scrolled down through the page swiftly.  Akira merely sighed and shook his head.

"Again with the computer nerds?" he asked.  "We just put Alibaba in his place when we told him to show up in real life.  What are these guys gonna do?  DDOS the Innocent Sin Online servers?"

" _We are disappointed in the people of Japan and their belief in the Phantom Thieves' false justice."_ Akira sighed and rubbed his eyes.

" _This is not my problem_ ," he muttered to himself.  " _We got bigger shit to worry about."_ If he had to hear about Medjed one more time, he was going to lose his mind.  What was the worst they could do behind a computer screen?

" _Hence, we shall plan to proceed with our plan to cleanse Japan. This process will commence on August 21st.  As a result, the Japanese economy shall suffer devastating damages.  However, we are magnanimous.  We will give the Phantom Thieves one final opportunity to repent.  As proof of this repentance, we demand that they reveal their identities to the public.  We will attack if these demands remain unmet.  The future of Japan rests with the Phantom Thieves.  We are Medjed.  We are unseen.  We will eliminate evil."_

"For real?" Ryuji asked, wide-eyed with shock.  He gulped nervously.  "Sounds bad."  The high he was riding from Akechi’s roast had gone up in smoke. 

"In other words, if we don't unmask ourselves, Medjed will attack Japan, correct?"  Yusuke clarified.  "It seems they are quite the attention seekers."  Ann shelved her phone into her back pocket, worry rife on her lovely soft face. 

"What are we gonna do?"

"If only we could get in contact with Alibaba," Makoto said.

"Our only clues are Boss and Alibaba," Ryuji said, scratching his head. " Anyways, it's too damn hot out here.  Why don't we go to Leblanc?  We can talk more over there."  He looked to Akira for a response, but he only stood there, rubbing his eyes.  A heavy sigh escaped the boy's chest, heavy with agitation, weariness, and reluctance.  He shook his head, lips pursed with frustration. 

"So… now Japan's entire economy and people's livelihoods have been threatened because a couple computer nerds wanna square up.  They just had to make it real…"  He cracked his knuckles, the pops echoing loudly through the tunnel.  His silver eyes slid slowly open, a fire burning within his irises harboring intensity possessed only when dueling shadows.  They just couldn’t leave well enough alone.

" _Now_ it's my problem…"

* * *

 Their Sunday seemed to only grow wilder after leaving the sushi joint.  As though exiting the place had opened the doors to Pandora’s Box.

Upon entering Sojiro’s house and discovered the identities of both Futaba Sakura and Alibaba.  They were one and the same.  Sojiro had gathered them all back to the coffee shop and explained her situation.   Futaba’s sorrowful backstory and living state had made the circumstances with Medjed even direr.   On top of that, Morgana had vanished in the ensuing chaos of Futaba and Sojiro startling them.  Akira had never felt this tired outside of a trip into Mementos before.  The stressful combination of his worry for Futaba, Sojiro, the Phantom Thieves, and now Morgana was too taxing on his seventeen-year-old mind.   The boy hit the bathhouse, changed into his sleeping clothes, and rested atop the bed.  His shaggy head leaned back on the pillow as he stared out through the window.  The moonlight was the only illumination provided in his tiny room.

“Hey!” a small voice said.  Akira rose from his bed to see none other than Morgana standing in the entrance.  “Were you just going to go to sleep without even wondering where I was?  I take it the chief told you about Futaba, and then you guys disbanded in relief for now.”  Akira leaned back onto the bed, letting out a great sigh of relief.

“I’ll definitely be able to sleep tonight knowing you’re safe,” he said.  “Where the hell’d you go?”  The cat gave a cheeky grin, his tail flicking side to side eagerly.

“Running recon,” he said beaming.  “You can’t underestimate my intel-gathering skills, you know.”  He stretched and climbed into the bed, purring as Akira scratched his chin.  “I was checking out the chief’s house.”

“I hope you didn’t shed anywhere,” Akira said.

“Well, of course not!” Morgana said indignantly.  “I’m not some alley cat!  I’m perfectly well groomed, you know.”

“It’s that fine-toothed comb I bought.  You’re welcome, by the way.”  Akira had taken it upon himself to keep Morgana spruced up in their spare time.  Trimming his nails, brushing his teeth, bathing him gently, and delicately tending to his black coat.  At first, the cat was utterly indignant to be subjected to such treatment as though he were a mere pet.  But Akira had the magic touch.  Combined with his winning charm, Morgana consented and made it part of his routine.

“Well, needless to say, I didn’t think our Alibaba would be so young.”  Akira leaned forward intently.

“You got to see her?” he asked.  “Like up close?  What was she like?”  There was very little Akira had managed to see in all the darkness and commotion.  It was still boggling his mind to know Sojiro even had children.  Not his biological children but still.  The cat pondered, rubbing his chin with his paw.

“Well, she’s probably about the same age as you guys.  At least her voice was pretty young sounding.  Oh, and she had long hair too!”  Akira leaned back onto the bed, hands behind his head.

“I never thought somebody would volunteer to have their heart changed,” he said.  A hefty sigh escaped him.  “But we know Sojiro isn’t an abuser.”  He grinned with satisfaction to himself.  “Knew it all along.”  Morgana pounced on his chest, smirking at him.

“You told us you checked the Nav!” he said playfully. 

“Only because Ann wanted to.”  The cat swatted his nose.

“Whatever!”  Akira’s smile disappeared as his gaze fell to the window, fixated on the faint moonlight falling in. 

“You were spying on her, Morgana.  How good is this chick?”  Morgana returned to the space by Akira’s legs and curled up.

“Well, she’s certainly no amateur,” the cat admitted.  “She completely overheard your conversation with the chief, and she can hack into our chats too.”

“Yeah, about that,” Akira interrupted.  “After we steal her heart, I’m gonna have to talk to her about this spying business.  I’m not a big fan of being watched.”  If she knew of his chat logs, Futaba had dangerous amounts of information on him.  Private contacts like Iwai and Takemi were in danger of being exposed for aiding a Phantom Thief.  What shook him to his very core, however, was the thought that she might have known what type of “private materials” he perused in his free time when he caught a break from the others.  A cold sweat fell down his back.  “B-but anyway.  Do you think that she can help us kick Medjed’s ass?”  Morgana shrugged.

“Even if she can’t take Medjed down directly, she might have some kind of lead on them.”  Akira sighed and ran his fingers over his brow.  His mind felt utterly exhausted.

“Not exactly the answer I wanted,” he muttered, shaking his head.  “But it doesn’t matter.  She’s a person in need, and that’s what the Phantom Thieves do.  They help people.  Even if she can do nothing with Medjed, I owe it to Sojiro-san to help her.  And to Futaba.”  Morgana smiled and nodded approvingly.

“That’s our Joker,” he said kindly.  “In any case, we’ll need to rely on Futaba to get closer to Medjed.  This is the only lead we have, so we might as well pursue it.”  Akira nodded in agreement, letting out a heavy yawn.  “Hey, when are we meeting again?”  The boy merely shrugged.

“Tomorrow, probably.”

“Good idea.  How about we do it in here?  It’s way too hot outside.”

“I’ll text everyone before school tomorrow.  For now, let’s get some rest.  It has been a fucking day, let me tell you.”  Morgana merely sat there, tail flicking slowly.  Blue eyes fixated on the boy on the bed.  Akira opened one eye and saw him just sitting there.  “Something on your mind?”  The cat nodded.

“You mind if I ask you something?” he sat.

“Go ahead.”

“Promise you won’t get mad?”  Akira opened both and looked down at Morgana peculiarly. 

“Why would I get mad?”  The cat fidgeted nervously in place, eyes darting around the room.

“Well, it involves Akechi…”  A low weary sigh slipped through the boy’s lips as his body slackened on the bed.  Letting his arms dangle off the edge like a limp ragdoll.

“What about?“ he asked flatly.  He was tired of thinking about the detective.  Medjed took priority now.  Especially now that they could do some real damage.  “Don’t tell me you’re feeling bad for him after I owned his ass on a platter?”  The cat folded his ears and hunkered down into the bed.

“Well…”  Akira groaned and leaned back on the bed, hand over his eyes.

“Come on, man!” he protested.  “Don’t do this to me now!”  It wasn’t what he was looking for before bed.  Some sort of debate.

“Well, it’s just -I mean, you see-“  Morgana stammered as he tried to form his argument the best he could.  Akira merely sat and watched him, interested in what he had to say.  “I think you might’ve gone a bit overboard on him is all.  Like, you’ve only spoken a couple times to him.  You don’t know him that well so it’s a bit presumptuous to write him off the way you did.  It didn’t seem too fair to lay into him like that.  You were mad at Yusuke for threatening you and Ryuji and at Makoto for blackmailing you, but this was a completely different level.  A bit… unnecessary.”  Akira sighed and hung his arm over his eyes.  “But I will admit him bringing up your criminal record unprompted was unnecessary.”  Akira sighed once more while the cat vented his feelings.  He wasn’t wrong.  Akira wouldn’t fault him for his opinion.

“You don’t play sides, do you?”  The cat chuckled and delivered onto him a teasing smirk.

“The only side I play to is justice.”

“Pfffft!”  Akira closed his eyes and shook his head in drowsy disbelief.  He rose up and sat on the edge of the bed, leaning forward.  “And you’re right.  Perhaps it was a tad presumptuous.”  Morgana felt himself relax.  A small smile graced the cat’s face as he listened to Akira’s calm voice.  One reason he enjoyed spending time with Akira was that he listened.  He listened, was engaging, and re-evaluated things, even himself.  “Maybe I went a bit too far.  I’ll admit that.  Will I say all of it was undeserved?”  He shook his head adamantly.  “Nah.  Not at all.  But…”  He sighed once more and rose from the bed.  “Perhaps if I explained my thoughts behind all this, you’d understand where I’m coming from.”

“Okay,” the cat said with a nod.  Akira began to pace back and forth in front of the bed.  This was one of his many habits Morgana had noticed during his stay.  When something weighed heavily upon his mind, he would go from wall to wall in a synchronized pattern.  He held his hands together, pulling the tips of his fingers up to his nose.

“So,” he began.  “Kamoshida, right?”  Morgana nodded.  “You know the story.  You know of all the vile things he’s done.”  He huffed through his nose and shook his head as he recounted the many heinous acts he bore witness to and heard from others.  “Beating up the boys, molesting the girls.  He was the volleyball coach, and he was supposed to protect us.  To look after the students.  That’s what teachers are supposed to do.”  He paused, shaking his head soberly.  “All these things went on.  And you know what the others did?  What Mr. Kobayakawa did?”  He inhaled slowly and sharply, still shaking his head.  Akira’s gaze turned to Morgana, glowering darkly in his direction.  “He let it happen.”  Morgana gulped as the disdain and bitterness in his voice manifested itself.  “The adults we were told all our lives to listen to.  To respect and come to help when someone was doing something wrong.  The adults we were told would protect us.”  He paused once more, turning away to glare darkly into a shadowy corner of the room.  “They sold us out.  They measured Kamoshida’s star power over the safety as well as the mental and physical health of the students.”  He turned, eyes peering through the shadows at him.  “And we drew the short straw.  The people who were supposed to protect us left us out to dry.”  He fell silent, turning back to the corner.  He shook his head, a look of disdain obscured by shadow upon his face.

“Akira…” Morgana said softly.  He inhaled sharply through his nose before continuing.

“That bastard broke Ryuji’s leg,” he growled lowly.  His fist was clenched, the knuckles popping loudly in the small room.  “Turned him into a social pariah that everyone wrote off as just a punk.  Disbanded the track team for the volleyball team’s own glory and blamed it on him.  Then he tried to rape Ann, and then raped Shiho when he didn’t get his way.  And now she’s been in the goddamn hospital for months of physical therapy because of him!”  He swung at the air absently.  Though Kamoshida was behind bars never to be seen again, his lingering presence in his mind and in the Shujin Academy air never faded.  Morgana tentatively crept forward on the bed, a paw reaching out to Akira.

“I understand,” he said.  “But Kamoshida has been sent to jail.  We’ve gotten justice-“

“That’s right.”  Akira swung around, pointing at the cat.  “We stopped him.  We showed the world what Shujin Academy let happen.  We’ll never fix the people and lives he’s destroyed.  But we stopped him from ever doing that to anyone ever again.”  He turned away, inhaling sharply through his nose.  “Now here comes this… _little prick_.”  Morgana hunkered down as the familiar venom and seething tone returned.  “This shitbird has the nerve to go on television and insinuate we’re just as bad at him.  Him Even straight up says we’re as bad as Madarame, a guy who literally let a woman die so he could steal her life’s work and enslave her child.  Him and the rest of those hack TV hosts and news reporters.  We’re as bad as Kaneshiro for making him confess to his crimes of smuggling drugs, abusing the poor, and trafficking high school girls.  Because as we all know, vigilantism and changing a person’s foul heart is just as bad as raping underage girls and being complacent in the death of an innocent woman.  Don’t you know, Morgana?  If you force a rapist a confess his crime, that makes you just as bad because you didn’t go through the law to do it.”  He scoffed harshly and rubbed his eyes.  “What a crock of shit.”  Morgana merely nodded solemnly as he listened to his friend air his grievances.

“I suppose when you say it like that, I can see your point,” he admitted.

“Akechi talks a big game about “the law” and how we can’t “take justice into our own hands” as though in order to learn what’s right and wrong, you have to go to a prestigious school and get a degree that shows the world that you spent thousands of yen to learn that rape and murder are bad.  That man is a drone.  Plain and simple.  One of those guys that’s lived a sheltered life, I bet.  Little Mister Prim-and-Proper.  Telling us to listen to the people in charge who are supposed to protect us and do their job.  But the ones in power looked the other way or were useless.  The school covered up Kamoshida’s actions.  Madarame abused his students and drove one to suicide.  The local police were useless in busting Kaneshiro.”  He sat at the foot of the bed, leaning forward.  A sweat had built upon his brow.  Morgana placed a comforting paw on his arm.  “Society and the people who swore to protect us.  They failed us.  They _betrayed_ us.”  Morgana fixated on that word.  Betrayal.  It hung heavily in his voice.  His limbs seemed to tremble from the weight behind it just from hearing it spoken.

“Betrayal,” he breathed.  “You make that word sound so personal…”  He didn’t reply.  Merely sat in the dark as the moonlight shined on his back.  In his mind, he was back in his hometown.  On that dark street barely illuminated by the lights.  Walking down the quiet avenue.  And stumbling across those two.  The drunken man and the woman he was forcing into his car.

“You know the story,” he muttered.  Akira didn’t face his furry friend, content to stare into the dark.  “And you know the answer.”

 _Damn brat! I’ll sue!_ His voice echoed in his head.  That man.  With the scrap of hair on his chin.  Baggy eyes and red cheeks.  Reeking of alcohol.  A bloody gash on his forehead from where he stumbled over.  _Make this statement to the cops.  “This kid suddenly attacked me.”  Got it?_ Then he remembered being hauled into the police cab.  His parents yelling at him.  Getting kicked out of school.  His so-called friends cutting ties.  The court date.  The cold trade-off from his quiet life to Tokyo.  He sighed, slumping forward to stare at the ground.

“The law is supposed to protect the common man,” he said, half to Morgana and half to himself.  “What good is it if it can be bought?  If you can get away by just having enough money?  Why does the acting authority get to punish and judge people for defending themselves from abusers when they’re the ones doing the abusing or letting it happen through incompetence or apathy?”  He rubbed his brow, the sweat on his palms offering a semblance of coolness against his hot flesh.  A harsh scoff echoed in the room.  “But we’re just as bad as those criminals, right?  Just as bad as child abusers and criminals.  Rapists and murderers.  We wear masks and don’t kill anyone.  But we’re just as bad as them, right?”  Morgana climbed onto his lip and pressed his head against Akira’s.  A low purr resonated from Morgana.  Akira sat in silence before wrapping his arms around the cat.  He held him quietly in the darkness, rocking him back and forth.  “Pfft…”  He let out a low snicker.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.  A soft smile could be seen on Akira’s face, showcased by the moonlight rays.

“You didn’t get your fatty tuna.”  His snickering picked up, and now Morgana felt himself joining him.  His sushi had been sacrificed to get the information from Sojiro despite his militant protests. 

“You owe me a double order,” Morgana joked, swatting at his nose playfully.  He let out a low chuckle in response.

“Alright,” he said softly.  “Two orders of fatty tuna.  I’ll start putting some yen away.”  They sat in silence for a bit.  Morgana could feel his chest rise and fall.

“I never knew you felt so strongly about all this, Akira.”  He stroked the cat’s far as he contemplated his own words. 

“I didn’t want to turn this personal,” he admitted.  “But I guess everything becomes personal after a while.  Especially when your friends are all wrapped up in it.” Morgana said nothing, sitting in silence and letting himself be petted.  Yet despite the righteous indignation he felt at thrashing Akechi – the sympathy he garnered in some degree from Morgana – something still didn’t feel right.  To let himself bleed like that in front of his friends.  Show his open wounds, his pain.  He felt vulnerable now that his flaws were visible.  He was supposed to keep this in control.  Remain composed and not let emotions take over sound reasoning.  But Akechi had just cut so deep with his words – whether about the Phantom Thieves or himself personally.  It was a side he hadn’t wanted them to see.  Sure, he had managed to vent his frustrations before about Kamoshida, his expulsion, and at Makoto’s spying.  But why did this moment feel so different?

“Maybe that’s a good thing,” the cat said.  “It lets you remember what you’re fighting for.”  Akira sat in silence for a moment before nodding.

“The greater good.”

“Right,” Morgana said with a smile.  “The greater good.  What the Phantom Thieves stand for and always will.”  Akira nodded and climbed back into the bed.  Morgana nestled next to his legs, snuggling warmly under the blankets.  “But even so… I think you might want to apologize to Akechi.  He might irritate you, but it would be better to be on friendly relations rather than unfriendly.”

“Weren’t you the one calling him a problematic guy to get involved with?  Plus, I don’t think Akechi’s that… petty…”  Petty.  Was he petty?  For how he acted?  For lashing out at Akechi in such a way for what he represented?  Who he represented?  The police had definitely left him embittered after his treatment, but that was hardly Akechi’s fault.

_Adults are only interested in using the young, while they simply do as the adults say…_

“Fuck… Maybe you’re right.”  His gut twisted as his pride fought with his goodwill and empathy.  He still felt Akechi was dead wrong and incredibly egotistical for his ignorance.  But it was just that.

“We know our own justice, but he’s on the outside looking in.  We can’t make him see it our way without revealing ourselves.  Wouldn’t you feel the same if you were him?”  Akira let out a growl through his teeth as reason slowly won out.  He didn’t have much pride after his expulsion but did he desperately try to hold onto what he had left.  It felt good to tear into Akechi, like he was getting back at the law somehow.  But Morgana was right.

“This sucks…”  Morgana couldn’t help but laugh at his apparent agony.  Pride was a fickle thing.  “Fine… if I see him, I’ll… say something, I guess…”  Now Morgana’s laughter was picking up as Akira turned over to pout.  It was embarrassing to be seen like this.  The leader of the Phantom Thieves being temperamental and wildly emotional.  He was supposed to be more mature than that.  The position demanded it.  But he couldn’t fight his hormonal teenage state in the end.  He was a kid, still human.  Flawed, emotional, and even prone to mistakes.  “Hey, Morgana.”

“Yeah?”  The cat stared at him, ears twitching and blue eyes shimmering.

“Thanks,” he said softly.  “For listening.  And for talking some sense into me.”  Morgana giggled and shut his eyes.

“Anytime, pal.”  Akira smirked and leaned deep into the pillow.

“See?  I told you you’re one of the few people on this team with any real sense.  Man, after today, I feel like I could sleep for eighty years…”  His eyelids felt like lead on his face.  His mind grew numb and fuzzy as he seemed to melt into the mattress.  With a heavy yawn, sleep finally claimed his body.  Morgana remained awake, however.  Peering into the darkness of the room as he thought about today.  Akira had never let his emotions bleed out like that before.  It was raw, a touch unnerving.  He would have to keep a better eye on him.  Keep him under the proverbial thumb he lacked.

He was the glue holding the team together.  They still needed him.  As to what they would do after he became human and swept Lady Ann off her feet was no concern of his.  They could go back to living their directionless lives outside of being Phantom Thieves once that was all over.  To part ways afterward…

That was how it was supposed to have been, right?  They just work together to get Morgana his body back.  He had even gone into this with the notion that it was just a temporary alliance.  What changed?  And would it be so bad to just stick around afterward?  Obviously, he would have to for Ann’s sake.  He hadn’t given up on courting her just yet.  He just needed more time.


	26. The Waiting Game Commences

_8/02/17 – Tuesday_

The threat and uncertainty of Medjed’s word had gotten to the Phantom Thieves over the past couple of days.  Their identities, as well as the livelihoods and financial stability of many Japanese citizens, was at risk.  Akira wasn’t entirely convinced just how seriously they should be considered, but in this case, it was better to be safe instead of sorry. 

Futaba’s palace was stormed, and her treasure obtained from the clutches of the hideous sphinx monster with her mother’s head on top.  Not only had Futaba been freed, but she herself was found to be a Persona user.  She commanded a glowing UFO with a gargoyle statue atop it, known as Necronomicon.  She had been freed but at a great cost.

Futaba sat in her bed unmoving.  Faint and pale yet still very much alive.  In an act of desperation, Akira had called upon his friend and “legitimate medicinal provider” Tae Takemi to do a house call.  Even her medical expertise could not determine what was wrong with the young girl.  Things seemed direr than they had ever been.  With no other options, Akira and Makoto had gathered the others and Sojiro to discuss Futaba.

“Hey, Futaba?” Sojiro asked, standing over her bed.  His tone was calm and relaxed as he gazed upon the unconscious girl.  “Heyyy?”  The girl merely groaned in her sleep.  Despite all she had endured, Futaba looked as content as could be.  As though nothing had ever happened.  The Phantom Thieves stood in uncomfortable silence.  Her situation was an abnormal one, even by their standards.  The lot of them were in the dark, and the lack of knowledge set an uneasiness throughout them.  “Oh dear…”  Makoto took a step forward, doing her best not to waver as she locked eyes with Sojiro.

“Um… About Futaba…”  He raised an eyebrow in surprise and turned towards them.

“Hm?  Why do you guys look so down?” he asked.  Ann rubbed her cheek tentatively, averting her eyes from the old man’s.

“Futaba-chan’s condition…” she said with great fragility.  He looked down at the sleeping girl and stroked his goatee.

“What, this?  Ah, it happens every so often.”  The completely tonal shift from languishing in an uncomfortable apprehensive silence to stunned, surprised, and relieved nearly gave them all whiplash.  Akira’s gaze shifted from Sojiro to Futaba and then back.

“Huh?” Ryuji uttered in shock.

“She must’ve used up all her energy,” Sojiro explained.  “It’s like she ran out of batteries.  I think it happens ‘cause she doesn’t get enough exercise.”  The Phantom Thieves let out a collective sigh of relief, with Akira’s much heavier than the others.

“What?” Ryuji shook his head in frustration, annoyed at himself for getting worked up over the girl’s health for nothing.  Akira swiftly began to find the humor in it.  They had barely spoken to her and yet were all doting over Futaba like a little sister.

“She stays like this for a few days whenever this happens.  I’ll make sure she gets plenty of rest.  Keep an eye on her.  I’m gonna go close the store and grab some things.  No doubt when she wakes up, she’ll eat anything and everything in this house.  So I better stock up for her…”  The teenagers parted and let Sojiro leave the room before crowding around Futaba.  They stared down at her with relief and disbelief simultaneously.

“It’s hard to describe how I feel right now,” Makoto said, rubbing her brow.  She couldn’t keep doing this roller coaster of emotions every time they hit up a Palace.  At this rate, she wouldn’t make it to her twenties.

“Yeah,” Ryuji said as he shelved his hands in her pockets.  “I’m feelin’ pretty frustrated.”  More relief than anger.  Simultaneously cleansing her heart and awakening her Persona hadn’t rattled her in any sort of way.  Thank goodness, as none of them could ever forgive themselves if they damaged Sojiro’s only family.

“Thank God,” Akira said, leaning against the wall.  “She’s a-okay.”

“I’m glad, but what are we gonna do about Medjed?” Ann asked.  A soft sigh like the coo of a dove left Futaba’s mouth.  

“She’s up!” Ryuji declared.  True to his word, her soft eyes had fluttered open.  Gazing up towards the ceiling.

“Medjed…” she grumbled, eyelids growing heavy.  Her body felt like bags of sand, unable to move anything.  “Tired.  Gonna sleep for a bit.”  She gave one last yawn before closing her eyes once more.  As quickly as she had awoken, she was gone.

“She fell asleep again?” Ryuji held his head, shaking it with disbelief.

“Futaba-chan!” Ann cried.  No response could be heard save for her soft breaths.  Akira let out a low chuckle as he gazed upon the young girl.

“Heh heh heh.  Out like a light.”

“How much is she planning on sleeping?” Ann asked.  Akira merely shrugged, looking down at her with a soft smile.  “We probably shouldn’t wake her up.”

“She’s been through a lot.  I think she’s earned a peaceful rest.”  Futaba let out a tiny yawn and grew silent once more.  “Aww, she’s so cute!  Like a little baby!”  He held his hands together and beamed at her.  “Maybe we should leave you with her to be her teddy bear, Morgana.”  The cat swatted at him indignantly.  There was no way he would allow himself to be emasculated in such a way in front of Ann. 

Yusuke looked at her with concern.  Though grateful to see her safe and calm, the threat of Medjed still lurked in his mind.

“What to do…” he wondered.

“It’s too late for us to find another hacker,” Makoto said, sharing his concern.  Morgana scratched at his head with his back paw.

“All we can do is wait for her to wake up,” he said.  And now was Akira’s least favorite part.  The waiting game.  They had no backup plan at this point in time.  Mishima wasn’t as well equipped as Futaba was for the job, and none of Akira’s other confidants had the versatility to match.

“We gotta have faith at this point, guys,” Akira said, stepping away from the wall.  “It’s out of our hands at this point.  All we can do now is check where the cards all and hope we get a good hand.”

“I guess,” Ann said.  Though her voice betrayed the uncertainty she felt within.

“I just wish we had a sort of backup plan, though,” Yusuke said.  The others shared his sentiment, Akira could tell.  They wore expressions of concern and discomfort.  He could hardly blame them, however.  Uncertainty was something that came with being a Phantom Thief, but the stakes had never been higher and the circumstances never as dire.  Even his own words did little to calm the apprehension in his chest.

“Let’s not forget what’s important here,” Akira said.  “We saved a girl’s life today.  Gave her another chance at life and pulled her out of her depression.  That’s not nothing.”  The team nodded softly in response.  “It doesn’t solve our Medjed problem, but we can’t forget that the Phantom Thieves are here to save people in situations like this.  We take our victories, no matter how small.”  Warm smiles returned to their faces.  Morgana chuckled and climbed onto his shoulder.

“That’s our Joker,” he mused.  Akira grinned and ruffled his fur.

“I’ll be digging into Medjed in the meantime,” Makoto stated.  “It’ll keep me occupied.”

“Go for it.”  With her sister’s connections, maybe Makoto could pull them out of this hole somehow.  By no means was she tech savvy, but maybe they had something buried that the Phantom Thieves could use as their ace.  But all that was up in the air at this point.  Akira’s gaze fell to Futaba once again.  “Never forget, guys.  This right here?  This is what we’re fighting for.  Who we’re fighting to protect.  Because no one else can.”  The others nodded in agreement.  Their minds seemed relatively more at ease, which set his mind at ease.  “Alright.  Dismissed.”

“Hold on, actually,” Makoto said, holding up a hand.  “Akira, do you mind if I ask you something?  In relation to the doctor?  How do you know her?”  Akira merely shrugged.

“I help out at her clinic from time to time,” he said.

“Oh!” Ryuji said.  “Was it the one goth lady?”  Makoto gave him a swift nod.  He grinned and winked at Akira.  “Nice, dude.  She’s pretty hot.”  The boy shrugged in response.

“I guess.”

“What was she like?” Ann asked curiously.  The rumors about the gothic doctor dabbling in back alley medicine were the word on the street for the longest time.  Anyone would no doubt be curious.

“She was kind of odd,” Makoto confessed.  “She didn’t dress like any doctor I knew and had Akira assist her despite his lack of medical expertise.  And before she left, she called him her…”  A perplexed expression spread across her face.  “Her little… guinea pig.”  Akira’s cheeks began to flare up immediately as he felt all eyes fall upon him.  The only sound in response was an awkward cough from Ryuji.  As Akira’s eyes shifted to a part of the room, they made contact with Ann’s.  Hers were wide and full of shock.

“Sh-she said wh-wh-what?” Ann uttered in disbelief.  “H-her guinea pig?”  Akira gulped down a lump in his throat as he felt his stomach sink.

“Yeah!” Morgana said.  “He’s been testing her developmental medicines at the clinic so that’s what she nicknames him.”  A collective sigh of relief and realization washed over the lot of them.  Akira wiped the soft sweat that had formed on his brow.

 _Thanks for the save, little buddy,_ he thought to himself.

“Thank God,” Ann said, rubbing her eyes.  “For a second, I thought it was some kind of weird sex thing.”  Akira shuddered and shook his head.

“Oh, Christ, no,” he stated while holding a hand up.  “I make it a rule not to date outside my age range.”  Ann smiled with relief at him.

“Well, at least you have higher standards than Ryuji.”

“Hey!”  Yusuke held a hand to his mouth and chuckled softly at his expense.  They were not planning on letting him live down his eagerness to hook up with the girls at the fireworks display any time soon.  It did make sense for Ryuji to be the easiest of the bunch.  Makoto, however, seemed nonplussed.  She placed her hands on her hips and stared Akira down.

“You’ve been volunteering as a test subject for experimental, unregulated, and untested medicines?” she inquired.  Akira averted his gaze from her stern auburn eyes.  Feeling the heat rise on his neck from the intensity of her gaze.  Like she was searing him alive.

“Well, when you say it like that, it sounds bad-“  A harsh cry rang out in the room as Makoto took ahold of his ear.  Her vice-like grip locked against his lobe with great ferocity.

“Akira Kurusu, that is completely and utterly irresponsible!” she lectured.  Ryuji and Yusuke stepped behind Ann fearfully.  Ann gulped and clutched her chest.  No one would dare try and interfere.  They had all seen Makoto fight in the Metaverse and knew she was a force to be reckoned with.  Akira was vicious with his silver tongue, but Makoto was getting physical.  Every single one of them would take a tongue lashing from Akira before dealing with her anger.  “You could’ve gotten yourself horrible sick or even killed, young man!”  Akira winced in pain and humiliation.

“I-it was all for the Phantom Thieves-ahh!”  She pulled on his ear, causing him to bend down.  Morgana ducked into his satchel for shelter from Makoto’s wrath. 

“Don’t try and pin this on us!  Putting strange medicinal substances with unknown side effects in your body is a reckless thing to do regardless of how good your intentions were.  I thought you of all people would understand that.”  She had half a mind to reprimand and shame that doctor to kingdom come for such unethical acts.  But she was much angrier with Akira for keeping such information secret.

“We needed affordable medicine!” he strained between gritted teeth.  “And they worked out, didn’t they?  We’re all alive!”  Makoto tugged him towards the door.

“Come on,” she stated.  “We’re doing a urine test to determine whether or not these medicines haven’t negatively affected your body.”

“Urine test?” he shouted as she dragged him down the hall.  Ann glanced to the boys awkwardly, a pained sympathetic expression on her face.

“I should probably go with her,” she said.  “For Akira’s sake.”  Without awaiting a response, she hurried out the room and down the hall.  “Hey, Makoto, wait up!  Take it easy!”  Yusuke and Ryuji stood dumbfounded in the small room.  To the right, Futaba slumbered.  Woefully ignorant of the turmoil Akira was being forced to undergo.

“What a sound sleeper,” Yusuke noted, gazing down at the orange haired girl.  Ryuji tugged on his collar nervously.

“Yeah, like a beached whale.”

* * *

 

Akira leaned against the bar reading a book.  It had been quite a day for the young boy in both the Metaverse and in the natural world.  Morgana sat and flicked his tail as he read along with him.  He hadn’t spoken much since returning to Leblanc.  The cat watched his human friend closely, put off by his unusual silence.  A knock at the door drew their attention.  Standing in front was Ann herself, peering in at them and waving.

“Lady Ann!” Morgana declared with excitement.  The cat leapt off the table and slid to the door.  Akira followed in his wake.  The door swung open and greeted the two inside with a rush of warm air.

“Hey, Akira,” she said, smiling.  Akira greeted her in turn.

“What brings you to my neck of the woods?” he asked.

“Just wanted to see how you were doing after today.”  Akira let out an awkward chuckle as he recounted the day.  Makoto’s impromptu urine test was the last thing he expected to occur this week.  It had certainly been a blow to his pride.  And to his hearing.  The ice pack he had put together in order to pull the pained sting of her vice grip had gotten plenty of use.  Ann looked over his shoulder towards the counter.  As expected, Sojiro was not there but rather still at home, looking after Futaba.  “Got the place to yourself?”  He nodded warmly, holding the door open.

“Wanna come in?” he asked.  “I’ll brew you some coffee.”  Ann’s eyes lit up with excitement at the prospect of tasting Leblanc’s signature drinks.

“You sure Boss won’t mind?”

“Nah,” Akira said with a smirk.  “As long as I don’t use too much, he said I’m able to practice brewing.”  She followed him in and took a seat at the counter.  Akira brandished an apron and set to work counting coffee grounds.  Morgana climbed up onto a barstool and flicked his tail excitedly as he basked in the girl’s presence.

“You better make her the best, Akira,” the cat said.  “Lady Ann deserves the finest.”  Ann giggled and leaned on the counter eagerly.  She swung her legs with a childlike energy.  The girl had an absolute penchant for coffee and relished the opportunity to witness his culinary skills in action.

“Yeah!” she teased.  “Show me your barista skills!”

“Akira’s been improving, according to Boss.  But I’m sure he’ll go the extra mile to make this drink taste wonderful.”

“He better.”  Akira smirked and rolled his eyes at them.

“So what can I get you?” he asked.  Ann tapped her chin with a finger.  The menu above had many different drinks listed.  She recognized quite a few from her travels abroad with her parents, but some of the more exotically named beverages escaped her.  The blonde merely shrugged and crossed her legs in her seat.

“I’ll take a mocha cappuccino,” she said beaming.  Akira let forth a low whistle of relief.  A mocha cappuccino was one of the more basic drinks Sojiro had taught him between lectures on the history of certain coffee beans and what drinks were hot with the ladies.  The young teenagers and college students off for the summer that flocked to Leblanc often requested it.  Sojiro found the drink to be too pedestrian for his tastes but admired its tendency to draw in money.  Akira chanted the instructions in his head as he went over the steps to bring her drink to life.  He set to work on the espresso while also heating the milk.  He felt a sweat build upon his neck from feeling Ann’s eyes upon him.  This had to be damn near perfect for her.  She deserved only the best.  Ann watched him with great investment as he performed his craft.  She turned to Morgana and lowered her voice.  “ _He works fast._ ”

“Boss shaped him into quite the barista,” the cat said.  “Though he’s got a long way to go before he hits the professional level, Akira is managing quite well for himself.  He’s even formed some special recipes that he brings into the Metaverse to help regenerate our mana.”

“He makes those here?” Ann asked.  Mana restoring potions were rare to find outside of the Metaverse, but Akira somehow managed to keep the Phantom Thieves well stocked.  “No wonder they tasted so good.”  A bell rang, and she turned to see a drink sitting before her.

“One mocha cap,” Akira said proudly.  “Hold the onions.”  Ann gazed at her drink lovingly.  The foam floated atop the drink like small delicate clouds.  Akira had spelled out Ann’s name with chocolate sauce atop it. 

“Aww, that’s so cute!” Akira beamed and scratched the back of his head.  A bashful but prideful grin was stretched over his face.

“Took me a lot of practice to make the words actually legible.”  He leaned on the bar nonchalantly, eyeing her.  His fingers tapped upon the hard surface as he waited on her to take the first sip.  Ann lifted the cup with both hands and smelled the drink.  The coffee and cocoa graced her button nose, adding a rosiness to her cheeks that made Akira’s heart flutter.  Her soft lips caressed the side of the porcelain mug, and her eyes widened as the liquid entered.  The boy’s heart skipped a beat as anxiety set in.

“Oh my God.  Akira…”  She gazed down into the small mug.  “This is delicious!”  A heavy sigh of relief escaped his chest, a great weight lifting off his shoulders.  “Have you practiced making these?”

“A few times,” he admitted, holding back laughs of joy.  “Sojiro would probably have pointed out a dozen things I could improve on.  But he never outright complains and instead opts out for a history lesson and some pointers.”

“Well, you did great!”  She cradled the mug in her hands as she took another sip.  “My name was a really sweet touch.”  He shrugged nonchalantly and leaned forward on the bar.

“Sojiro said that’s a strong talent to have,” Akira bragged.  “Plus, I like to go the extra mile for you.”  Morgana leaned forward and smelled the drink with his soft nose.  Completely oblivious to Akira’s flirtatious advance and the rosy blush on Ann’s cheeks.

“Smells good!” he admitted.  Ann reached into her purse.

“How much do I owe you?”

“On the house.”

“Aww, come on.  I gotta pay you something.”

“If Sojiro knew I was doing this for a pretty girl, he’d say the same thing.”  Ann beamed at him as the rosiness flushed with greater vibrancy.  She felt herself swinging her legs yet again with excitement.  Akira chuckled as the memories came flooding back.  Sojiro was standing where he was and he where Ann was when he started teaching him about the perks of knowing how to make coffee.  “He said that having the skills to make great coffee is a surefire way to get in with the ladies.”  Ann nearly choked on her drink as she began laughing.  Akira chuckling rose with the addition of her laughter.  “It’s even better when you imagine him wearing the fedora.”

“I can’t imagine Boss being a ladies’ man, to be honest.”  She wiped away the foam that had splashed on her face.  “Maybe once before, but not now.”

“Maybe if Sojiro had a lady in his life, he’d be less of a grouch, you know?”  Ann sat her mug down, having emptied it entirely.  Akira took the mug in his hands and walked over to the sink.  “Can I interest you in another?”

“No thanks,” Ann politely declined.  “That’s better than most coffees I get at regular shops.”  Akira leaned forward with a satisfied smirk.

“Am I that good?”  Ann leaned to him in turn, resting her head on her hands.

“I think a lot of comes from the fact that you made it personally.”  Akira scratched his head, smiling shyly.

“Come on,” he said with a tinge of pink to his cheeks.  “You’re too much.”

“You should spend more time drinking the coffee and less drinking strange medicines.”  She stuck her tongue out teasingly while Akira ran his fingers through his hair.

“Cut me some slack,” he said with a laugh, shaking his head.  “I’ve already gotten so much shit from Makoto for that.  You don’t fan the flames too.”

“In all fairness, she was right to be concerned and a little pissed.”  She rested her chin on the back of her hands.  “It was pretty reckless to just drink whatever she made on a whim with no way of knowing they’d work.”  Akira sighed and limply shrugged.

“I trust Takemi-san,” he stated.  “She may be… unorthodox, but she’s responsible.  She wouldn’t have given me something if she thought it dangerous.  Takemi is a good doctor.  I’d stake my life on that.  And at times, I think I did…”  Though her concoctions never put him in danger, the taste of them made him feel like death.  “But it’s in the past.  Takemi said she’s done experimenting with strange medicines on me.  I’ve given her all the information she could need.”  Ann raised an eyebrow.

“No more testing potentially dangerous medicines,” Ann said.  “That’s the truth, right?”

“Absolutely,” Akira said with a firm nod.  “For her help, I get incredibly strong medicines at a discount.  Perfect for helping us storm the Metaverse.”  Takemi had run her course with experimentations.  Having done all she could do, with a little help from him.  Not just being her test subject but even ironing out the issues in her personal life as well.

“It does seem a little dicey, but it all worked out in the end, right?” Morgana said.  Akira smiled at his friend’s attempts to defend him.  Ann seemed swayed and let out a relieved sigh.

“Well, I suppose it did,” she admitted.  “You’re still alive, not worse for wear, and we have access to better stuff.  And with your assistance, you might potentially help save other peoples’ lives in ways the Phantom Thieves can’t.”  Akira set to work washing her mug in the sink.  The soap bubbled as he scrubbed the porcelain gently with the dishrag.  “Still, I don’t want you taking such big risks for us again, alright?  They may have worked out, but it was a hell of a gamble.”  Makoto had said the same things to him but at a more elevated rate.  Ann had managed to quell her upset somewhat but not enough to get her off his case completely.  Or to stop the urine test.  A teasing smirk spread across her face.  “Unless you want to be tested by Makoto again.  And remember, next time she said it would be a blood test.”  Akira shook his head swiftly, shuddering at the thought of being forced into one of those a second time.  A cold sweat built itself upon his neck.

“I hate needles,” he said warily.  “They scare the shit outta me.”  His hands trembled at the thought of them.  Thin little sterile pieces of metal that pierced the flesh.  Blood being drawn into a tube like he was being harvested.

“Y-yeah, same, actually.”  Ann fidgeted in place rubbed at the forming goosebumps.  Akira tentatively rubbed his wrists after putting the rinsed and dried mug away.  Needles were one of the few phobias he possessed, and it showed no sign of fading away.

“You guys that worried over me?” he joked, returning to the counter.

“Well, yeah!” Ann insisted, leaning forward.  “You’re our leader and our friend.”  Her blue eyes fell solemnly to the countertop.  “If something happened to you, we’d be heartbroken.” 

“D’aww,” Akira said teasingly.  “Gonna make me blush.” 

“I’m serious.”  She pouted at him, which earned an amused chuckle from Akira. 

“Hey now,” he said softly.  “You don’t gotta worry about me.  Tough as nails over here, remember?”  He flexed for her, but Ann felt the display to be unimpressive.  She covered her mouth to suppress a snicker of amusement.  “I’m worried about you more, Ann.  All of you guys.  I gotta lead you guys through the Metaverse and make sure you go back home in one piece.  To do that, I need the best equipment for the job.  And that sometimes implies I need to push myself past my limits and into unknown waters.”  He shrugged at her.  “But I know what I can and can’t take.  I’d never do anything to intentionally endanger this team.”

“I know, I know,” Ann stated.  She sighed and glanced away.  “I just can’t help it, you know?  After all you’ve done for us, I can’t help but worry at times when we go into Mementos or somewhere.  And now that I know you’ve been playing with strange medicines, I feel a bit more worry.”  Akira smirked and shook his head.

“You my mom now?” 

“Come on, Akira.”  He forced himself to drop the comedy act and size her up seriously.  Not that he didn’t take her seriously, but he had much rather avoid gloomy and serious subjects in favor of light-hearted camaraderie.  But he wasn’t one to deflect her concern.  He would never insult her like that.  “It’s not just the medicine thing.  I…”  She chewed tentatively on her bottom lip as she carefully approached this subject.  Since witnessing it firsthand with Akechi had it bothered her, seeing him like that.  So angry and in pain.  “You being so mean to Akechi like that was really intense.”

Akira knew they would have to have this conversation eventually.  He had undergone it with himself many times before.  Keeping his emotions in check and not letting his pain be forced onto someone else’s.  His own worst critic.  But he needed to hear someone else say it even at the cost of his pride.  Just to know that he wasn’t crazy or overthinking it.

“Of course…”

“All those things you said.  Like I know you’ve had a hard life and don’t trust him, but…”  She huffed through her nose and stared him down with fierce determination.  “That doesn’t excuse being a dic- uh, jer- w-well, being so rude!  Even if Akechi stepped out of line by bringing up your record.  I mean, I know you guys don’t see eye-to-eye on the Phantom Thieves and justice, but…”  A sigh left the girl, leaving her exhausted.  Now she just felt like she was rambling.  And she didn’t want to insult him with such extreme labels.  Akira was still her friend.

“…You’re right.”  Now she had pulled a one-eighty.  Before, she was struggling to say more.  Now she had nothing else to say.  Ann hadn’t anticipated Akira to be so forthcoming about this.  So accepting of her criticism of him.  Not completely unsurprising.  He greatly valued her input, but it didn’t make the act of stepping up to the plate any less intimidating.  “I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve got a chip on my shoulder.  A lot of repressed anger, frustration from being betrayed by the system.  All the shit that’s been thrown into my life.  When I fly off on someone like that, I don’t like it.  I don’t like… being angry.  I want to relax and make people laugh.  It’s just so exhausting, and I hate showing that side of myself to them.  That bitter part of me.  It makes me feel… well, flawed.”

“Everybody is flawed, Akira.”  She gently placed her hand upon his shoulder comfortingly.  “You’ve seen our mistakes and things we need to improve on.  You’re a person like anyone else.”

“It’s different.  Or at least it should be for me.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m supposed to be your leader.  I have to set an example to you guys, and letting myself be compromised like that isn’t a good one.” 

“Akira… being our leader doesn’t mean you can’t be a person either.  You’re allowed to make mistakes and want to improve yourself.  And you can’t hide that stuff from us.  It’s not good for you.”  She had known the ire he shouldered for his wrongful punishment but had never seen it that deep.  Even Makoto’s tirade wasn’t that malicious.  “Don’t keep yourself bottled up like that, okay?  We’re your friends.  I’m your friend.  You gotta express your feelings in less volatile ways.”  Ann sat there with a glum look on his face.  It hadn’t been her intention to derail the mood like this.

“Hey.”  He held his hand up to her chin and tilted it up.  Her pure blue eyes met with his shimmering silver ones.  The world seemed to stop as they gazed together.  “I’ll be fine.  As long as I got you guys at my side.  As long as I have _you_ at my side.  Trust me on this.”  Ann’s cheeks reddened, and a heat spread over her face.  Akira felt his face rise in temperature as well.  First, it was the tickling under the starry sky.  Now they were nearly face-to-face in the coffee shop on a warm evening.  His stomach fluttered familiarly as the sense of that magical night returned.  Ann shared this feeling, her palms emanating a soft sweat upon the skin.

“O-okay…” she breathed.  Barely above a whisper.  This close, she could take into account at just how smooth he was.  Touching her face and speaking in such a smooth voice.  Soft and gentle but not fragile.  It felt safe to hear his words.  A warmth in her chest spread, contrasting the butterflies that also resided there.

“Akira!”  Their pupils shrunk as they snapped back to reality.  Both of them tentatively crept their eyes over to the side, where Morgana was standing at the bottom of the stairs.  A notepad was clutched in his mouth.  “I went to go get your recipe book.  You can show Lady Ann some of the special brews you’ve been experimenting with…”  Akira turned towards the fridge with a gauche laugh.  Ann covered her mouth and avoided looking at the cat out of embarrassment.  Both did their best to hide the deep blushes on their faces.  Morgana stood there with the notepad, brow furrowed as he studied the two.  “Are you guys okay?”

“S-so another cappuccino, right?” he uttered, coughing awkwardly.

“Yeah,” Ann snapped nervously.  “A-a double this time.”  Akira nodded and began to work diligently while he felt Morgana’s blue eyes upon him.  The cat watched the two in confusion.  He had slipped away for about a minute to find where Akira had stashed his recipe book.  Helping Akira whip up some homemade goods would surely have put him in Ann’s good graces.  Now they were acting odd and refused to look at one another.  Or him for that matter.  He scratched at his ear while he pondered the situation.  Morgana slowly strode over to Akira and looked up at the boy whipping up another cappuccino.  “Did I interrupt something?”

“No, not at all,” Akira said swiftly, eyes glued to the beverage he was preparing.  "Just idle conversation is all.  Mundane stuff."  Technically true as the conversation had come to a standstill.  So there hadn't been anything to interrupt.  Morgana narrowed his eyes and peered at the boy searchingly.  But his thoughts swiftly left him as Ann requested he deliver the book to her.  She was curious to see all the little recipes Akira had been homebrewing in his spare time.  Morgana needed little prompting to read it with her, taking any opportunity to offer her suggestions based on his delusions of her.  Ann scratched his chin and earned a content purr from the cat.  Akira gazed over his shoulder and shook his head, smirking with amusement. He delivered the drink, adorned with Ann's name in chocolate syrup atop the foam once more.

It seemed he had finally mastered writing her name.  After all, practice makes perfect.


	27. Feel the Burn

_8/07/17 – Sunday_

Akira marched his way through Central Street, a man on a mission.  Standing before him was the Protein Lovers' Gym that he and Ryuji had visited many a time before.  The two boys had trained their bodies to the fullest.  He entered through the double doors and found Ryuji and Ann waiting on him.  She sported her school gym uniform while Ryuji had donned blue shorts and a teal short-sleeved shirt.  The blonde girl ran over and embraced him, a warm smile on her face.

"You made it!" she cheered.  Ryuji raised an eyebrow and folded his arms. 

"How come I didn't get a hug?" he asked.  She turned and stuck her tongue out at him teasingly while Akira gave him a mock cackle.

"Pays to be the leader," he said smugly.  Ryuji mock laughed at his leader’s showboating.  Still, it was rather odd that Akira was the only one that managed to get hugs from Ann.  Not bad odd, per se.  Just peculiar.  It had become something the blond had taken notice of over the past few days.  Well, Ann always was an emotional and expressive kind of girl.  Wasn’t too out of the ordinary.

"I'm glad you could make time for us, Akira," Ann teased.  It had become a sort of running joke among the Phantom Thieves of Akira always being swamped with various things to do.  And even more amusing to grill him for it.  While he offered his excuses, Ann looked over his outfit with her meticulous fashionista eye.  Matching black sweatpants and a sweatshirt with a gray t-shirt underneath.  "Do you own anything with primary colors?"

"What?" Akira asked with a cheeky smirk.  "You don't like black?  It's very fashionable, don't you know?"  Ann couldn’t roll her eyes any harder.

"Pfft.  We need to get you some more variety in your wardrobe." 

"Where you been all week, dude?" Ryuji asked.  Akira let out a low whistle and felt his body slump forward with exhaustion as he recounted his busy schedule.

"Boy, I've had a fucking week, let me tell you," he started.  "I had to help out the fortune teller lady at Shinjuka. Then I had to help Makoto stake out the district for student council business.  I've also been doing some serious shogi practice, saw a movie with Yusuke, helped him at his art exhibition, and had to attend a formal dinner with the guy mentoring me in public speaking." 

"Damn," Ryuji said.  "Wait, what was that about shogi?"

"I've been practicing at the church over in Kanda.  Figured it would help me strategize better when we're in the Metaverse."  Hifumi Togo wasn’t exactly his conventional idea of a confidant.  But she was a pleasant enough person and had a penchant for strategic thinking.  Her insight had proven quite valuable into his role as a Phantom Thief. 

"A formal dinner," Ann said with admiration.  "I bet you looked great in a suit."  Akira chuckled.

"I say it was a formal dinner, but it was really just me, my mentor, and an associate of his at a hibachi steakhouse.  But damn do I wish I owned a suit."  Ryuji licked his lips as he thought about the steakhouse in question.  They hadn’t even started working out yet, but he felt could capable of clearing the whole restaurant out by himself.

"I wish I was that lucky." He turned to Ann with a curious look.  "So what're you tryin' to do here? We just doin' a little bit of exercise, or do you have a plan?"  Ann's blue eyes flared with determination, and she dramatically clenched her fist before them.

"I want to slim down!" she declared.  Ryuji stood in silence, blinking at her.  He eyed her up and down curiously while Akira echoed his sentiment.

"…Slim down from what?" he asked.  Though he couldn't make out much under her clothes, the blond boy felt there wasn't much that needed slimming.  She was always a rather skinny and fit girl.  In better shape than anyone they had seen before.  Even themselves.  "If you wanna slim down, you might wanna try joggin'."

"Aerobics alone aren't enough!" she stated sternly.  "I wanna tone up too, so I need to start lifting weights."  She stretched her arms, rotating and winding them up.  Loosening herself up just like she had seen on television.  "Plus my shoulders are drooping.  I wanna make my biceps leaner, and I need to straighten my back out!  Obviously I wanna cut down on my waist size too.  And firm up my butt and calves!"  The blonde just kept going on and on while the two boys were left in the dust.  Ryuji stood lost for words, but Akira knew where she was coming from.  

Despite rarely having to work with her nowadays, Mika’s story had really stuck with the blonde.  Though she disliked her dishonesty, Ann respected her resolve and desire to do what it took to be the best, even at her expense.  It had fueled all her endeavors forward, even in the Metaverse.  This had been in the works for a long time now.  Even Akira hadn’t been tipped off in regards to anything.  Above all else, the blonde was determined to win out against Mika fair and square.  No tricks or lies but with sophistication and perseverance.

"That's a lot of stuff on your plate, Ann," Akira noted.  "You scrutinized your body something fierce.  That's gonna consist of quite the workout."

"No holding back!"  She peered at him with laser-like focus.  "Whatever it takes to be the best and show my stuff!"  Akira smiled and nodded at her.  The rare times Mika popped up in their conversations, the blonde referred to her with a mix of respect and rivalry.  He would have given the world for a chance to light Mika up.  There was somebody who really deserved a good roasting.  But he wouldn’t dare.  Ann had made it abundantly clear this was her battle.  Not his. 

"You got guts, you know?"  She beamed at him with pride.

"Mm-hmm! I'm a guts demon!"  Ryuji shook his head and let out an exasperated sigh.

"What the hell's that even supposed to mean?" he inquired.  "I don't know where you’re comin’ from, but you're here so that means you're committed, I guess. Anyways, motivation's good 'n all, but you're not gonna be able to move tomorrow if you do all that shit." Akira nodded in agreement, impressed by Ryuji's tact.  Physical fitness was where he excelled.  Books and writing weren’t his forte, but put him in charge of creating a workout routine or overcoming a physical hurdle and he’ll deliver on all fronts.  He always knew the proper ways to pace oneself when they ran around the school or hit the gym.  Akira had come to learn much from him.  It seemed another one would become his sort-of understudy as Ann tapped her chin and mulled his words over.

"Okay!" she said before pointing a finger at him.  "Then you come up with a training regimen for me!"

"It's not that easy!" he stated. "Especially with the workload you're asking for."  He sighed and shook his head at her.  "Ugh, you're such a pain."  So much for the gym being guys' time.  Ann was not perturbed, however.  She stretched her limbs in place and reached down to touch her toes.

"Come ooooon," she said, followed by a light giggle.  "I can take it! If you do that for me, I'll go on a date with you as a reward!"  Akira's eyes darted to Ann, a slight excitement rising in his chest.

"Good thing Morgana's not here," he joked.  "Otherwise, he'd be chewing at the bits for this opportunity."  He would never hear the end of it either.  The cat had thankfully calmed down with his hyper-fixation on Ann.  For the time being. 

"Yeah, I meant to ask," Ryuji said.  "Where is he?"

"Back at Leblanc.  The thought of being cooped up in a gym in this heat wasn't too appealing, I guess."  Ryuji merely scoffed.

"What a lightweight." He turned back to Ann and rolled his eyes.  "And eff that.  Quit thinkin' you're some sexy character in an anime.  It's sad watchin' you like this." Ann let out an offended scoff at his callousness.  She adored those femme-fatale characters in the anime shows with their wit and charm.  Even Akira found himself caught off-guard.  Not even the allure of an attractive woman was enough to throw him off when he got set in his ways.  "First off, one of them sexy characters'd never come to the gym in their PE uniform."

" _You've been watching the wrong stuff then_ ," Akira muttered to himself.

"How am I supposed to know that?  I've never even been to the gym before today!"  The cell phone in her back pocket began to vibrate, the soft ringtone crying out for her.  "Oh! It's my agency!"  She stepped away from the two boys.  They stood back and watched as she discussed plans for a shoot. Ryuji leaned in and muttered softly.

"I thought we were supposed to be working out."  Akira held a finger to his lips.

"Hi!  Oh, yes.  Definitely.  Even a smaller article would be great."  Her voice was pleasant and gentle as she put on the charm for her agency representative.  Her sunny demeanor never failed to put a smile on Akira's face.  But that demeanor soon faded as Ann listened to the other end with disappointment.  "It fell through?"  She sighed glumly and looked over to the boys.  "I guess that's okay.  Mm-hmm."  Ann hung up and placed the phone into her bag.  "I was supposed to be in two magazines the month after the next, but apparently one canceled on me.  It was a black-and-white shoot so they said I wouldn't stand out."

"Damn," Akira said.  He scoffed and shook his head.  "Their loss."  She meekly shrugged, her eyes falling to the floor.  His attempt at comforting words did little to dissuade the downtrodden feeling that dwelled within.  More and more had she found herself getting increasingly sandbagged in contracts.  Just when she had found the foothold with which to further her growth.

"I guess.  It sounded like fun though.  It was about the everyday life of models."  Akira nodded solemnly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.  This managed to please her in a small sense.  His comforting touch ushered forth a sad little smile out of the blonde.

"Guess you just gotta find somewhere you do stand out then," Ryuji said.  She tapped a finger to her chin, the sunny radiance she emanated having returned.

"Yeah!  There has to be somewhere my vibrant charm will shine, right?"

"I'd say it's shining quite visibly in here.”  Akira teasingly shielded his eyes which resulted in a playful shove from her.

"Pffffft!  You nerd!"

"Oh!" Ryuji piped up.  "Speakin' of magazines, there was a really pretty girl in that one you said you were starrin' in.  She's got this innocent vibe, but she's sexy too.  Now that's what real charm looks like to me."  Akira rolled his eyes and smirked at his blond friend.  So much for maintaining his focus on the routine.  Guess Ryuji could only resist his hot rushing blood for so long.  While the blond continued gushing about how attractive the woman in question was, Ann racked her brain as she tried to recall the issue.  She hadn't had time to read the magazines in full detail, being too preoccupied with the Phantom thieves and the debacle with Medjed.

"Were there photos of me too?" she asked softly.

"Uh, yeah?"  Ryuji had honestly forgotten Ann had been part of those shoots in question.  Not that he’d dare say that aloud and risk tempting her wrath.  "But this other chick, though.  Man, what a knockout!"

Ann furrowed her brow and reflected back to the recent shoots she had done.  She was predominantly a solo gig but did occasionally collaborate with other models.  The only other girl she had been with recently was…

"…And did she have long brown hair?"  Her eyebrow twitched irritably.  Akira stood behind Ann and made a slicing motion with his hand.  Mouthing pleas for him not to proceed.  But Ryuji’s mouth once more worked against Akira.

"Yup!" the blond boy declared.  "That's the one!  You know her?  You gotta introduce me, dude!"   Ann clenched her fists and scowled.  Ryuji peered at Akira searchingly before Ann let out an angry groan.

"You dick!" Ryuji held his hands up and stepped back, shielding himself from her upset.

"What?  What'd I say?"

"Of all the girls you could have been talking about, it just  _HAD_  to be Mika!"  She cursed and fumed while Ryuji shuffled over to Akira for answers.

"What's with her?" he whispered.

"Mika is Ann's rival.  And kind of a lying bitch."

"Ooh.  Catfight!" He let out a giddy cackle and earned a scolding look from Akira in the process. 

"No, Ryuji."

"I'm so pissed!" Ann snapped.  Akira and Ryuji took a step back at the sparks that seemed to leap out from her eyes.  Ryuji had really gotten her fired up now.  Any hesitance she might have felt from Ryuji second-guessing her on her workout plan had been lost to the wind.  The girl cracked her knuckles and scanned the gym equipment around them.  "Come on!  Which machine are we using first?  I'm gonna break it!"

"Uh, I don't think I can afford to cover any of this stuff," the shaggy black-haired boy said tentatively. Knowing Ann, wrecking the equipment might not have been hyperbole. 

Ann dragged the two boys all over the gym, hitting the weights, the treadmill, the yoga mats, and some things neither of them could even name.  Two hours ticked away before any of them could realize it. Ann had put them through the wringer and even managed to hold her own.  The boys were impressed for one that had never hit the workout room before.  Ann would've taken more pride in her accomplishments were she not sitting on the floor, exhausted beyond belief.  Ryuji didn't fare much better as he was doubled over.  His breaths were heavy and ragged.  Even he never ran them this ragged.

"My body… hurts…" Ann groaned between pants. "But, for some reason… I feel… satisfied…" A satisfied smile shined on her face, despite the intense soreness she was enduring.

"That's what workin' hard feels like," Ryuji said, an impressed grin on his face.  "I have to admit that I didn’t think you had it in you.  Not bad, huh?"

"Yeah."  Akira extended a hand down and helped pull her up.  Her legs trembled as they struggled to hold her up. Eventually, she was able to maintain her balance balanced.  "That was actually pretty fun."

"You did great," Akira admitted, patting her on the shoulder.  She let out a soft yelp as his hands touched a particularly sore spot.  Swiftly did he withdraw his appendage and winced sympathetically. "Sorry."  Ryuji chuckled and clutched his ribs out of both pain and laughter.

"Yeah, you're gonna be feelin' that for a few days."  The blonde leaned on Akira for support.  Sticking her tongue out and winking at him in gratitude for letting her use him to prop her up.

"I think it was because the two of you were here with me," she said.  "I had to prove I was working extra hard."

"You don't have to prove anything to us, Ann," Akira said.  "I know you always put your best foot forward.  Sometimes literally, like when you plant your heel into a shadow's eye socket after whipping it mercilessly."  Ann snickered with delight while Ryuji let out a nervous laugh.  They were interrupted by a ringtone, this time from Ryuji's device.

"Crap, for real?" he said aloud, eyeing the phone's screen.  He scooped up his sweat towel and hung it from his neck.  "Mom forgot to buy stuff for dinner so I guess I gotta head home now.  Seeya, guys."  Ann waved goodbye as he strode towards the exit.

"Try not to stink up the store," Akira hollered back.  His response was a cheeky look and a middle finger. Now it was just the two of them.

"Ryuji just can't say no when his mom needs help, huh," Ann said, eyeing the exit.  An adoring smile sat on her face.  Despite her tendency to tease him, the blonde always admired his heart.  She just wished the mind caught up with it.

"He's a sweetheart," he teased.  "A big softie at heart. Just don't tell anybody."  Ann giggled and draped the sweaty towel around her neck.  Akira leaned against the wall and let himself slide down it, too weak to prop himself up.  He eventually found his way onto the bench.

"Secret's safe with me," she said with a wink.  "To be honest, I'm a little jealous of the relationship they have.  I mean even growing up, my parents were super busy.  They always told me I was strong, that I'd be fine on my own."  Akira felt his heart sink at her melancholy.  Ann wore her usual calm expression, but her eyes betrayed a sense of longing.  He recognized it all too well.  The disconnect from family, the distance that lingered.  She sighed and sat next to him on the bench.  "I was free… but I was lonely.  I'd make friends, but we moved a lot.  And every time, I had to start all over again."  Akira let out a heavy sigh and took a seat next to her. She smirked sadly at him, leaning on his shoulder for support.  "I actually got used to the loneliness."

"Well, if you’re ever feeling lonely, I can always sic Morgana on you.”  His playful threat earned a playful nudge in the ribs.

"Don't make me tickle you again," she teased. Her gaze fell to her feet, thought drifting back to her childhood. Though she loved her parents dearly, their absence in her life left a void. A void that the pursuit of fashion and modeling seemed to fill. "But all that loneliness stuff changed once I met Shiho. The world seemed so hopeful." Akira smiled and ruffled her golden locks.

"You and Shiho. Thick as thieves." She swatted at his hands.

"Watch the hair. It takes forever to get it like this." As revenge, she ruffled his hair, but Akira merely shrugged.  It didn’t look any different from how it normally did.  Perpetual shagginess.  "Your hair is always messy.  No fair!"

"Hah hah," Akira teased.  She rested her head on his shoulder and felt a comfortable warmth rising in her chest alongside her faint blush.  Ordinarily, she would be way too flustered at doing something like this, but she was just so tired.  And maybe it wasn’t so bad.  To let herself be close to him like this.  He certainly didn’t seem to mind.  "So how is Shiho doing?"

"Her rehab is going well," she reassured.  "Though she's… going to be officially transferring schools soon too…" She trailed off and grew quiet for a bit.  It hadn't necessarily sunk in that Shiho would soon be gone.  To think spending time with her on a regular basis would be ending soon was difficult to fathom.  Akira watched her in silence, debating whether or not to press her on it.  Her eyes met his, and she gave him a quick smile.  "B-But I'm not worried!  I need to show her that I'm working hard and that she doesn't need to worry so much about me."

"I'm sure she tries her best but can't help it," he said with a soft chuckle.  "I got that problem sometimes too."

"Aww, is our leader worried about me when we're out there in the Metaverse?"

"Tsk," he huffed, shaking his head with an amused dry grin. "I worry about everyone equally, thank you.  You don't get special treatment."

"Yeah, right."  They shared a small laugh before silence fell over them, and the two sat in the warmth of the lights.  Akira was not used to the gym being so quiet and empty.  The noticeable absence of the hustle and bustle of people across its floors was jarring, to say the least.  Ann fidgeted with her hands, still leaning on him for comfort.  "You know, you've never talked to us about your life.  It's always us."  Akira merely shrugged, a thoughtful smirk on his face.

"Not much to say.  A lot of it went up and smoke with my arrest."  Ann's smile wavered as she tasted that familiar sense of subdued sadness behind his nonchalant attitude.  He was good at disguising it from others. But not her.  She had gotten good at detecting it from listening to him.  His voice had become one of her comfort sounds.

"I was always curious where you came from.  What friends you had, what your family is like."

"I'm an open book," Akira admitted. "Except for Phantom Thieves matters, of course.  Sure you wanna hear?"

"Only if you wanna share."  He tilted his head to her and gave her a wry look.

"Come on.  You guys have given me all your backstories.  Now it's my turn."  He let out a soft sigh and leaned back.  "The town wasn't much. Not as big or expansive as Tokyo, but we're not country bumpkins.  Average middle-class lifestyle, two parents.  Nothing too out of the ordinary.  It’s a rather boring backstory really.  The most eventful thing in my life was…"  His expression dampened as his mind went back to the events of that fated day.  Where it all changed in the blink of an eye. "Well, you can fill in the blanks."

Ann watched him inquisitively.  His face had softened.  The smirk still remained on his face, but it wasn't genuine.  There was a glumness to it.  Dry, detached.  A bit of contempt for the situation at hand, himself, and the world. 

"How did your parents react?"

"Pshh," he scoffed, shrugging.  "About as well as you'd expect.  Our relationship was… well, not great.  Very estranged."

"Oh…" He shrugged again, his heart sinking little by little as he recounted.

"I mean, it wasn’t hostile or abusive," Akira assured her, licking his drying lips. "They never beat me or anything, if that’s what you’re worried about.  Just… well, I mean, you know.  Raising kids is hard, right?  They wear you out and… I mean, patience does wear thin.”  He didn’t want them to sound like bad people.  They weren’t.  Raised him, gave him a good and stable home.  They were just so… distant.  Despite being right there.  “My story went in one ear and out the other.  Lots of yelling, blaming, money being spent…."  She wrapped her arms around his and held tight, resting her cheek on his shoulder. Akira's tried to keep his smirk up for her.  Something to make it seem less a pity party.  He hated to be pitied.  At least he liked to believe so.  But hearing people sympathize with his plight made him feel less crazy.  Like he wasn’t the one in the wrong.  Did that qualify as pity?  A heavy sigh escaping him.  "Didn't even say goodbye to me."  She squeezed his arm harder.

"I'm sorry."

"Eh."  He gave her a limp shrug.  "Not your fault."  His voice was low, a soft grit audible at the back of his throat.  Dry and scratchy, unlike anything she had heard before.  "Can't be helped."  Her arms wrapped around his torso, pulling him in close.  It was a sad hug, one of longing and comfort.  Akira felt his withering smirk pick up as his cheeks pinkened from her touch.  He embraced her in turn and patted her head.  "Don't worry about me.  I can handle it."  She looked up to him, gazing deep into his silver eyes.  He, in turn, got lost in hers.  Blue and full of light like the ocean itself.

"You know if you're ever feeling down or lonely, you can talk to me, right?"  Akira chuckled and rubbed his neck sheepishly.

"What would I be lonely for?  I live with a talking cat, for God's sake."  Ann giggled, earning a joyous grin from him.  Her eyes lit up like diamonds from seeing the joy return.  She reached into her pocket and checked the phone.  Time had really gotten away from them while they had been at it.

"We should get going."

"You go on," Akira said, stretching his limbs.  "I'm gonna train some more.

"Still?  But we were at it for hours!"  He shrugged and gave her a knowing smile.

"I got my own training schedule to fall through with."  He slipped a key out from his pocket.  "I won't go overboard, though. I promise."

"You better," she warned, taking a step towards him.  "I got my eye on you."  And she bestowed upon him another wink.  Her fawning over him kicked up some giggles, with Ann reaching out to embrace him once more.  His arms held her firmly close to him before reluctantly allowing her to go.  She waved goodbye and left him in the gym alone to his own devices.  A satisfied sigh escaped him, and a dopey smile sat on his face.  Akira turned towards a locker while spinning the key on his finger.  Within it resided an old punching bag.  The boy hooked it to the top and took his fighting stance. Words echoed in his head, implanted there from his trainer.

Left jab.  Right jab.  Left again.  Elbow jab.  Upward smack with the wrist, aimed at the top of the punching bag like he reached for a face.  Alternating chops in rapid succession.  _Pap, pap, pap!_   A solid blow from the flat of his foot.  Then a jab in the side with his heel.  Right and left wrist jabs to the opposite sides.  Knee to the center.  Followed by an uppercut.  He huffed through his nose, keeping his mouth closed.  Through the nose is how air is saved.  That's what he was taught.  A fine sweat started to build under his armpits, on his back.  Another elbow jab.  Wrist jab.  Two knees.  Flat of the foot.  Headbutt.  Uppercut.  He dipped and ducked around the still sack, his mind moving faster than his body

* * *

 " _Lay into it, kid!"  The gym was empty of people.  Though not an unusual occurrence at this time of night, the lack of people jarred Akira.  The words echoed in his ears, and he jabbed his knee into the punching bag.  Alternating punches pounding the sack.  "Don't hold back, kid! Give 'er all you got!"  Munehisa Iwai held it in his burly arms while Akira went to town.  Heavy ragged breaths hung in the air as the boy pushed himself.  "Through the nose! Saves oxygen."  His breathing sharpened as the air circulated through his nasal cavity.  Sure enough, he was retaining more air.  An uppercut flew into the bag's center.  Another kick, alternating jabs.  He reared his arm back flung it forward, wrist bared.  The boy jabbed into the center of the sack which sent a jolt down his arm.  He clenched it, watching it tremble.  Iwai let go of the sack and walked around.  "What was that, kid?"_

" _Uh… wrist jab. I saw it in a movie once."_

" _Uh huh," Iwai said, scratching his scruff.  "You're doin' it wrong.  Watch me."  He held the sack with his left arm, cracking his knuckles with the other.  "The wrist jab isn't something you just slam into guys, okay?"  He jabbed up at an angle, hitting the upper portion of the punching bag.  "You jab up into the chin, causing the jaw to lock up.  Batters the head.  Or into the nose if you wanna break it."_

" _Wouldn't a nose jab kill a guy?  Like the nose bone would go up and pierce his brain."_

" _Nah nah nah nah nah," Iwai said, waving his hand.  "That's just a myth from old movies, see?  There ain't no nose bone to break, kid.  It's all cartilage."  He flicked Akira on the tip of his nose, earning an amused smile from the boy.  Iwai playfully slapped him on the shoulder and threw him a towel.  "Good session, kid.  Go wipe off."  He tossed a bottle of water that Akira caught skillfully.  With one twist did the cap come off, and Akira greedily guzzled the refreshing liquid down.  Iwai sat down on the bench, pocketing the cigarettes in his jacket pocket.  He couldn't wait to get back to Untouchable and light one up.  "What exactly are you trainin' for, kid?  Sellin' you airsoft equipment is one thing, but now you want me to show you how to fight?"_

" _You never know," Akira said.  "Better safe than sorry, right?"  Iwai smirked and shook his head.  Not for a minute did he buy the kid's story.  There was an ulterior motive, but as long as he helped around the store and didn't ask questions, Iwai didn't care much._

" _Doin' great, kid."  Iwai twisted open a water bottle of his own.  "Keep it up, and you'll be fightin' like a Yakuza in no time."_

" _I'm not interested in Japanese crime," Akira said with a smirk.  Iwai let out a hearty chuckle and slapped himself on the knee._

" _A little late for that, bud."_


	28. The Parting of Ways

_8/08/17 – Monday_

Akira sat on the bench with Ryuji, with Morgana tucked away nice and safe in his satchel.  The three of them lounged about in the summer heat while they waited on Ann to finish her shoot.  She was surrounded by a myriad of photographers, all fixated on capturing the best possible image of her.  As though that were a difficult task.  To Akira, any image of her was golden.  No doubt Morgana would agree.  While the both of them enthusiastically watched the blonde as she posed for the cameras, Ryuji was utterly bored out of his mind.  Ann’s beauty could only captivate him for so long.  He didn’t share the enrapturement that Morgana had.  And Akira in secret.  The boy remained slumped over the bench, head dangling downwards.

Ann was happy to be in the limelight once again.  And not having to share it with Mika for once.  A welcome reprieve from the stress of Medjed and Shiho’s move.  It would be in a few days now.  So much of her had hoped it wouldn’t come to this.  But it wasn’t unsurprising in the slightest.  Was nice to dream that she might stay.  After this, she planned on spending every day and as much time allowed her to be with Shiho. 

“Ughhhh,” Ryuji groaned, distracting the two boys from their idyllic infatuations.  He had nearly fallen asleep in the hot sun.  “Why are we here again?”  Akira shot him a look.

“We’re here to support Ann,” he reprimanded casually.  “I told you this already.”  Morgana stuck his furry head out from the satchel just to berate Ryuji more audibly.

“Shiho will be leaving in a couple days so we need to be here for Lady Ann.  To keep her spirits raised with our company.  You wanna see Lady Ann happy, right?”  Ryuji sighed and slumped back against the bench.  Sitting on the sidelines and watching her get her photo taken while sporting her most winning smile wasn’t the most exciting thing in the world.  Especially in this August heat.  Morgana leapt out of the satchel and pounced onto Ryuji’s lap in a frenzy.  “ _Right?_ ”

“Alright, alright!  Jeez…”  The cat glared at him searchingly while all Ryuji could do was fold his arms and pout.  “Of course I do.  I’m just so bored is all.”

“Suck it up,” Morgana said with a chiding smirk before sliding back into the satchel.  “It’s not so hard.  You can deal with it.”  Ryuji mocked the cat under his breath while the cat snickered.

“Calm down, kids,” Akira said flatly.  He went back to watching Ann with renewed investment.  The blonde sported unique designer clothes handpicked by her representatives.  Nothing Akira recognized in any of the magazines Ann was featured in.  He had taken it upon himself to find all the ones that had her and plucked the pages out.  Each shoot looking better than the last.

Ann remained utterly oblivious to Ryuji’s plight, having the time of her life.  She was positively glowing from the sweet smile beaming on her face.  The most absolute vibrant radiance emanated from her.  Akira caught himself smiling with her as he got caught up in her joy.  It had been too long since she had a shoot all to herself.  And she was living for it.  It made the move feel so far away.

“I don’t get it.”  Ryuji sat down and watched Ann just like they were.  “She’s just getting’ her picture taken.  Why’s she like this stuff so much?”

“She’s a girl, Ryuji,” Morgana scoffed with such self-assurance.  As he was known to do.  “Girls like fashion and pretty things.  Lady Ann is no difference in her love for the extravagant.”

“Plus, since her parents are fashion designers, she doesn’t get to see them much.  This is how she fills that void.”  Ryuji rubbed his chin in contemplation.

“So through modelin’, she feels she’s connectin’ with them.”  Akira patted him on the shoulder.

“Now you’re getting it.”  Ryuji watched Ann closely, following her poses and movements for the photographers.  Her blue eyes lit up with joy.  Even he could feel joy vicariously through her. 

“I guess if it makes her happy...”

“And that’s really all that matters.”  Akira ruffled the blond boy’s short hair.  “Look at you, learning all about girls.”

“Screw you,” he replied, trying to hide his smile.  Morgana felt a bit different, however.  His chest felt a heaviness to it from hearing Akira’s words.

“Her family, huh?” he uttered softly.  “That’s how she connects with them.”

“In her own special way,” Ryuji noted.  “We all got different ways of connectin’ with our family.  I’m glad Ann is good with them, though.”

“Hmm,” Akira said, a solemn smirk on his face.  “Must be nice.”  Ryuji drooped in his seat, leaning on his knees.

“Yeah.  Must be nice havin’ a dad that cares for ya.  Even if he’s miles away.”

“I don’t even know if I have a family,” Morgana said.  His ears folded down, and he slumped on Akira’s shoulder.  “I could just be… all alone…”

“Geez.”  The shaggy-haired boy rubbed his forehead exasperatedly.  “This got dark.”

“Now Lady Ann’s gonna have to cheer _us_ up.”

“Hmph.”  Akira huffed with amusement through his nose, a small chuckle stifled in his throat.  “What a gaggle of sad sacks we are, right, boys?”  His gaze was drawn to a group of nearby men having assembled on the border of the photo shoot area.  A couple of whistles were let out at Ann’s expense, to which the girl merely rolled her eyes and continued modeling.  The men varied in age, some high school level while others were grown adults.  Akira sneered in irritation at the lecherous looks on their face and in the comments they made amongst themselves.  Ryuji and Morgana shared his displeasure, watching the men stand around and gawk.  “And here comes the peanut gallery.”

“Some of those guys look old enough to have kids,” Ryuji said.  He let out a dry scoff.  “What a bunch of creeps.  Almost as bad as Kamoshida.”

“These grown adults callously ogling and talking about Lady Ann like that!  How disrespectful!”  Akira peered over to the cat perched on his shoulder.  He sighed and shook his head with obvious contempt.

“Real pieces of work,” he said dryly.  The men were eventually shooed away, and the organizers of the photo shoot began to wrap things up.  Akira and Ryuji strode over to wait for Ann, Morgana snuggled safely in the satchel.

“We should’ve said something’ to ‘em,” Ryuji said, but Akira shook his head.

“Last thing we need is to cause a disturbance at Ann’s photo shoot.”  Ann entered a room to go change while the two boys waited outside.

“How many days do we have left until Medjed threatens to go all out?” Ryuji asked.  Akira opened his phone to check the date.  He found himself shocked as he really looked over the calendar.  Between working several part-time jobs, hanging out with his friends and contacts, and helping out at Leblanc while Sojiro tended to Futaba, time seemed to have really gotten away from him.

“Umm…”  He scratched the back of his head, thinking of the best possible way to come forth with the information he possessed.  Regardless of how he proceeded, the results would be the same.  “About thirteen days.”

“ _What?!_ ” Ryuji shouted aloud, earning shushes from both Akira and Morgana.  His voice fell to a more acceptable volume.  “Thirteen days?  And we still haven’t heard anything from Futaba!  You talked to Boss about her?”

“No dice.  Sojiro-san still keeps his cards close to his vest.  Haven’t been able to get anything out of him outside of the typical “just let her rest” comments.  And I don’t wanna keep pressing him.  He might get suspicious.”  With their time window half gone and no progress seemingly made, the Phantom Thieves were growing antsy.  Makoto had been unable to find any leads regarding Medjed, and she was the closest thing they had to an expert in regards to her student council connections.  But such connections can only translate so far outside of the school.  And with school being out, there was little else she could do.  Though he hated to admit it, even Akira was beginning to feel rather trepidacious.  “I don’t like this either, Ryuji.  But we gotta have faith that Futaba will pull through for us.”  Ryuji groaned and shelved his hands in his pockets.

“Man, I hate this waitin’ around crap.  We don’t got a backup plan, and we’re runnin’ out of time.”

“You gotta put some faith that Futaba will come through for us, Ryuji, my man.  She’s not just some shitbox everyday hacker girl.  She knew about the existence of the cognitive world before any of us knew she had a Persona.  That’s not nothing.”

“I wish we had a better solution too, but this is all we have for right now.”  Morgana shared the blond boy’s sentiment, but panicking would do nothing about Medjed.  It seemed they would have to play the waiting game for another week.  Ryuji sighed and kicked at a small rock along the ground.

“Damn.”  His eyes scanned the area around him.  Besides Ann, no other girls had shown up at the shoot to strut their stuff.  “I kinda wished we got to see Mika.”  A cheeky excited grin stretched across his face.  “She was smokin’ on that magazine cover.”  Akira eyed him warily.

“Don’t let Ann catch you saying that,” he warned, lest they be subjected to another endurance round at the gym.  Ann emerged in her regular summer clothes and greeted them warmly, though Akira was the only one who got a hug. 

“You looked positively ravishing, Lady Ann!  The crown jewel of the ball.”  The girl smiled sweetly and scratched Morgana’s chin, earning an ecstatic purr from the cat.

“I really appreciate you guys spending so much time with me,” she said.  She gave Ryuji a short little hug of affection.  “It means a lot.”  Ryuji gave a bashful grin and scratched the back of his head.

 “Ain’t a big deal.  So can we actually go do somethin’ fun besides watch you play dress-up?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, but I promised Shiho I’d visit her after my shoot was done.”  Ryuji groaned exasperatedly, earning a comforting pat on the back from Akira.  “Maybe afterwards we could?”

“I get to decide what we do this time,” Ryuji declared.  Akira nodded and let the blond boy think.  He snapped his fingers and gazed towards the upper area of Central Street.  “We’re hittin’ the arcade today, boys!”  Akira nodded with satisfaction.

“Sounds fantastic.”  Ryuji strode towards the arcade with a pocket full of change, waving goodbye to Ann in the process.  “We’ll see you later, Ann.”  As Akira turned to depart, she took hold of his sleeve.

“Wait.  Before you head out, could you do something for me real quick?”

“Whatever you want.”

* * *

Shiho sipped the beverage daintily, her body tingling from the taste of chocolate and caffeine in her system.  She graciously thanked Ann for the surprise drink and savored the rich flavor of the mocha cappuccino.

“This is delicious,” she cooed.  It had been some time since she was allowed to ingest caffeine and sweets into her system, as dictated by her doctors.  Now that Shiho could incorporate them into her diet again, it felt like having it for the first time.  “The chocolate is so rich!  Where’d you get it?”

“Leblanc,” Ann said with pride.

“Ooh,” Shiho said, eyeing Ann playfully.  “Did Akira make it?”  Ann gleefully nodded.

“Actually, yes.  He’s been practicing.”  It hadn’t taken her long to spread the word about Akira’s talent.  In typical fashion.  Shiho sat the empty cup on the stand, licking her lips.  “He made me a cappuccino last week, and I asked him to make you one.”

“How much did it cost you?”

“He made it for free.  I felt bad getting all these drinks for free, but he insisted.  I’ve been making up for it by buying him lunch whenever, though.”  Shiho smiled warmly at Ann, the sheer joy on her face and in her voice prevalent as she continued talking about Akira.  The girl gave a small smile.

“Guess it pays to be the girlfriend, huh?”  Ann’s cheeks pinkened at the teasing wink Shiho had given. 

“We’re n-not dating,” she stated.  Shiho raised an eyebrow and eyed her friend with cat-like mischievousness.

“You stuttered.”  Ann sucked on her bottom lip shyly.

“I just didn’t expect that response is all.”  She pouted, earning an amused giggle from her bedridden friend.  “We’re just friends.”  All of which was true.  They weren’t dating.  And they were just friends.  Incredibly good and close friends that spent nearly every moment outside of school together.  As well as Akira being the only friend beside Shiho that she hugged.  But it was all absolutely platonic, Ann could say that much.  Completely.  Absolutely.  …Somewhat.

Shiho eyed Ann with great suspect.  Though she wasn’t lying – that much Shiho could tell – all the clues were laid before her.  Even if Ann refused to admit them all.  A smirk found its way on her face to accompany the idea forming in her head.

“Hmm…”  She rubbed her chin with a finger playfully.  “What are his favorite colors?”

“Black, white, and red.  I don’t think he owns clothes with any other colors.  Sometimes he’ll wear jeans, but that’s the only real variety he has in his wardrobe.”  Ann giggled at the thought of his wardrobe, envisioning Akira as a mime.  All he was missing was a beret and a bit of face paint.  Though she did find it difficult to imagine him wearing a hat.  Seeing his shaggy hair covered would be too jarring.  The wavy black hair needed to be seen by the world, or at least by her. 

“Funny, I wasn’t even asking about his clothes.  Funny that you’d pay attention to him that closely.”  Shiho gave her a cat-like teasing smile.

“That doesn’t mean anything!” Ann insisted with a shy and adorable little pout.  Shiho relented and merely shrugged, the smile still stuck on her face.  Her little mind game wasn’t done just yet.

“Favorite music?”

“Acid jazz and rock music,” she stated, folding her arms with satisfaction.  “I even got him turned on to ska.”  Shiho nodded approvingly.

“Favorite kind of sushi?”

“Spicy crunchy rolls.  He treated us all to sushi a few weeks back, and he gorged himself on them.”

“How are his grades?”

“He got solid A’s on all the exams we’ve had so far.  He’s one of the smartest people I know.” 

“Birthday?”

“May 19th-wait… That’s right…  We missed it, and he kept it secret from us!  I still need to get him back with a surprise!”  Akira had managed to get his missed birthday to slip from her mind.  She would make him celebrate his birthday no matter how late it was.  Even if she had to make him celebrate his old birthday on his new one.  Each fact that listed off instilled her with such immense pride.  She knew Akira as well as the others, perhaps even more.  But all this only made Shiho double down on what she believed.

“You totally like him.”  Ann vehemently protested with the most violent of blushes.  It only kicked up another fit of giggles inside Shiho.  She was living for this chance to tease her best friend.  “Alright, alright.  But I’m just saying that fifty percent of our conversations are you talking about Akira and how happy all the things he does makes you.”  Ann scoffed and tried to string together some sort of retort, but the words failed her.  Shiho held a hand to her mouth and halt the giggles threatening to rise back up.  “So you’re not dating.  Why not ask him out?”  Ann once again opened her mouth to reply but found herself fumbling over her excuses.  It was such a simple phrase.  ‘I’m not interested.’  Three words.  All it would’ve taken to get Shiho off her back.  But it was something she just couldn’t do.  A gut feeling deep in her chest that held her back from uttering those words.  To do so would feel wrong.  Like an act of betrayal.  As to why she wasn’t quite sure.

“W-well…”  Shiho narrowed her eyes at her, giving her a teasing look.  “Girls aren’t supposed to ask boys out.  It’s the other way around.  So even if I was interested, I couldn’t ask.”  Ann tugged on her shirt collar to alleviate the heat building up on her neck.

“Oh, come on.”  She flicked her hand at her blonde friend dismissively at the flimsy excuse.  Ann had always been headstrong and somewhat stubborn so no surprise she’d be resistant in admitting this.  She had hoped to hear something about it before having to move.  Perhaps even witness it herself.  “Well, enough about boys for now.”

“Agreed,” Ann said.  “Overrated topic anyway.  Let’s talk about anything else.  Like… like…”  Out of all the things she could’ve picked, the one thing that flooded to the forefront of her mind faster than anything else was the day she was dreading the most.  “Like the move…”  Shiho shared her sentiment and placed a comforting hand softly on hers.

“I hope you’re not mad at me,” Shiho said softly.  “For deciding to leave.”  Her brown eyes betrayed the sense of sorrow she felt within.

“Of course not,” said Ann with a smile.  It was one of comfort but not entirely genuine, Shiho could see.  There was sadness behind it and in her blue eyes.  “I understand completely.”  It was a decision not made lightly.  Both she and her parents agreed to transfer from Shujin in order to put Kamoshida’s assault behind them as much as they could.  Just the thought of returning to that place put a bad taste in her mouth.  “You’re doing this for your mental health, Shiho.  Don’t force yourself to go back to Shujin if it’s too much.”  A sigh of great relief and exhaustion escaped the girl upon hearing these words.  The weight of an entire world seemed to lift right off her shoulders.

“Thank you, Ann.”  Her voice was soft.  Fragile.  “You don’t know how much it means to hear those words…”  A hushed silence fell over the two before Ann embraced her warmly.  Shiho returned this hug, content to sit in silence with her best friend while wrapped in tender closeness. 

Ann opened her mouth to say something.  Some phrase of encouragement.  Of hope.  Something to lighten the mood.  Anything, anything at all.  But nothing came to mind.  Words seemed ineffective.  It had been a few months, but it all seemed to go by so fast.  The world she had made from her time in Japan was falling apart faster than she could scramble for higher ground.  Shiho had been her best and only friend in the world for years since they were way younger.  They looked out for each other.  Hung out, shared stories, helped one another study, and offered their shoulders to cry on.  Shiho was the closest thing to family she had locally.  Though the Phantom Thieves had become like family as well, Shiho was a class all her own.  Ann had taken it brutally when Shiho had tried to end her life.  It was her job.  To protect her sister.  And she failed, in her mind.  Both of them pushed themselves to their limits to come back from this, for one another’s sake.  Ann worked as hard as she could on her modeling career not just for her sake but so Shiho could feel inspired.  Uplifted and hopeful. 

Shiho did the same in her case, pushing her thresholds farther and farther during physical therapy so Ann wouldn’t worry.  Coming back from her severe injuries, to be able to walk again without needing extended bed rest or being confined to some hospital room.  If she could bounce back, it would inspire and bring hope back to Ann. 

Ann was there for Shiho several times a week, whenever and for whatever she needed.  But despite her best efforts, Ann couldn’t best the mental trauma and exhaustion deep within Shiho’s psyche.  Kamoshida’s rape, the isolation of his abusing the volleyball team, and the immense physical pain of her suicide attempt had rattled the girl to her core.  Little by little, it became easier to hope and to smile.  For her sake and for Ann’s.  But Shujin would be forever tainted in her mind.  Cursed soil she could never make herself reside at.  In Shiho’s mind, the only chance of being able to beat this was to go.  Go far away to greener pastures.  Escape this cursed land, even if it meant leaving behind her only friend.

Though Ann had fared better, such things were not lost upon the young girl.  She couldn’t imagine the mental anguish all of this had placed upon Shiho.  Amidst the sadness and sympathy in her heart, there was fear.  All her life, to the best of her abilities, Ann had looked out for Shiho.  Now, she was heading somewhere she couldn’t follow.  Slipping through her fingers, and Ann couldn’t rush in to protect her from what could happen.  She couldn’t stop Kamoshida’s rape or the suicide attempt.  And to have Shiho leave to a farther away place and away from what little safety she could provide was utterly terrifying to her.  Ann inhaled sharply through her teeth, shutting her eyes.  The flood had to be held back.  She needed to be strong and uncompromising for Shiho.  Like Akira was for them in the Metaverse.  That strength of what it meant to be a Phantom Thief needed to be called upon so Shiho wouldn’t feel sorrow or worry. 

But how long she could attempt to keep it up, Ann had no idea.

* * *

_8/13/17 – Saturday_

It had been a tense few remaining days for Ann.  The apprehension and dread of Shiho’s departure had a profound effect on her mood.  It was hard to remain her usual sunny self.  Rather, she had become distant and quiet whenever she was not with Shiho.  As though she had relapsed back to the days of Kamoshida.  The other Phantom Thieves had reached out to her and provided comfort the best they could, but she always put on a calm façade around them.  Not actively pushing them away but keeping up a wall.  To look stronger than what she could.  Though she let Akira see more of her vulnerable side to an extent.  As the leader, Akira's approval and confidence in her were more important than the others'.  The last thing she wanted was to look weak in front of him again.  She already had to endure that so many times with Shiho struggling and her feelings of uselessness.  Though she knew Akira would never look down upon her, the irrational improbably fear that he might wormed its way into her heart.  

Her smiles and giggles were forced, but Akira didn't dare press her. Rather, he let her believe she was deceiving him.  It was a such a meek modicum of comfort, but it was something he was at least willing to provide.  Until she opened herself up in greater capacity.

Ann's sadness had an effect on the lot of them.  Team meetings were less lively, and with no countermeasure against Medjed found or any activity from Futaba, the tension kept surmounting itself. Eight days left until the big event.  Did they unmask themselves to protect Japan?  Or conceal their identities and see if they were able to put their money where their mouth was?

But those thoughts were not Akira's focus this day.  Ann needed all of his attention today. And he was going to give her all of it.

Shiho's parents were waiting in the lobby downstairs, finalizing any bits of legislation needed to complete the transfer from Shujin.  The hospital had released her yesterday, and it had been the first time in months she felt somewhat free.  But Kamoshida's foul shadow still permeated the air.  This would be the last time she would stand in these halls.  Shiho was escorted up to the school roof by Akira and Ann.  Ann had requested Akira come with her specifically.  She had found herself becoming quite dependent on his presence as the departure had grown closer.  And the thought of having to face it without him shook her.  Ann's resolve had been wavering all day.  Her parents were too far out of the country to be of any help.  The only other person she could depend on was Akira.  As her leader, as her classmate.  As her friend.

In his spare time, Akira had lobbied the Phantom Thieves and a few others from school such as Ms. Kawakami and Mishima to sign a farewell card.  A small token of good faith for Shiho, but one she was touched by.  Shiho and her family wanted this to be a quiet event.  Nothing noisy and not too many people to draw attention.  

Shiho was panting softly as she stood on the roof.  Though she could walk again, it still took some getting used to.  She had taken for granted just how laborious the task of climbing stairs was.  Luckily, Akira and Ann were more than accommodating to help her make it.

"Ann, Akira-kun," she managed between breaths.  "I'm pretty heavy, aren't I?"  Akira huffed with amusement and smirked.

"I know enough not to say anything about a girl's weight."  Ann couldn't help but snicker, the first laugh she had in a couple days.  Shiho basked in the warmth of their amusement with a smile of her own.

"You sure know how to pick 'em, Ann.  Thanks for the help."  Ann turned to Akira, beaming with pride.

"Isn't Akira super reliable?"  The boy smiled bashfully and scratched the back of his head.  Shiho giggled, her heart fluttering with joy at seeing the happiness return to Ann’s voice. 

"Mm-hm. Just like you told me."   She turned to the ledge.  The one where she had taken the plunge. And slammed into the hard concrete below.  The sheer amount of pain she felt was indescribable.  Enough to make her scream out in agony, but the pressure on her bones and body kept it trapped within.  The school had replaced the original rooftop fencing, extending it high into the air beyond the means of climbing.  After Shiho's attempt, Principal Kobayakawa went into full damage control out of fear of more lawsuits and for Shujin's reputation.  Shiho took a few steps forward, to peer out over the courtyard.  Akira and Ann stepped forth tentatively.  The former's fingers were twitching.  "We're so high up…"

A cold sweat formed on the back of Akira's neck.  Ann's palms grew clammy with concern.

"Shiho…" Ann said softly.  Shiho looked over her shoulder and took notice the worry shimmering in her blue eyes.  She delivered a calming smile to assure them.

"Don't worry, Ann.  I just want to look over the courtyard."  From up above, everything looked so different.  So pleasing how everything was sorted and laid out.  Something she couldn't appreciate before, being consumed so greatly by the disgust, fear, and anguish Kamoshida had subjected her to.  "To tell you the truth… I wanted to reenact this moment."  She stood and stared out across the horizon.  Sporting the uniform.  "Wearing these clothes, standing here again… I wanted to know what it would feel like."

"What about back then?" Ann asked.  "What were you thinking?"  As Shiho went back to that headspace, she grew tired.  How exhausted she had been in body and spirit.  Hope seemed merely an illusion.

"I… I didn't want to die.  I just needed to escape…"  A drastic measure, but she was absolutely desperate.  Broken down by that awful man just so she could protect Ann in her own way.  The guilt and disgust were choking her, her thoughts muddled in the emotional miasmic cocktail.  "It was like another person inside of me was screaming, telling me to come here.  It almost felt like that person was trying to kill me…"  Jumping off that ledge had been the darkest moment of her life but also proved to be her salvation, in a bizarre way.  Escaping the school, even if it meant a battered broken body.  But seeing how shaken her friends and family stirred the uneasiness in her.  She felt selfish for their turmoil, even though they poured nothing but care and concern for her.  Regret for their blindness and inability to stop it all.  She turned to them, her face having softened.  "But I know that person was part of me too.  My weakness.  So I wanted to see if she would show up again now."

Akira and Ann exchanged uneasy looks.  Shiho had been through the wringer and undergone a tidal wave of intense emotional strife.  They were more accustomed to fighting shadows with guns and superpowers.  In the real world – where it was just them – they felt so useless.

"And…?" Akira asked.  His voice was soft, gentler than Ann had ever heard him speak before.  Shiho beamed sweetly at him.

"Don't worry.  She's gone.  She doesn't exist anymore." Akira doubled over, letting out a great sigh of relief.  Shiho couldn't help but snicker at him.  Neither could Ann, attempting to stifle it with her hand.  "I'm sorry.  I didn’t mean to laugh at you."  Akira gave a comfortable smile and straightened up.

"Times like these, you take whatever laughs you can get," he said.  Ann basked in the warmth his casual demeanor, his words and mere presence offering great serenity. 

"You're so strong, Shiho," Ann said.  "The only reason you can stand here now is because of how hard you worked for your rehab."

"Maybe," Shiho said with a nod.  "But that was all thanks to you, Ann."  The blonde girl blinked at her searchingly.

"Me?" she asked, taking a step forward.

"Of course.  Because I saw how hard you were trying too.  Trying to be strong, to be cool.  Wanting to be an action star.  Striving to be a better model.  You were so positive. Your eyes sparkled with motivation.  With you putting that much effort in, I couldn't just let my life go to waste in a hospital bed."  Ann always dreamed big and gave her all.  She was vibrant and burned with such passion.  It was so uplifting to see.  Shiho had always wanted to be more like her.  Push herself and go for the next big thing.  "That's why I wanted to stand again.  It was because of you.  Being able to change others.  That's what true strength is."

Ann stood there in silence.  Utter disbelief was written upon her face.  A hand held to her chest as her heart was positively trembling from the sincerity and kindness Shiho showered her with.

"I'm not strong," she dismissed, averting her gaze as the tears started to form.  The resolve she had built within as a Phantom Thief – as Panther – was beginning to wane.  "I'm nothing without you."  Being an outsider in this place, Shiho was the only thing that brought her a sense of normalcy.  A sense of belonging in lieu of the absent family.  "I'm just a lonely scared girl…"  Her hands worked frantically to wipe the tears that she couldn't stand to have on her face.  Her neck burned with shame at looking so vulnerable yet again.  After managing to hold the wall up, it was starting to falter.  Not here.  Not in front of them. 

Akira opened his mouth to speak but remained silent.  This wasn't his to interrupt, to interject.  This was between Ann and Shiho.  All he could do is stand there to provide moral support.  He swore at himself mentally at just how useless he felt.  This wasn't a shadow or shifty adult that he could defeat or lie his way out of.

"Ann," Shiho said, shaking her head.  "I'm sorry for deciding to transfer schools-"

"No."  Ann shook her head before managing to dry up what little liquid had spilled out.  Her voice was barely keeping it together.  "No, Shiho.  Don't apologize."  She stopped and caught her breath.  It was so difficult to breathe, especially with both their eyes fixated on her.  "I'm… I'm going to become a real model!  That way, you'll be able to keep seeing me.  And keep giving life your all."  A sad smile made its way onto her face as the tears escaped against her will.  "I'm gonna be in a bunch of magazines, and I'll say tons of good stuff in interviews!  So…"  She had to stop, choking back a sob and wiping her eyes.  "St-stay healthy!  Work hard, but not too much.  And keep in touch…"  It took more and more strength to keep her composure.  Though her eyes were damp with tears, they were just the precursor to what was bubbling and threatening to overflow from within.  "Just… take care of yourself…"  She stopped as she felt a warmth envelope her.  Shiho wrapped her arms around her, holding her closely.

"Ann… I love you."  Ann held her tightly, hoping she could muster enough strength to keep her there.  Prevent her from leaving.  "Once I can smile again from the bottom of my heart, I'll come visit…"

"Y-yeah," Ann uttered, mustering a smile between sniffles.

Akira smiled to himself, half with pride and half with sorrow.  It pained him to see Ann like this, in a way that he hadn't felt before about another.  But for a brief moment, there it was. That spark, that shining shimmering splendor of humanity and hope that resided within her.  What made all of this Phantom Thievery worth it.  That hope and love.  Care and determination.  A will that, though wavering at times, is never truly broken.  After their embrace, Shiho went to hug him as well.

"Thank you, Akira-kun," she said softly.  "For supporting me and standing by Ann."  He delivered a solemn smile before returning the embrace.  Shiho's voice fell to barely a whisper.  " _Take care of her._ "

"Yes, ma'am," Akira replied with a nod.  "Always."  He withdrew his phone and looked at her expectantly.  "Here's my number.  If you're ever in trouble, you call us, okay?  We'll do whatever it takes to help you out."  Shiho gave a warm nod as confirmation.

 _She's in good hands,_ she thought to herself.

Ann and Akira escorted Shiho back down to the lobby and met her parents.  They thanked the two for standing by their daughter and embraced Ann warmly.  A tearful but composed goodbye was shared, and Shiho's parents drove away.  Far far away from Shujin Academy and the dark cloud that towered over it.  Perhaps one day, the school wouldn't feel the way it did.  But not today.

Ann rushed back up to the roof so she could watch Shiho's car disappear along the horizon.  A deep heavy sigh escaped the young girl.  Now it had fully set in.  She was gone.  And with her went her sense of familiarity and belonging in this town.  Ann stood in silence as she stared out at the cityscape.  Akira stood behind her, watching closely.  He licked his dried lips as he struggled to find something of comfort to say.

“Ann, I-“

"I need to be the number one model around.”  The blonde turned back to face him.  She felt strong enough to do so again.  If only for a little bit.  "I made a promise with Shiho, so there's no turning back now.  I'm gonna study how to properly exercise and even relearn how to walk the runway.  I want to pick up on some other languages and cultures too so I can start doing overseas events.  Because the only way I can help Shiho is to show her how hard I'm working."

Akira couldn't help but smile at the drive in her voice.  Ann didn't mince words nor make empty promises.  Here was a girl that stood her ground, took no nonsense, and gave it her all.  He nodded with satisfaction.

"Make her proud.  Make yourself proud.  You're already making me proud."  Her cheeks pinkened from his words, and even an unexpected giggle managed to jump out.

"Mm-hm!" she said, a twinge of that familiar cheer in her voice.  "If I can do that, Shiho… she'll… she’ll… definitely…"  Try as she might, she couldn’t hold out anymore.  Like that, her chest seemed to burst open.  The floodgates broke, and her eyes poured tears.  The sobs escaped as she did her best to subdue them as best she could.  "D-dammit!  I told myself I wouldn't cry. B-but it just… won't stop!"  Before she could register it, Akira had pounced upon her with a warm hug. His embrace was firm but comforting as he wrapped her in his arms.  A solid hug that would never let go lest she asked.  Instinctively, she snaked her arms around him and tightened her grip.  The girl buried her face into his neck and sobbed quietly, the sounds muffled by his shirt.  Her face flushed hot with the intimacy of their situation as well as the shame of breaking down in front of him.  "I guess… I'm alone again, huh?"

"No," Akira breathed.  “No way.”  His voice was soft, but a low dryness could be heard in the back of his throat.  Dry and gravely.  Scratchy.  She recognized it from their chat at the gym.  But this was different. It was much softer, more intimate and closer than what she had heard before.  And very masculine… "You're not alone.  We may not be your parents, but the Phantom Thieves are family.  Ryuji, Morgana, Yusuke, Makoto.  They're there for you."  She smiled softly, burrowing herself deeper into him.  He seemed to radiate a great comforting warmth, like a blanket she would snuggle inside of during a cold winter. A passion burning right through his skin.  "…And you got me."  Ann nuzzled his neck gently.  Her soft skin felt cool against his burning neck.

" _I do,_ " she whispered.  " _I do have you…_ "  Akira gently stroked her beautiful blonde locks, the fingers running through her hair.  His caress, his warmth, his firm form against hers.  For the life of her, she couldn't remember the last time she felt this safe.  This warm.  “Akira…”

"C'mon.  I'll take you home."  It sounded so soft.  Almost like a purr, velvety against her ears.  She couldn’t help but shudder as it descended down her spine.

"I don't wanna go home.”  The blonde wrapped her arms around his arm.  He looked at her searchingly. "Shiho was the only feeling of family I had left in this town.  I can't go back home. It’s just too empty."  She sniffled, embarrassed to sound so childish in front of him.  She was a Phantom Thief, not a little girl scared to go to her room.  But Akira's affable gaze and soft trusting silver eyes.  They didn't judge.  "Can we go somewhere else?  Just… anywhere else?"  Akira huffed through his nose, amused.  A pleasant smirk arrived on his face.

"Anywhere you want.”

* * *

 Inokashira Park.  

A simple placed that Ann enjoyed more than anywhere else in Tokyo.  The calm serenity and atmosphere, the connection to nature.  It was relatively empty, leaving it all for them.  Akira sat on the wooden fence and held Ann as she wept into his chest.  He had seen her cry once before when they first discussed Kamoshida in depth at the diner, and it angered him.  The turmoil that man had subjected her to.  This time, it was different.  Heartache and loneliness, both of which he knew all too well himself.  Her reddened eyes and body shaking with sobs.  It was maddening to feel this useless.  No words seemed to do the situation justice.  No rousing speech, life advice, or jokes felt appropriate.  Something like "It's okay" or "Don't cry" felt like a mere band-aid solution.  All he could do was sit in silence and let her go about it.

She had gone through the packet of pocket tissues he had bought, having remembered their little movie outing.  Her body slowed, and she grew quiet.  It seems that the worst had passed.

"Akira…" she breathed.  He gazed down at her warmly.

"Yeah?"  With reddened cheeks, she rested her head in his chest.

"You're the fucking best, you know that?"  Akira couldn't help but snicker at her choice of words.  Ann pouted at him, bunching up his shirt in her hands.  "Shut up! Don't laugh!"

"I'm sorry," he said as his snickering died down.  "I just needed that laugh is all.  It was really funny for some reason."  She whined and dipped her head down to his chest once more.  A comforting hand lowered itself to gently stroke her hair.  Ann listened to his heartbeat, feeling his chest rise and fall with each soft breath.

"You're warm," she said.  "And good at hugging."  Akira bashfully scratched the back of his neck, a shy smile on his face.

"Yeah, yeah…. Thanks."  A soft muffled giggle could be heard from her.

"You're probably the best thing to happen to me since all this Kamoshida shit started.  I'm…" The blush on her face deepened to a crimson.  "…I'm so glad to have you in my life."

"Hmm," Akira said.  A soft smirk filled with satisfaction sat on it.  "I'm glad to be in it.  And I'm glad to have you in mine."  She let out a faint sigh and adjusted her position, taking a seat on his left leg.  Now the blush on his face that had been subtly building the entire time exploded.  He inhaled sharply through his nose from the feeling of her soft smooth thighs pressed against his.  The boy chewed on his bottom lip as he tried to fight the feeling that stirred below.

"This is so nice," she said.  "Just us here, all by ourselves.  I'm glad nobody's here to see."

"Fear of affection in public?"

"A bit…"  Ann had lots of confidence.  Plenty to spare, in fact.  It only seemed to waver in certain situations.  Either when creepy men were leering at her with lecherous intent or at the thought of others watching her be intimate with another.  She had never dated or been in a relationship before.  Just the thought of someone watching her share her passions and heart with another was unnerving.

Akira nodded and absently played with the tip of her twintail.

"Same, actually," he admitted.

"Really?" Akira nodded in response to her look of genuine surprise.

"Just don't like being watched, you know?"  His eyes widened as her thigh slid up farther as they got more comfortable.  The feeling of her smooth pale legs rubbing his had him incredibly aroused.  A cold sweat formed on his neck as he prayed she wouldn't notice his developing erection.  The last thing he wanted was for her to view him as some perv.

"This is so nice.  I could sit here all day."  Akira pursed his lips nervously.  He had never simultaneously been more grateful and more fearful for a situation in his life.  "But don't get too cocky, alright?  You're still a nerd."  He snickered softly as he witnessed her stick her tongue out at him teasingly.

"You'd best mind yourself," he teased, playfully poking her nose.  "I'm the leader, remember?"  She inched closer, their noses nearly touching.

"Pulling rank on me?"  A smug grin rose on his face to offset the reddening cheeks.

"Maybe."  A shine from the sun drew his attention away.  Through the trees, the last sliver of light was disappearing over the horizon.  Across the lake could the faint shimmer of stars be seen.  Akira withdrew his phone and checked the time.  "Ah, shit. It's late."  

Ann checked her phone as well.  The two of them had been out a while.  Her grief had really caused her to lose track of time.  Though getting lost in time with Akira was a great way to spend it.  She sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"It's gonna feel so lonely at the house," she groaned.  Ann tightened her grip around his arm possessively.  "I still don't wanna go back."  Her reluctance and close proximity to him began to arise some suspicion out of the teenage boy.

"Is this all just to lure me back to your place?"  Ann's eyes widened, and a deep blush erupted on her face.

"Oh, no way!" she said, shaking her head frantically.  "Baba would freak!  My parents have a strict "no boys allowed" policy."  Akira chuckled amusedly at her which earned him a nudge in the ribs.  "Don't make fun of me.  I'm really upset still, remember?"  She pouted and hugged his arm.  "Be nice to me."  His chuckling continued, and he merely patted her on the head.

"How about I walk you home?" he asked.  "Right to the front door."  She sighed and looked down at the ground.  Ann really didn't want to return home.  With both her parents and Shiho gone, it would feel twice as lonely.  Baba’s comfort could only offer so much.  But she couldn't stay here or hang out at Leblanc all night.  Sojiro would find it a touch suspicious for a boy and girl to shack up in his attic.

"Fine.”  Akira ever so slowly took her hand in his.  She interlocked their fingers, causing a fluttering in the girl's chest.  Her hands were smooth like silk against his palms.  "C-can I call you? Talk with you on the phone until I fall asleep?"

"Heh heh heh," he mused, squeezing her hand in confirmation.  "If you want, you can call me as soon as you enter your house.  I'll stay on the phone with you while I ride the subways.  Hell, I'll stay on it all night with you if you want."  Her puffy blue eyes mingled with the sleek silver encircling his.  His tone was in jest, but his eyes were serious.  He meant it.  All of it.  Still, she wanted to hear it again. Needed to.

"All night?" His voice fell to a whisper, dipping his head to meet hers.  They rested against each other, the glow of the city's neon lights coming into view.

"All night."


	29. Distractions

_8/14/17 – Sunday_

The Phantom Thieves sat on a picnic table together, watching Ann do her modeling gig for the day.  The lot of them had said their words of comfort and offered support.  While it did seem to cause Ann to lighten up, there was still that feeling of distance and somberness.  It had brought all their moods down.  If the shining force of happiness and cheer on the team was miserable, what chance did they have?

"I can't imagine how she feels," Makoto said.  "And now she's gotta keep it all inside for the cameras."  Morgana lounged sadly on Akira's shoulder while his tail dangling off to the side.

"Why is Lady Ann doing this?" the cat asked.  "Why work if she is so overloaded with sadness?"

"Perhaps this is how she copes.”  Yusuke leaned against the table with focus.  Fixated on Ann as she plied her trade.  "To distract herself, she gets lost in her passions.  Something that inspires and motivates rather than languish in turmoil."  He moved the hair from his eyes to keep the pristine view of her unobscured.  "I speak personally, of course, but from how strongly Takamaki-san feels about modeling, I'd say it's a reasonable conclusion."  Ryuji shelved his hands in his pockets and looked over to Akira, who was unusually quiet.  His gaze fixated on Ann as she posed for the camera.

"How was she?" Ryuji asked.  The boy blinked and remembered where the others.  Ann had taken so much precedence in his mind that he had forgotten the others were there with him.

"Huh?" Akira asked.

"How was she?  You know, yesterday?"  The images of Ann's tear-stricken face returned to him.  Such cursed memories.  Ones he never wished to see again.  He sighed and slumped forward on his knees.

"It was bad," he huffed and rubbed at his face.  "I've never seen her so broken down since Shiho threw herself off the roof."  Akira's chest ached at her pain and turmoil.  "I hope I never see that again."  Ryuji closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Damn Kamoshida," he muttered.  The boy cracked his knuckles as the image of the former volleyball coach floating in his head.  His smug grin and wicked eyes.  "Even after everything we've done, he's still gettin' us."  Akira patted his shoulder.

"She'll bounce back.  I know she will."  Half to them, half to himself.  His eyes returned to Ann once more.  The blonde kept up her normal routine of smiling and waving for the cameras and organizers.

"It's strange," Makoto noted.  "She seems fine."

"No."  Akira shook his head with slow deliberation.  "I can tell."  He leaned forward, staring at Ann with steely determination.  Her smile wasn't genuine.  Articulated in such a way that nobody would suspect.  Her eyes, the blue in them wasn't as vibrant.  They didn't shimmer in the light like the sun on the ocean. Akira had picked up on some of her mannerisms during their time together.  He could tell from subtle facial and vocal cues how she was feeling.  What was genuine and what was an act. Ann was better at disguising her emotions in more subtle ways rather than more theatrical performances like her attempt to seduce Yusuke.  Enough to cover her pain from the average Joe.

But not Akira.  

"How many days do we have left?" Ryuji asked.  Akira's expression grew darker as he rapped his fingers on his knee.  There was the question, wasn’t it?  The thing that needed to be asked.  It had eaten away at him almost as much as Ann’s pain did.  And nothing had even remotely come close to change.  A heavy sigh escaped his chest.

"Seven…"  An uneasiness settled over them as they all grew quiet.  "Makoto, I don't suppose you've managed to find anything in regards to Medjed."  She shook her head and bleakly apologized.  "Damn." Akira sighed and steepled his fingers.  He was irritated but not at her.  Rather, at himself.  Makoto was trying her absolute hardest while the rest of them could only stand by and do nothing.  He hated grilling her for answers on the daily, but desperation was setting in.  They were all feeling it.  Ann managed to have the advantage of being so wrapped up in Shiho’s departure that Medjed was a mere afterthought.  Though Akira wasn’t quite sure how accurate calling that an advantage would be.

A sigh from Yusuke broke the silence.

"Perhaps we might start considering what to do if Futaba cannot pull through for us," he said.  Akira sighed and reluctantly nodded.  "What do we do?"  Akira leaned on the table, fingers rubbing his brow as he stressed his mind for solutions.  He still believed Futaba to be their best bet, but it seemed it was time to face the issue of Medjed.  They had spun their wheels for so long with nowhere to go.  Now they had to face the music at hand.

"…I don't know."

A chill fell over the lot of them.  Akira had led them tactfully through Mementos and the palaces.  His strategy in fighting shadows had gotten them out of many close shaves and achieved countless victories.  To see him stumble now was greatly disheartening.  "We might have to consider turning ourselves in if there's no solution.  That is, if Medjed isn't bluffing."  The lot of them exchanged concern looks.  The prospect of being caught had occurred to them, but they never actually felt they would need to confront the possibility so directly.  Makoto felt her heartbeat race, stomach fluttering.  Thinking about having to face her own sister as a Phantom Thief terrified her.  Ryuji felt a harsh sweat form on his neck.  Yusuke held his breath, too stunned to breathe.  "…I think I got something.”  The others leaned closely in and hung on his every word as though it would decide the fate of the universe.  “…If Futaba can't pull through for us, I'll turn myself in.  Just me.  No one else will know about you."  

"Wh-wha?!" Ryuji asked in total disbelief.  "Are you crazy?  No way!"

"We're in this together," Yusuke stated as he made a swiping motion with his hand.

"Akira, that seems awfully extreme," Makoto protested.

"What other alternatives do we have?"  Their protests died down as they were forced to see his viewpoint.  The silence gnawed away at them like termites.  "You guys have the most to lose.  Ryuji, who's gonna take care of your mom if you go to jail?  Yusuke, you got an art career to focus on.  Ann has her modeling career, her family, and Shiho too.  And Makoto, you're trying to get that recommendation from Principal Kobayakawa.  Plus, your sister is a prosecutor.  You seriously ready to face her?"  They all stood around him as their silence only deepened.  He had pinned them one by one with solid reasoning.  And they had no counterarguments or other plans.  Their Achilles’ heel for going all in on Futaba.  Akira delivered a sad smile before gazing down to the ground.  "I threw my future away when I got taken in by the police.  My parents wouldn't care too much if their "delinquent" was swept away.  You guys all got something.  Me?  I got nothing." The mood became much drearier with his bleak admission of fate. Yusuke and Ryuji exchanged glum glances, the latter rubbing his neck.

"Don't say that!" Makoto insisted, gripping his shoulder.  "You can't throw yourself away to protect us.  We'll..."  The last thing she wanted to think about was Akira giving himself up for their protection.  And she knew he'd do it, too.  No matter their protests, he'd give himself up and never mention them.  He'd find a way to remain as obtuse as possible to the police to protect them, even if it meant they'd never see him again.  And that utterly terrified her.  The thought of their good friend throwing himself under the bus like that. "We'll find another way.  Just... give me time! I'll do something.  Maybe there’s something I can bleed out of my sister…"

"We got a week left.  There's not much leeway if Futaba can't help."  Ryuji grunted and stepped forward, swinging his hand dismissively.

"No way!" Ryuji protested.  "We're in this together!  One for all, and all for one, right?”  Morgana shook his furry head and stared Akira down.

" You can't sacrifice yourself for us!  When we formed the Phantom Thieves, we made an oath to stand alongside one another in every issue."

"As a team, it's imperative we stand together," Yusuke commented.  "This concerns us all, not just you.  And if we must all go down together, I'm willing to make that sacrifice with you."  The artist's thoughts drifted to Madarame, a bitter taste of betrayal and deceit manifesting itself on the back of his tongue.  Had it not been for Akira and the others, the man once known as his Sensei would still be leeching off his work while he lingered in the shadows.  "I owe you that much."

"Me too!" Makoto said with a stern nod.  After endangering all their lives with her negligence to deal with Kaneshiro, Makoto would take whatever was coming at them full force.

"Ditto!" Ryuji announced.  Akira wasn't just his teammate but his best friend.  He brought both he and Ann new life with his push against Kamoshida.  For helping him believe in himself after the fallout with the track team.  And going even farther with giving his old team another chance.  

But Akira merely shook his head at their loyalty.  As much as he was touched by their gratitude and friendship, it would hinder their futures.  No doubt if they were in his position, he'd go down with them willingly.  But he was the leader, not a follower.  And his job was to protect them.  No matter the cost.  Even if he had to put his foot down and hurt a few feelings to make it happen.

"I only ask that one of you take care of Morgana in my absence."

"That's not gonna happen," Ryuji said sternly.  "You ain't hangin' yourself out to dry. We knew what we signed up for with this-"

"This isn't a group discussion.  As leader of the Phantom Thieves, what I say goes.  This is for the best.  For all of us."

The blond was completely taken aback that he grew quiet.  Makoto, Yusuke, and Morgana all exchanged looks of genuine surprise.  Akira had never shut any conversation down so thoroughly before.  Ryuji stood in silence in utter disbelief before narrowing his eyes.

"You serious right now?  You can't just shut us down like that.  That's a bullshit cop-out, and you know it!"

"I've made my decision.  This is happening, whether you like it or not."  He turned away from them to watch Ann some more.  Ryuji’s resistance was getting under his skin just a bit.  He understood why.  Akira himself would’ve been the same.  But now was not the time for this. 

Ryuji sternly took hold of his shirt collar and made him face him.  Makoto, Yusuke, and Morgana blinked in surprise at the forcefulness he handled Akira.  Even their leader himself had to admit it was an unexpected move.  Were Ryuji not his friend, he would be much angrier at being manhandled.

" _WE_  make decisions together.  That was what we said, remember?  And what affects you affects us.  And we don't agree to this, so I say the plan is a no-go."  Akira scowled and took hold of his wrist.

“So what is your plan?  Believe me, I’d love to hear it because I don’t want this to happen either.  You’re not thinking clearly, and we can’t afford that right now.”  Ryuji couldn’t say much back.  He just kept his grip on Akira’s shirt and glared at him.  There was no way he would stand for this.  Even if they had no alternative, there was no way they’d let Akira go. 

"This is getting us nowhere," Makoto stated.  She knew the topic would be grave but had no idea it would grow this uncomfortable.  Both boys were the equivalent of brick walls when they had their minds set up.  Akira was more reasonable, but it seemed he was unwilling to back down.  And neither was Ryuji.  The girl sighed, rubbing her temples. "How about we just… drop it?"

"Agreed," Yusuke said.

"Yes, please," Morgana spoke.  Ryuji and Akira had their eyes locked, a fiery determination burning within.  The tension was so high, Makoto believed the air would combust.  

"..Works for me."  The blond let go of his friend's shirt and took a step back.  He was mad at Akira for willing to put himself through that to save them.  And the cool stoic nature of his responses.  It was one of those rare moments where Akira's natural charisma and smoothness just pissed him off.  Akira merely shrugged, content to let the subject die down.  Though, it greatly irked him that he was so gruffly handled against his will.  Not since the police had he let that happen to him.

"Let's not mention to Ann, alright?"  His gaze fell back upon the blonde.  "She's been through a lot. Let her breathe."  The others murmured in agreement before falling silent once more.

The rest of the afternoon panned out rather smoothly, albeit a bit tense.  They had all dispersed and went about their daily lives as though nothing had happened.  The night was fast approaching after such a long day, with Sojiro packing up shop early for a change.  Akira lounged in his bed, gazing at the moonlight falling in through the window.  Morgana rested at the foot of the bed, fast asleep.  A luxury currently not allocated to Akira.  Not after today.  He had been mulling the idea over in his head for about a week now.  Whenever it sprang up in his head, the anxiety spasmed through his spine.  Apprehension coiled in his stomach like a snake ready to strike.  The threat of their failure shook him, and he had no interest in meeting with the police again.  But he had made his plan.  If Futaba couldn't deliver, this was his ultimatum.  He would not let the Phantom Thieves be responsible for Tokyo's economy going up in smoke, spreading panic, and destroying livelihoods.  And no one would convince him to abandon this plan.  Not even Ann.

His phone vibrated, alerting both Akira and Morgana.  The cat perked his ears up, eyes only half open.  Akira donned his glasses and scanned the phone screen.  It was a text.  Specifically from Ann.

**_[Ann: Are you awake?]_ **

**_[Akira: Yeah.]_ **

**_[Ann: Look outside.]_ **

Akira blinked in confusion at the message before leaning up to peer through the window.  Sure enough, Ann was standing in front of Leblanc.  He climbed out of bed and slipped on his shoes.  Morgana popped his head up and muttered something unintelligible.  He merely yawned and curled back up, too tired to ask.  Akira slipped down the stairs silently and crept through the empty coffee shop cloaked in shadow.  He opened the door ever so slowly in order to avoid triggering the bell.

 "The hell are you doing up, Ann?"  Only two hours remained until their curfew was in effect.  If Ann was caught, she'd be in severe trouble.

"Did I wake you?"  She winced awkwardly as she bore witness to him standing in his meager pajamas.  "I'm really sorry."

"Nah, nah."  He shook his head, offering that familiar and comforting smirk she had grown so dependent on seeing.  "I couldn't sleep."

"Me neither.  The house is too quiet for me.  Like, more than usual.  I'm just…"  She sighed and rushed into him, burying her face in his chest.  Akira wrapped his arms around her gently.  "I'm still trying to get over Shiho."

"I know…”  That grit and gravel were there.  In the back of his throat.  Only when he spoke lowly did it manifest itself.  It was so alien coming from him but also quite soothing to hear.  "You're doing your best."

"I can't stay cooped up in the house," Ann said.  "I… I gotta… go and do something!  But I don't know what.  Just as long as… it's with you?"  Her blue eyes gazed up at him expectantly.  Searching for an answer, for a confirmation that he'll go with her.  Wherever whenever.  He raised an eyebrow and gave her a playful smile.

"Where'd you have in mind?"  She smiled and hugged him tighter, earning a giggle from the boy.

"We haven't been to Mementos in a while…"  A mischievous look graced the boy's face.  One that Ann matched in kind.

"Aiming to misbehave this evening?"

"I'm sure there are a few shadows that need beating and a few requests Mishima would appreciate being knocked out."  Akira pretended to think for a bit.  Ann gave a giddy smile at his playful look.

"I'm sure both of these things are absolutely correct," he said.  His voice descended into a purr at the end.  Ann couldn't help but shiver at it.  Unexpected but strangely alluring.  He slipped out the front door, locking the Leblanc entrance behind him.  "Let's go… Panther."  A wink was exchanged between the two.

"Absolutely, Joker."

* * *

 

The shadow trembled meagerly as he stared down the barrel of the engraved desert eagle.  His companions stood to the side, cold sweats falling from their forms.  They were kept at bay by the Tommy gun aimed in their direction.  Akira glared down at the shadow smugly from behind his white mask.  Ann held a mischievous cat-like expression on her face while she circled them.  She got a sort of sadistic thrill from watching these entities squirm before them.

"This is all I got!" the shadow said as he handed over a sizeable stack of yen.   Akira's eyebrow raised ever so slightly, the smirk on his face deepening.

"You expect me to believe that?" he asked.  The shadow huffed and started to shout at him.

"You dare accuse me of being a liar?!  I won't stand for this offense!  Get him, boys!"  One of the shadows worked up the courage to lunge for Akira.  In a split second, he had been rendered into nothing but dust from the bullet.  The other shadow ducked down behind its leader in fear.  Who had sunk down to the ground and curled up as the gun returned its sights upon him.  "Wait!  H-hey, buddy!  Listen, i-it was a joke!  A bluff!  I wasn't really gonna-"  The hammer clicked under Akira's thumb.  Loud and resonating throughout the tunnel.  Almost deafeningly so.  "Alright, alright, alright!  Here!  Here's the rest!  That's all I have, I swear!  For real this time!"  It tossed a significantly smaller sack of yen at him.  Akira rolled his eyes with disappointment before scooping it up.

"It'll have to do," he said flatly.  The shadow was already an annoyance to deal with as is.  The last thing he wanted was to provoke it again.  It would be an easy thing to dispatch, but it was just tedious at this point.  He used the pistol to wave them away.  "Beat it."  Advice they took to heart as the shadows dispersed as quickly as they could.  Akira holstered the desert eagle and began taking count of the money they had made.  The Tommy gun faded out of Ann’s hands.

"How much do we have?" A satisfied smirk on the boy's face sent her a good signal.

"Looking at almost two-hundred thousand here." Ann's lips curled up into an excited ooh.  It had been a while since they had sat on such a large stack of cash.  Akira had been saving up since the group's last trip into Mementos, and this was their just reward.  "And that's not even counting all the treasure we amassed in here.  Once I sell this stuff off, we'll be sporting new weapons with some to spare."

"Yes!"  Ann cheered, leaping into the air.  Akira chuckled and gently patted her shoulder as she came back down to Earth.

"Easy there.  We still gotta get outta here first."

"How deep are we?"  Akira retrieved his phone and pulled up the Nav.  They were bordering the entrance to Kaitul but dared not press further.  The two of them were cleaning house significantly on the first three levels but would be overwhelmed by proceeding further in.  The others would have to accompany them if they wished to press deeper inward.

"Fairly deep," he said.  "But I think we'll call it quits for tonight.  Getting to be close to curfew."  Ann groaned reluctantly while she double checked him on her phone.

"It feels like we've barely been here." She sighed and adjusted her mask.  "I don't wanna go back home yet."

"I know," Akira said sympathetically.  "But we can't stay here.  And we need our sleep.  Plus, there's no way we can sneak back home once curfew rolls around."  Ann ultimately relented and warped with him back to the top layer, Iweleth.  Akira continued counting all the yen he had amassed, mind boggled by how much was in his possession.  "I'm definitely investing in a trenchcoat when we get back."  Ann giggled and toyed with the tip of his collar.

"You still haven't gotten over this thing yet?"  Akira shook his head while flapping the coattails behind him.  Ann caressed the collar between her fingers. Quite the smooth and comfortable fabric, she had to admit.  Flexible and lightweight yet durable and able to take punishment.  No doubt it would set Akira significantly back to purchase.  Ann continued to run her fingers along the edges, from the collar downwards.  "I can't blame you.  It is a very attractive coat, to be honest."  And it was.  Ann believed his Phantom Thief outfit to be the most stylish out of all theirs.  Quite dashing and bold.  “You look really good in it.”

Akira's calculating smirk and brown eyes scanned her outfit, gazing down into her cleavage.

" I can say the same about you." Ann felt her cheeks flush, feeling self-conscious about the catsuit once more.  The latex outfit seemed to squeeze her tighter than usual.  It usually didn't feel this great a burden.  But under his gaze, it was hard to breathe in it.

"Y-yeah, I bet," she stammered while bashfully wrapping her arms around herself.  Ann avoided his gaze, feeling as though she'd melt under it.  An awkward laugh rang out in the empty Mementos hall.  "It's a little weird.  This outfit, I mean.  I always found it a bit weird before.  Still do, but now that I'm thinking about, I feel like…"  His eyes raised to meet hers, but she quickly averted direct contact.  "It's not so bad..." She'd rather him go back to eyeing her body in the suit.  Clothes never gave her this feeling of overexposure before.  But the latex, the boots, the whip.  It just felt like too much.  Yet with just him, it was fine.  The feeling of him ogling her was quite a rush if the flutter in her chest was anything to base it on.

Akira couldn't help but snicker softly at how nervous she seemed.

"You're such a nerd."  This earned a shocked smile on her face, followed by a playful shove.

"That's my line!"  She was giggling out of control.  The relief of self-conscious dissipating being graciously welcomed.  "You're the nerd here.  Not me."

"Oh yeah?"  His taunting combined with her flustered state just served to egg her further on.  She leaned in closer, almost touching his nose.

"Yeah."  The two stood in silence, eyes meeting.  Her vibrant shimmering blues and his smooth calming silvers.  Ann's cheeks began to heat up once again as she realized just how close she was.  It hadn’t registered until the silence set in.  She had been swept up in their playful banter.  The blonde raised a hand and gently caressed the side of the mask.  Her glove-clad fingers briefly skirted his cheek, causing a hearty blush to rise around the edges onto his cheeks.  "You know... I really like the mask."

"Because you can't see my face?" he joked.  She giggled, thinking back to their last time together in Mementos.  Alone together like this.  The mask with its simple yet elegant design.  Sleek and suave.  The shaggy hair hanging in front framed it oh so well.  And that damn sly smirk on his face.  He wore it like no one else could.  Greatly resembling the dashing hero character from an old anime she watched as a kid.  Amusingly enough, the leading lady had hair just like hers.

"It's… actually quite handsome."  Her latex-coated fingers glided on the soft corners.  "I believed you described it as… dashing?  Suave?  Regal?"

"Good memory." He playfully poked her on the tip of her nose with his finger, earning a childlike smile from the girl.  Akira delivered a low chuckle.  He was positively relishing in their banter.  Could it even be called banter at this point?  They had been so close and had such intimate displays.  Holding hands, hugging, nose to nose, sitting on his lip.

No.  It was definitely flirting at this point.  His desire for her had beaten out his rationality.  That crush he had tried to stifle out was burning out of control.  And he liked it.

* * *

 

The bell to Untouchable's door jingled, stirring Iwai from his reading.  Whoever could possibly be entering his store this late at night, he had no idea.  But once he saw the face of Akira Kurusu, it came as no surprise.

"Up awful late, huh, kid?" he asked, boots propped up on the counter.  No doubt he had more things to pawn off or some guns to modify.

"Wow!" a female voice said.  The older man immediately snapped to attention at this turn of events.  "Look at all this stuff."  Iwai leaned forward and caught a glimpse of some blonde locks.  A young girl came into view, giving him a friendly smile.

"This is Ann Takamaki," Akira said.  "She's a friend."  Iwai smiled and removed his cap, shaking the lady's hand.

"Nice to meet you," Ann said sweetly.  A low chuckle came from the gruff older gentleman.

"Manners, huh?  Munehisa Iwai.  Pleasure to have you here at Untouchable.  Well, what are ya doin' hangin' around with this punk?"  Ann giggled with amusement, giving Akira a teasing look.

"So you're not just a nerd but a punk, too?"

"Come on," Akira jested.  "Don't grill me in front of Iwai like this."  Iwai chuckled dryly, taking note of the faint pinkness on the boy's cheeks.

"You a gun connoisseur too, Miss?" Iwai asked.

"Nah," she said, shaking her head.  "Akira knows more about that stuff.  I just like looking at them."

"Well, he should, considerin' I taught 'im everything he knows."  While Ann perused the items on the shelves, Akira began loading items onto the front desk to sell.  He stopped when Iwai kept staring at him. A knowing smirk on his face, a playful questioning look to his eyes.  His voice fell to a gruff whisper.  "How'd you meet this chick?"

"Classmates."

"Nice," he said with a wink.  "Though I'm still wonderin' how a punk like you got into her good graces."  Akira shrugged, smirking back.

"Just my natural charm, I guess."  Iwai shook his head, an amused grin on his face.

"You're full of shit, you know that?"  The two shared a laugh while Iwai ran up the goods.  "But seriously.  How'd you meet this girl?  How long you known her?"

"Since April."  Four months.  It barely seemed like any time at all.  Other times, it felt like years after all they'd been through together.  "We ran into each other a lot.  She had some troubles, and I helped her out.  Since then, we've been thick as thieves."  Akira's smirk became a playful smile from his coy little joke.  Iwai had no idea of the layers behind it, but his expense was Akira's gain.  Iwai looked over his shoulder to the girl, who curiously inspected the items.

"Looks foreign."

"Quarter American, she says.  Traveled overseas a lot with her parents.  They're a couple of rich fashion designers, so she's often here by herself."  Iwai gave him a wry look.

"Hobnobbin' with rich girls, eh?"  He delivered a dry chuckle.  "Gotta admit I didn't expect that from you.  Never pegged you as a guy lookin' for a sugar mama."  Akira winced with obvious disdain at his comment.

"It is not at all like that, I assure you." He shook his head, shuddering. "And could you never say the words "sugar mama" again?"

 _Oh, God. Is this what it feels like?_ he thought to himself.  It was a harrowing experience to be on the other side of the joke.  Iwai was living for the chance to make Akira squirm.

"She seems like a nice girl," Iwai continued.  "Guess you must have somethin' to get her to come out this late with you."  He side-eyed the kid with a mischievous smirk.  "You two… hooked up?"

"Just friends."  Very close friends.  Really close.  Almost questionable close.  But friends.

"Almost ready?" Ann asked, walking up to the counter.  She clutched his left arm warmly and caused his cheeks to flare up. Iwai narrowed his eyes with a taunting smirk.

" _Just friends" my ass,_ he thought.  The ex-Yakuza tallied up what he owed Akira on a laptop.

"From what I can see here, you're gonna be headin' home with quite the pretty penny.”

"Got anything good for me?"

"Wait a week.  I got some new stuff comin' in.  It'll set you back a bit, but money never seems to be an issue for you."  It was a relatively simple deal the two had.  Akira would sell the treasure he pilfered from the Metaverse to Iwai, who would sell the goods at a significantly higher price online.  No questions asked.  A legitimate business venture through and through.  Though Iwai had always been curious where Akira was getting this stuff from and what he was using his mock weapons for.  His spiel about being a gun enthusiast smelled faintly of bullshit to the former Yakuza.  But he worked hard, supplied him goods, and bought his stuff all the time.  So he was satisfied.  Akira didn't seem to be like the usual lot he got, the skinny anime-loving kids who bought cheap katanas or the heavier set kids with neckbeards who obsessed over American guns.  He was a class all his own.

"Ooh," Ann said, eyeing the rifle propped up in the display case behind Iwai.  "That looks neat."

"You like, eh?"  Iwai stood up and propped the practice target he kept behind the counter, positioning it in front.  The man loaded the gun and handed it off to her.  "Go ahead and give her a shot.  Just be careful, alright?"  Ann's eyes lit up with excitement at the prospect of getting to shoot a target.  She looked back to Akira, who eagerly watched her.  Iwai opened his mouth to explain how to properly hold the gun but was stunned to see Ann two steps ahead of him.  Safety off, chamber loaded, aiming down the sights.  The airsoft pellet punctured the target and hit the steel slab behind it.  Iwai had a makeshift one-person shooting range set up right before the counter.  He planned on expanding and adding a full shooting range for testing his products but would wait until after his personal issues were taken care of.  She plugged the target full of holes before handing the rifle back to him.  Safety on, chamber empty, barrel pointed away.  Iwai nodded with great approval, a big smile on his face.  "I'll be damned.  For somebody who ain't a gun enthusiast, you sure as hell know how to shoot."

"Thanks.  Akira taught me how to shoot, actually.  And those gun safety tips."  She beamed at him with pride.  Iwai’s grin only deepened at this revelation.

"You taught her how to shoot?"  Akira shrugged and smirked calmly.

"Well, I don't mean to brag, but yeah.  I kinda did."  The store owner let out a hearty chuckle, slapping himself on the knee.

"Impressive," Iwai said.  "And here I thought you were just some little prick."  Ann held her stomach as she laughed, Akira bashfully chuckling.

"He may be a prick, but he's a good friend."  Iwai leaned back in his seat and laughed, patting the counter with his hand.

"Hey, I like this girl!  She's got spunk!  I'm amazed she keeps you around, kid."

"Well, he looked like a lost little puppy when he first arrived, so I took him in out of pity."  Akira's mouth hung open, a surprised and greatly amused smile on his face.

"That's not what happened!"  She winked teasingly at him.

"Who're you gonna believe, Iwai-san?  Me or him?"  Iwai was holding his chest as his laughter grew raucous.  This was like Christmas morning.

"Iwai knows me longer, so it's definitely me."

"I dunno, kid.  I like her story better."

"Oh, come on!"  Ann and Iwai laughed even harder while Akira was positively blindsided.  Ann stuck her tongue out at him playfully.  It wasn't often the smooth and calm Akira Kurusu was getting made fun of.  He didn't mind a good playful roasting, however.

"Hey, what's this?"  Ann leaned on the glass display case, eyeing a revolver showcased for the world to see. It resembled the ones Akira saw in old American cowboy films.  Iwai's eyes lit up as he retrieved the gun.

"Now this is a quality weapon.  The crown jewel of my stock," he boasted, twirling it in his finger.  Ann eyed Akira excitedly.  "The Colt Single Action Army.  The greatest handgun ever made."  He popped the cylinder out and spun it, putting it back in place.  "Six shots. More than enough to get the job done."  The Yakuza spun it once more before placing it back into the case.

"You know, Akira can do some gun spinning of his own," Ann said.

"I should hope so," Iwai teased.  "I taught him how."  He smirked at the boy, whose gaze was fixated on Ann.  His silver eyes fluttered with adoration at the blonde girl.  Iwai recognized that look all too well. The grizzled old man couldn't help but find his heartstrings tugged at.  He leaned forward on his arm, propped against his knee.  "You showed her the deagle?"

"Yeah, he did.  It was really cool.  You worked so hard on those engravings."

"Only quality work here, ma'am," Iwai boasted.  There were very few he had the pleasure of talking shop with.  "But I'll never get you younger types and your obsession with all those pointless engravings.  They offer no tactical advantage whatsoever."

"But they look cool!" Ann insisted.

"Pssh!" Iwai huffed, waving a hand at them.  "Kids these days."  He returned to the register and slid over what he owed.  "Kid, you're lookin' at about a hundred thousand yen."  Iwai chuckled and closed the register.  His night wouldn’t be completely boring now that he had some stock to ring up online.  "Don't spend it all in one place.  Get the girl something nice, why don’t you?"  Akira felt the giggles kicking up once again as Ann teased him about a possible shopping spree.

"I'll see what I can do."

"You kids head on home, alright?  It's almost curfew time, and I don't want the lady gettin' in trouble."

"Goodbye, Iwai-san!  It was a pleasure meeting you."  Iwai courteously removed his hat once more.

"Likewise, Ann-chan.  Come back anytime."  Akira held the door open for Ann, letting her leave first.

"Thanks for buying my stuff, Iwai."  The old Yakuza merely gave a toothy smirk and waved him away.

"Yeah, yeah," he said playfully.  "Now beat it."  Akira rolled his eyes and left the store, Ann standing there waiting on him.  The black-haired boy stared her down comedically, the girl biting down on her bottom lip as she suppressed a giggle.

"I can't believe you dragged me in front of him like that," he said, the smile bursting onto his face.

"Ha ha," she said mockingly.  "He likes me more than you."  She embraced him tightly, giggling into his chest.  Akira held her under the light of Untouchable's neon sign.  The two stood there in silence for a minute, just enjoying each other's presence the sounds of the traffic in the distance.  Not many would describe a moment of them embracing in a back alley in front of an airsoft store as romantic.  But in that moment, after all the laughs and tension they had endured together, neither one could've asked for anything more.

Iwai watched the two walk back home through the window and chuckled softly to himself.  He took his seat and read the newspaper, a slow nod rocking his head back and forth.  He hadn't remembered the last time such a genuinely warm smile would not leave his face.

" _Look after her, kid_ ," he muttered to himself in the silence of the store.  " _I got faith in ya_."

Oh, to be young again.

* * *

 

_8/16/17 – Tuesday_

Ann strode towards the gym, duffel bag slung over her shoulder.  After she changed into her workout clothes, she'd be pushing herself hard that night.  Time to get back onto that workout schedule.  The blonde stared glumly at her phone.  Akira hadn't responded to her invitation to train with her, putting a damper on her mood.  He always responded whether it be to accept or decline.  But she put it out of her mind for now.  She was sure Akira was busy with something.  No need getting upset over a boy.

Ann was looking for ways to take her mind off their ever-dwindling window.  For the life of her, she couldn't think of what the Phantom Thieves would do in the event Futaba was unable to help.  None of the others had a solution either.  Though none of them had told her of Akira's true intent for the worst-case scenario.

The gym was empty.  As expected, given that it was rather late in the evening.  As she made her way to the changing rooms, the sound of punches against leather could be heard.  In the corner was a young man with shaggy black hair pounding a punching bag.  Shirtless save for black sweatpants.  Fists flew out with palms and wrist blows mashing the sack with ruthless energy.  It was an exhilarating sight to behold.  This man peppered his target, swapping punches with kicks every so often.  Ann couldn't help but stand there in wonderment.

"Wow!" Ann said in amazement.  "You're pretty good."

"Thanks."  She blinked, his voice sounding utterly familiar.  The boy turned around, revealing himself to be none other than Akira.  They exchanged pleasantly surprised smiles.  "Oh, hey, Ann!  Didn't know you were gonna be here."

"I texted you before I showed up.  Guess you were too busy beating up that… bag…."  Her attention slowly drifted downwards to his bare and hairless chest.  A notable sweat had built up that gave his pale skin a soft shine.  The lack of hair obscuring his body allowed the subtle toning he had been building up to be showcased.  He was no Kamoshida-esque musclebound meathead, thank goodness.  Akira did have an athletic but slim frame.  Ann felt her cheeks flush as she caught herself ogling him.  The blonde’s swiftly darted to the ground, clumsily clearing her throat.

Akira felt his neck grow hotter under her gaze. Her blue eyes analyzed him closely.  This experience was entirely new for him as he had never been under the microscope of a girl like this before.  Not that he had any room to protest.  After all, he had checked Ann out in her latex outfit plenty of times.  The shoe was on the other foot.  He wondered what to do as he stood there in awkward silence.  Did he play it cool?  Or perhaps subtly flex for her?  His muscles weren't gun busting, but he'd toot his own horn and admit he had bulked up in some regard.

"S-so," Ann stammered, rubbing her warm cheek.  "You… do this often?"  She chided herself mentally at her choice of questioning.  It was a rather clumsy conversation starter.  No natural flow in the least.  But Akira didn't seem perturbed by it.

"Uh, y-yeah," he answered, gently patting the side of the punching bag.  "Been training myself for Mementos.  I wanna become more proficient in combat.  Not just using knives or guns, you know?"  He licked his dried lips, feeling the tension melt away as he focused on a topic of conversation.  The awkward silence of the two youths blushing as they contemplated Akira's sweaty exposed body was too much to take.  "Gotta… you know."  He flexed his arm comedically, making exaggerated grunts to break the tension.  It seemed to work as Ann held a hand to her mouth to soften her giggles.  "Gotta keep the old guns in shape, right?"

"They look more like peashooters to me," Ann teased with a wink.  Akira narrowed his eyes and smirked at her.

"Ha ha," he mocked, a soft chuckle in his chest.  "How funny."  She stuck her tongue out at him playfully.  Ann ran her hand along the smooth leather of the punching bag.  The material was tough.  It had to be if it was taking a beating.

"I wanted to do some training of my own here.  I never considered beating up a punching bag, though."

"If you want, I could help you train."  Ann eyed the bag excitedly.  Akira had gone to town on the sack with such determination, for a second, she imagined it was possessed by a shadow.  He incorporated gestures and techniques she had only seen in the movies.  And some she had never seen before at all.  It was no doubt benefit her in spades to pick up on some of that for Mementos.  The whip and Tommy gun were fine, but the thought of punching a shadow to pulp like Makoto was utterly exhilarating.

"That would be sweet!" Ann admitted.  Akira grinned and gave her a thumbs-up, donning a damp towel around his neck.  "I'm gonna go change, okay?"  The blonde hurried off to the locker room to undress.  As Ann unzipped her duffel bag, an uneasy realization fell over her.  She had her black sweatpants and sneakers, but her only top consisted of a sports bra.  Ann shirtless save for a black sports bra.  In an empty gym.  With Akira, also shirtless.  A nervous whimper tickled the inside of her throat that caused her face to erupt with redness once more.  She lifted the water bottle and ran it against her hot neck.  Not even a second into training, and she was building up a sizable sweat.  Ann sighed and gulped down her apprehension before swapping her top for the sports bra.  The blonde eyed herself in the mirror.  The butterflies in her stomach flared up.  The bra had squeezed her breasts rather tightly, she was quick to notice.  Not painfully but held them a bit firmer than expected.  The girl cradled her chest delicately, tip-toeing towards the exit.  Akira had his back turned, pummeling the bag once more.  She turned and leaned against the wall, holding a hand to her heart.  Never had she felt this level of nervousness before.  She stopped and inhaled sharply through her nose, closing her eyes to focus.

 _It's just Akira,_ she chanted mentally to herself.  

His name both flustered and comforted her.  The girl strode out from the locker room with her duffel in tow, like she was working a runway.  Sternly did she stare ahead, unblinking.  Ann cleared her throat, causing Akira to turn.  His eyes fell to her breasts for a split second before shooting right back up to her eyes.  She had caught his brief glance, earning deep blushes on both of their faces.  Ann chewed on her bottom lip nervously.  To curb the awkward stillness, she took to stretching to loosen herself up.  She was gonna be punching a big bag, after all.  The arching of her back caused her breasts to stick out, accentuating them before the flustered boy.  A very faint gasp escaped his lips, his eyes drooping down once more to catch a peak.  Ann was not oblivious to her inadvertent showcasing and promptly adjusted her posture, looking away from him.  Another awkward silence resonated before them for a few seconds before Akira cleared his throat, stepping behind the punching bag.  He held it with both hands, craning his neck from behind to face her.

"Alright," he said, doing his absolute best to keep his gaze from drifting downwards past her eyes.  "Give me a fighting stance."  Ann cracked her knuckles and planted her feet.  She held her fists up and did her best to imitate what she recalled from television.  "Bring your legs in a bit more.  And bend those knees." Akira ushered her to the left a bit with a wave of his hand, to which Ann followed.  She adjusted her posture accordingly, raising her fists to block her face.

"Show me some of those moves," she said, smiling with great intensity at the bag.  Some of Akira's fighting techniques were shown to him by Iwai, the old man regarding some moves as signature Yakuza styles.  Akira wasn't sure whether this was rooted in truth or just Iwai bullshitting him.  Either way, they were fun to play with.

"We'll start off simple," Akira said, locking his legs.  "Just a couple warm up things first.  Stretches, jumping jacks, and then we'll move on to some basic jabs.  Left, right, left, right.  All that stuff."  Ann nodded and began to twist her lithe body, warming up her joints, muscles, and spine.  Her heart rate picked up in pace as the adrenaline coursed through her.  The blonde took pot shots at the punching bag as directed.  Left, right, left right.  Just as he directed.  Akira came to her side and demonstrated some punches, showcasing proper arm movement, positioning, and alignment.  After a few rounds of jabs, Ann moved on to wrist jabs, uppercuts, gut punches, elbows, and a couple kicks.  Her blue eyes burned intensely as she focused on peppering the bag.  Her motivation switched to many things, from Shiho to impressing Akira to beating an imaginary image of Kamoshida's face in.  Regardless of which one occupied her mind at the given time, they both caused Carmen's mighty fire to spark within her soul.  Her blows were slow and a bit clumsy at first, but after some practice, she gained that Phantom Thief speed and momentum she was used to when fighting shadows.

Akira proved to be a great partner in keeping her motivated and pushing her.  And she did the same for him in turn.  The two worked well of each other, their playful jests and jabs keeping one another going forward.  Witty banter complimented the care and warmth the two had for one another.  It was the best workout Ann felt she had ever experienced.  She didn’t just feel rewarded physically.  The three hours they had spent alone together, straining and stretching their teenage bodies to their limits, had her inner soul sparking with energy.  Like it had been struck by lightning.  Akira was a great coach, and she a great partner.  After the two wiped off their sweating and exhausted bodies, they vowed to keep working out together.  Pushing and building up one another so they would be deadly forces of nature upon the battlefield.  Whether it be with the rest of the Phantom Thieves behind them or merely the two of them.

Their routine continued throughout the week, occasionally swapping in sparring for weight lifting, squats, and the treadmill.  A personal suggestion by Ann, as she wanted all of their bodies to be put under equal strain.  A notion that Akira agreed with.  Though they woke up sore the next day, it became easier and easier to power through and recover.  A quality no doubt a side effect of their combat experience in castles and Mementos as well as the energy from their Personas.  Akira and Ann spent the remaining evenings at the gym, late enough that few enough people were present but with enough time to return home before curfew.  Day after day ticked by, each netting them slight margins of progression, until the moment of truth was finally upon them.

August the 21st. Sunday.  The day Medjed was to strike back at the Phantom Thieves.


	30. Emotional Rollercoaster

_8/22/17 – Monday_

Akira could scarcely believe it.

He had watched Futaba type at her computer the entire day while he cleaned up her room in the dark.  Been there to witness her completely pull the rug out from under Medjed.  Or rather, the people appropriating her namesake.  Yet he had difficulty fathoming what he was witnessing on the television.  True to her word, Futaba had utterly eliminated these imposters, and it was being highlighted live.  The lot of them sat in stunned silence while they nursed their drinks.  Sojiro tended the counter, only half listening to the news account.

"Aren't these the guys people have been up in arms about?" he asked.

"Medjed has yet to issue an official supply," the newscaster stated.  "Furthermore, their previously announced cleanse of Japan has remained unimplemented for now.  Some speculate that they have taken this series of events seriously and ultimately cancelled their plan."  Akira heard excited soft chuckles and cheers amongst his fellow Phantom Thieves.  A heavy sigh escaped his chest, and relief washed over him like a warm bath.  Looks like he wouldn't be carted off to jail, after all.

"What're you all smirking about?" Akira regained his composure, clearing his throat as he turned to look at Sojiro.  The old man had an eyebrow raised to the lot of kids in his coffee shop.  The Phantom Thieves exchanged glances before one of them finally spoke up.

"We're just happy that Medjed is gone," Akira said.  "Those guys were threatening Tokyo apparently, and the Phantom Thieves pulled the rug out from under them."  Sojiro merely shrugged, shining up a mug for later use.

"Well, keep the excitement down to a minimum, will you?" the store owner asked.  "You're gonna drive away all my customers."

"…But there ain't any customers," Ryuji commented.

"Can it." Sojiro turned back to washing some dishes.  "My customers are on summer vacation too."

"After the commercial break, we will be asking guests from various fields about this turn of events."  Akira felt a knowing smirk rise on his face.  The news station would be interviewing them for opinions on the matter, and one person's in particular piqued his interest.  Goro Akechi's.  He rubbed his hands, a look of sadism in his eyes as he was ready to see the young detective eat his words on live television.

"Oh crap!" Ryuji spoke up.  Akira snapped back to reality and turned to their table.  "I just realized our break's almost over!"

"There are still ten days left," Yusuke said, looking down at the table.  Akira himself personally wouldn't mind school starting up again.  It would give him an alibi in the event another Medjed-esque blackmail incident reared its ugly head.  In the same vein of things, he would miss all his free time.  The boy had managed to make quite the sum of money being able to work longer hours and had grown close with many of his confidants.  Plus, his compendium of Personas had expanded tenfold thanks to Igor and his sadistic Twin Wardens.  

Such a place was mystifying.  So little did he know about it, but it made him feel safe and secure.  Even though he was confined to a jail cell by Caroline and Justine.  Perhaps, one day, he would uncover the full mystery of the Velvet Room.

"Time flew by faster than expected, didn't it?" Akira asked.

"No kiddin'," Ryuji said, leaning on the table glumly.  "I'm not ready to head back to Shujin yet."

"I wanna go somewhere, but we can't just leave Futaba-chan alone," Ann said. Akira nodded.  Though Futaba had managed to pull their boots out of the fire with Medjed, they were still largely unsure how much her Persona awakening and the cleansing of her heart had affected her mind.

"Some things still concern me too," Makoto said.  She lowered her voice to a soft whisper, out of Sojiro's hearing capabilities.  " _Like that research…_ "

The mystery of the research and Futaba's mother had dwelled at the back of Akira’s mind for the longest time, suppressed by his worry about Medjed and Futaba.  Another mystery had piled itself onto the mountain that was the Velvet Room and Morgana's origin.  And the man in the black mask mentioned by both their previous targets.  Madarame and Kaneshiro had confirmed that someone had been inside their palaces before the Phantom Thieves' arrival.  This and the reveal of Futaba's mother having uncovered knowledge on the Metaverse could not have been a mere coincidence.  Akira was no conspiracy theorist.  But when it came to the Metaverse, it was hard to look at things as randomized chaos at work.  If someone else knew about the other world, it could spell trouble.  For the Phantom Thieves and the rest of Tokyo.  They had a strict code of ethics when it came to the Metaverse.  One not many others possessed.  If the Metaverse became more widely known, even by a smaller circle of people, it could be exploited.  Then everything the Phantom Thieves had stood for would be all for naught.

Akira's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the bell at the front door.  All in attendance turned and were surprised to see none other than Futaba.  Akira and Sojiro were somewhat less surprised after her impromptu visit yesterday.  But to see her out of the house after bearing witness to all she had been through was unexpected.

"Oh!" Sojiro said happily.  "Did you just get up?"  She merely nodded, opting to remain silent.

"Good morning," Makoto greeted warmly.  The familiar and pleasant courtly smile resided on her face. Futaba let out a shy gasp and took a step behind Akira.  This elicited strange looks from all of them, Akira and Sojiro in particular.

"It seems she's cautious of us," Yusuke commented.  Akira merely shrugged.

"Give her time," she said.  "Social anxiety is an issue that affects everyone differently.  Being exposed to so many people so fast can be overwhelming."  He looked back over his shoulder with a friendly smile.  "You don't need to be nervous around us.  Take your time, alright?"  Futaba gave a shy nod, her cheeks turning a twinge of pink.  Sojiro couldn't help but crack a small smile at the boy's words.

"Hey, why don't we go upstairs?" Makoto asked.  "If any more customers come, she'll be even more afraid."

"Why don't you go with them, Futaba?" Sojiro asked.  "Have fun."  Futaba looked back to Akira expectantly for confirmation.

"You're welcome to hang with us anytime."

"Besides, it's about time my regulars show up anyway, so I don't want you guys loitering around my store."

After a couple of hours together, the Phantom Thieves began to disperse from Leblanc, their plan for tomorrow decided.  They would all take turns bonding with Futaba in order to help ease her social anxiety.  Makoto, Yusuke, and Akira would spend the day with the orange haired recluse.  Akira saw them all out, the inside of Leblanc having emptied of people.  Sojiro tended the store and told Futaba he would meet her home later.  Akira and Ann stood outside the coffee shop and watched the sky.  The orange of the sky was just beginning to fade into darkness.  Night would soon take over.  Futaba tentatively stood at Akira's side with her eyes glued to her feet.

"Can I really do this?" she whined softly.  Heat built up on Futaba's neck as the anxiety set in.  The prospect of spending time with people she barely knew in such close proximity – even after they saved her life – was a bit of a hurdle to overcome.

"Hey," Akira said gently, prompting the young girl to look up at him.  "Don't be nervous, alright?  I'll be with you.  I understand what it's like to have social anxiety.  Hell, when I first moved here, I barely spoke to anyone.  We're your friends, Futaba."  The girl said nothing before swiftly embracing him.  A tight hug that she broke just as soon as it was formed, trotting back to her house.

"Thank you!" she piped up without looking back.  Akira merely chuckled lowly, shaking his head at the girl with an amused smirk on her face.

"Oh, yeah," he said to himself.  "She'll be fine."  Ann giggled behind him, holding a hand softly to her mouth.  He turned and raised an eyebrow.  "You making fun of me?"

"A bit," she teased with a wink.  The two tenderly embraced, taking advantage of the isolation.  Medjed's downfall had lifted a great burden from their shoulders.  Their hug felt safer.  Much more snug and strong.  Ann released him and sized him up.  "Looks like you were right.  As usual."  Akira merely shrugged.

"I don't like to brag," he said but was unable to fight off the satisfied smirk on his face.  "Although, we did cut it a bit close to the wire there."

"No kidding," Ann said with a laugh, prompting a chuckle from him.  The girl pursed her lips in thought as she tapped her chin with a solitary finger.  "Though, I'm curious as to what we were gonna do if Futaba couldn't help."  His smirk then swiftly faded as he recalled his backup plan.  Thankfully he would never know how it would all have panned out, but just imagining it made him anxious.

"It's… complicated…”  Ann felt something stir in her chest.  She didn’t like the way he relayed that.  Akira was always rather confident in regards to their plans.  But his voice betrayed an uncertainty rather unusual for him to have.

"Complicated how?"  Akira felt a lump form in his throat.  No doubt she would treat it the same as the others did.  But he was in no mood for a debate, especially after their victory and over a hypothetical scenario.  Not to mention how close they’ve been bonding.  He gulped and let out a heavy sigh.

"I…"  Another sigh.  "I would've given myself up to the police."

"What?!" Ann asked in genuine shock.  Akira had anticipated this, but the worry in her face and voice caused guilt to squirm in his chest like a worm.  "How could you do that?"

"It's fine," he insisted, holding up his hands.  "We don't have to worry about that anymore.  Futaba came through, remember?"

"But you still planned it," Ann said, stepping forward.  "You were gonna give yourself up.  I mean, I know we're not tech experts, but there had to have been another way."

"Not at the risk of Japan's economy falling into shambles.  If I had to give myself up to protect people's livelihoods, I would've.  And I don't regret that at all."  Ann bit down on her bottom lip, looking down at her feet.  Her neck burned under his gaze.  Feeling him look at her with concern while she did the same to him.  The blonde felt vulnerable, a notion she had despised since becoming a Phantom Thief.  After taking down Kamoshida, never again would she feel fragile and concerned for the future.  Shiho moving had changed that.  She broke down.  Showed Akira vulnerability once again.  His kindness and empathy for her was a gift she would never be ungrateful for, but to feel so helpless before him was a blow to her pride.  She was the fiery Panther, wielder of the Persona Carmen and her wicked embers.  Shadows fell under her boot as she lashed them with her whip and riddled them with holes.  She was to stand side by side with her courageous Joker.  Not crumple before him.

"What about us?" she asked softly.  "What would you have done about us?"  Akira licked his dried lips nervously.  Second verse would be the same as the first. 

"Nothing," he said.  "I would've kept my mouth shut.  Taken the blame and let you guys walk free."  Ann's eyes widened, and her heart seemed to cave in like a black hole.  The breath had caught in her throat.

"You would've just let them cart you off to jail?"  Akira pursed his lips, a pain in his chest as he watched her face.  Hurt and fear shimmered in those beautiful blue eyes of hers.  The same he had seen when she confessed to Kamoshida's abuse in that diner.  The feeling that he was causing them stabbed deeper than any shadow swipe.  "Left us behind?  We were supposed to be in this together, remember?  No one left behind."

"Listen."  His voice got low again.  That dry grit had returned yet again.  A voice that only came out when he grew very somber.  Concerned and vulnerable.  An intimate voice only she had been graced to hear.  His hands gripped her arms firmly.  The two locked eyes though she could see that hurt emanated within his silver irises, congruent to hers.  This confession hurt him as much as it did her.  "You got your whole life ahead of you.  Gotta become the number one model around, right?  Remember?"  He stopped and inhaled, a heavy sigh leaving his chest.  Akira closed his eyes and shook his head.  "You all got things you need to stay behind for.  Ryuji has his mom.  Makoto is going to college.  Yusuke and his art career."  A sad smirk made its way to his face.  She hated that smirk.  It retained all the charm Akira always possessed, but the pain behind it was a crime to behold.  "What do I got, huh?"  He scoffed and shook his head.  "Just a punk with a criminal record as far as the police are concerned.  It wouldn’t be fair to any of you guys.  I have nothing to lose-"

"That's not true!"  She reached forward and gripped his shirt.  "That is such bullshit!"  The corner of Akira's mouth curled up into a soft smile.  As unusual as it sounded, he found it rather attractive when she swore.  "You've got us."  Slowly did she lean forward, nestling herself into his chest.  Head resting against it.  Her eyes clothes, taking in his scent.  He smelled of coffee.  Cocoa and the vanilla foam that sat atop the rich liquid.  It was a rather aphrodisiastic smell.  One that sent a quiver in her heart.  Ann's voice grew low.  Soft and fragile, only for him to hear.  "You've got me."

Akira said nothing, standing in the silence of the night that had descended upon them.

"Ann…"  He reached around to hold her close, but she broke away from him.  She stared at him sternly as her blue eyes flickered.

"Promise me," she said.  He furrowed his brow as he looked back at her.  "Promise me you won't go through with something like that if we have another worst-case scenario."  Akira chewed at the inside of his cheek.  She was asking something enormous of him to do.  And wagering everything on her end to do so.

"What about Shiho, Ann?" he leveraged.  "You said you gotta protect her, look out for her."

"Don't."  His words stung like her whip against a shadow's hide.  She gripped her arms and turned away in pain.  "Don't you dare try and manipulate me with her."

"I'm just stating a fact.  She's your best friend.  She needs you, and you need her."

"I need you too," Ann stated.

"Ann…" Akira stepped forward, hands in his pockets.  "No boy is worth a girl throwing away her future for."

"You are."

Such a response promptly robbed Akira of any retort.  Any reasonable counterargument or appeal to her senses flew right out the window.  Such raw and deep emotional care was something he could not bludgeon through.  He stood dumbstruck, speechless.  No one had ever said something so powerful to him before.  Were it not for his anxiety at the notion of crying in public, he would've shed a tear.

Ann stood in silence, watching him.  When he refused to speak after nearly a minute, she straightened up, her steely stern glare returning.  

"Now promise me.  Promise me you won't.  If the Phantom Thieves get caught, we get caught together."  Akira's chest felt heavy.  The sheer emotion with which she hit him was almost too much to take.  After this, he resolved to head inside and collapse onto his bed.  He'd sleep like a rock tonight.

The gauntlet had been laid down before him.  She had provided an ultimatum he couldn’t walk away from.  Did he agree to her question, roping them in with him and sacrificing their futures?  Did he refuse, potentially severing their deep connection?  Perhaps permanently and losing Ann from the Phantom Thieves?  Or did he lie and tell her what she wished to hear?  Guilt scrambled in his mind from all sides, regardless of which solution he went with.  He couldn't bear to push her away.  Not after all they'd been through.  With Kamoshida, Madarame, Kaneshiro, Shiho, and now Medjed.  It would be like cutting off a limb.  The Phantom Thieves needed Ann.  More importantly, he needed her.

The only other reasonable solution would be to lie, but his tongue burned at the thought of it.  Stinging like he had cut it.  He hated lying and valued his honesty.  Compromising it never settled with him, keeping him up for days as a result of the anxiety and sense of betrayal in his chest.  His eyes ran along her face.  The soft pale skin, the flowing blonde hair, the deep blue eyes that he could get lost in just standing there.

 _How can I say no to that?_ he mused to himself.  A heavy sigh escaped his chest.  Solemnly did he look to the ground.

"Okay," he said.  "I promise."

"Look at me."  The boy lifted his head to face her.  Blue and silver locked and unwavering.  "Now tell me."  A tired smirk of relent curled up.

"I promise."  His eyes never left her. Not even blinking.  Slowly did the tension begin to subside, and she bit her lip to suppress the smile of satisfaction that threatened to burst onto her face.

"Good."  Akira sighed with relief, happiness returning to that trademark smirk of his.  The smile escaped onto her face after seeing his, and she rushed to him in order to hide it.  Ann leaned into his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. Akira huffed with amusement through his nose while he cradled her close underneath the slowly darkening sky.  "I'm mad at you."  Akira couldn't help but chuckle.  Her pouty hurt tone was positively adorable.

"Oh, don't tell me that," he said, his smirk growing to a grin.  "I already feel bad enough for all this."

"You should.”  The scent of her blonde hair graced his nose.  It smelled of coconut.  An unexpected but pleasant sensation.  She squeezed his waist tighter, burying herself into his chest further.  "You gotta make this up to me."  He nodded and played with the tip of her blonde twintail.  His soft hands shifted to stroking it.

"Anything you want, Panther."  She froze.  He had that voice.  The low dry grit, right in her ear.  It trembled all the way down her back, warming up the lower reaches of her stomach.  Her soft cheeks rose in temperature and color, a shudder escaping.  To hear him speak her codename outside the Metaverse, even with just the two of them here.  With that voice.  It felt insanely intimate.  Such passion behind such a simple thing.  Her heart raced at lightspeed.

"You owe me more hugs."  She suppressed a snicker at just how childish her request sounded. Demanding more hugs from Akira like a needy little girl.

"You already get as many hugs as you want.  How do I give you more than infinite hugs?"  A giggle burst out from her as she gripped his shirt for support.

"I'm sure you'll figure that out."  Eventually, she worked up the courage to face him again.  She hadn't expected to be close enough that the tips of their noses touched.  But they did.  And their faces rivaled for fiercest blush.  Neither one of them could move, too entranced by the other.  The proximity and intimacy they felt.  It was something they never wanted to end.  A feeling that had only increased in intensity the longer they had spent together.  Ann inhaled sharply and reluctantly pulled herself away from him. She delivered a warm smile at the sleepy longing eyes he gave her.  "Good luck with Futaba tomorrow."

"Thanks.  Text me when you get home, alright?  So I know you got there safe."  She giggled and beamed at him.

"I will."  As she turned to leave, her legs stopped.  She couldn't move.  Her body grew heavy like lead.  It felt like she had suddenly combusted.  As though Carmen was burning her from the inside out.  The August nights never grew this hot naturally. 

Akira gave her a peculiar look as she stood frozen in place.  Not an inch of movement.  Like she had been turned to stone.  It was quickly growing concerning.  He took a hesitant step forward.

"Ann?"

It all happened so fast.  She had whirled around and was upon him almost instantly.  Her lips brushed his cheek, delivering a quick peck upon his soft skin.  His eyes widened from the whiplash that had hit him.  The smooth composure of the Joker evaporating instantly as she left in there in the dark.  Ann was colored as red as her latex suit as she swiftly darted home.  Not saying a single word to him during departure.

 _What the fuck did I just do?!_ she chided herself mentally.  _How am I supposed to face him now?!_ The young girl kept chiding herself but didn't regret a single thing.  It was a swift but passionate kiss.  A mere peck on the cheek.  A trifle.  But even such a simple thing had sent fireworks jolting through her heart.  How she planned to face him next time they met, the blonde had no clue. 

Akira stood in stunned silence by himself, jaw hanging open.  A single hand hovered over the place where she had kissed him.  Kissed.  Him.  The dark of the night obscured the insane redness on his cheeks.  His heart fluttered like crazy in his slim chest.  Letting out a surprised huff, he wandered back in only to be greeted with Sojiro's smug smirk as he leaned against the bar.

"You two were out there a long time.”  Akira felt the sweat build on his neck and back under the old man's gaze.  Through his peripheral could the windows be seen.  He had to force himself to gulp the tension down.  "You two a thing now?"

"N-no."  Akira pursed his lips, looking anywhere but directly at the man.  "We're just friends."  Still technically true.  Friends.  Incredibly close friends that held and cradled one another, saw each other near shirtless, and now kissed.  Rather, she kissed him.  On the cheek.  Which hardly counted.  Apparently.

"Friends these days get that close to each other?" Akira stood in silence, too stunned and nervous to move.  Eventually, the pressure in his chest subsided, and he headed for the stairs.

"You saw nothing." Sojiro let out a hearty laugh of amusement.

"Secret's safe with me, kid."  The boy went upstairs and remained quiet as Sojiro locked the place up.  His hand rested on the doorknob when he looked back toward the stairs.  A content sigh escaped the old man.  Though he would not admit it to his face, Akira had definitely come around in his eyes.  Keeping quiet, helping out around Leblanc, and spending time with his daughter.  A far cry from the perceived punk walking into his coffee shop all those months ago.

* * *

 

_8/23/17 – Tuesday_

Futaba’s rehabilitation – if that was the right word to use – was proceeding moderately well.  He helped her acclimatize to the others, bringing Makoto, Morgana, and Yusuke along.  The artist had gotten himself into some hot water by tampering with Futaba’s Neofeatherman super sentai figurine collection.  It had proven to be unintentionally hilarious.  Futaba was utterly adorable in how quirky and nerdy she was.  Tomorrow would be with Ryuji and Ann.

Ann.  The first student he had met here.

Akira was kicked back on his bed, browsing his phone.  He took notice of Morgana out of the corner of his eye.  The little furball sat all curled up on the couch to take a catnap.  Sleeping contently without a care in the world.  His thoughts then drifted back to the days when Medjed was a threat.  In the event he had to turn himself in, who would have taken care of Morgana?  Makoto, Yusuke, and Ann all seemed like capable choices.  But to thrust such a burden of responsibility onto them like that?  It didn't sit well with him.  It was such an all-or-nothing plan.  High stakes.  More so than ever before.  Had Futaba not pulled through for them, he’d be gone for good.  Left all of his friends hurt and angry behind.  Especially Ann.  He merely sighed and turned his mind to other places.  The last thing he wanted was to have Medjed on his mind deep into the night and catch only a couple hours of sleep.  Again.

Instead, his thoughts turned back to the blonde, as they frequently did nowadays.   A content smile rested on the boy's face alongside the comfy warmth that spread through his chest.  Her sweet smiling face and beautiful rich eyes.  Her voice like velvet to his ears.  Graceful and smooth.  Fitting for a woman that sported Carmen as her Persona.  Ann's mood had picked up a bit in Shiho's absence.  The pain still lurked in the cockles of her heart, but that's why Akira was there. 

When did it all start changing?  How did it lead to yesterday? 

The night where "Alibaba" called off the hit on Futaba.  That sounded right.  When he began to detect a real change in their relationship.  They had taken great care to conceal it from the world.  Which had only become harder as the days went on.  Whenever it was the two of them alone, they couldn't let go.  She wrapped herself around his arm possessively when they would sit together.  Akira would take the opportunity to flex his bicep to show off his developing muscle.  It amused her to witness such antics from him of all people.  She much more expected Ryuji to pull something like that.  But after feasting her eyes on him at the gym, she wouldn’t dare complain.

But it seemed to be paying off as she started gaining more gigs, much to Mika's chagrin.  A double-edged sword as it meant more strange men would hover near the exhibition area to ogle.  Their presence was an annoyance to the blonde, but her mind was at ease with Akira in attendance.  Akira wasn't too fond of the high school kids and older men who came to gawk, but as long as they stayed back, he tolerated them.  Some had even tried to hit on Ann, only to be shot down.  She had even begun to play mind games with the other men there, latching herself onto him just to watch the spite and rejection in their eyes.  Ann would've felt bad were they not so perverse.  Though it did prompt some of the organizers to ask questions, which Ann shot down every time.  He was just a friend playing the part.  That was the official story anyway.  Or at least it used to feel that way.

Even something as simple as holding her hand instilled in him a feeling of pure unadulterated ecstasy. The coolness of her touch sent shivers down his spine and a rising heat on his face.  His heart wound up racing whenever he drew near her.  Struggling to remain composed around her and grew paranoid of others watching them.  Like nothing he had ever felt.  These feelings of uneasiness and confusion had touched him in small doses before but never had they amassed in full force upon him.  Akira struggled to identify this perplexing emotional force, but the name was staring him in the face.  Plain as day, but he couldn't bring himself to say that word.  That rather dangerous word. Enough power to make one man weep and another man sing.  

But dared not say it.  It was a vulnerable word.  One that could be corrupted by a fickle heart.  Not that he suspected Ann of being fickle, of course.  If anything, he trusted her more than anyone else.  But that feeling of vulnerability, of laying it all on the line for someone with no guarantee of success.  That possibility of rejection.  That shook him more than any foul shadow monster within the Metaverse.  How could he feel these things though?  She had kissed him upon the cheek right in front of Leblanc.  But there was always the possibility.  Some weird slanted way that it might not be as deep as he thought, no matter how ridiculous it seemed.

Ann herself hadn’t even messaged him all day outside of responding in group chat.  A touch concerning as they hadn’t gone a single day without texting each other since Kaneshiro’s Palace.  Perhaps it even went further back than initially thought.  It was friendly and inviting back then.  Just two friends texting each other more than their other friends. 

The boy looked back to Morgana, still asleep.  Akira smiled softly to himself.  At times, he envied Morgana and his simple life.  Be a cat, hang out in his satchel all day, wait to be fed.  But at the cost of being human and the ability to do pretty much anything.  No, he was quite glad to keep his current form.  Morgana fascinated him in many ways.  A talking cat that claimed to be human, was unable to recall his past life, and possessed the power of the Persona.  Since their first meeting, they were no step closer to unlocking the mystery surrounding him.  Mementos spanned deep underground so hope was not lost.  Even so, the cat still racked his mind privately to Akira about it.  The existential dread that he might just actually be a cat.  Or even worse.  Though Akira teased him about being a cat, he knew that it wasn't that simple.  There was an underlying mystery to Morgana.  Whether it be that he is human or something else was open to interpretation.  But the notion that he was just an ordinary cat that one day gained the gift of speech and magic was far too simplistic for the Phantom Thief to accept.  Whatever he really was, Akira was committed to helping him solve the mystery.  The cat would keep him up late brainstorming all the things he would do when he became human again.  Exploring the world.  Ordering as much fatty tuna as he wanted.  Courting Ann.

Akira froze as the uneasy realization rolling over him.  It had rooted itself within the back of his subconscious back when he and Ann started spending more and more time together.  Dwelling in the recesses of his mind, waiting to strike.  And now it did.

Ann had expressed time and again that she had no real interest in Morgana, seeing him as a friend and a mere pet.  A notion that gravely disheartened the cat.  Since the day he saw her doppelganger in Kamoshida's castle, Morgana had been hopelessly in love with Ann.  Anyone in the Phantom Thieves could see it plain as day.  Though they all knew it was a losing gamble on his part.  Morgana, however, didn't see it. In his mind, he was the suave and handsome gentleman reminiscent of his Persona, Zorro.  Not just a mere cat.  And if he was gracious and chivalrous enough, he could convince Ann to see past his animal exterior and love the real him.  But Ann just wasn't interested.  Something he just couldn't force himself accept.  If he could court her just right, he would get the girl like he felt he deserved.  Pride was an irrational thing, truly.  Morgana just couldn't accept no out of fear of his ego shattering.  Luckily, his feline form and charm prevented Ann from growing more than mildly put off at times.

If he was a human, it would've come off as creepy and desperate.  Akira had seen such displays at his old school, where his then so-called friends attempted to win the hearts of the girls they liked.  Insistence and a lack of respecting boundaries damaged relationships.  And he had a small but lingering irrational fear that Morgana might end up doing the same in some way.  The last thing the Phantom Thieves needed was wavering loyalties.  They all needed to be friends and closely connected, lest bad blood end up compromising them.  Not that Akira truly suspected any of them of possible betrayal.  But paranoia did cause his mind to wander.  Trying to convince him not to force a connection with Ann was the equivalent of reasoning with a brick wall.  Yusuke had at least backed off and taken to honing his artistic skills for local galleries.  Morgana was just much more stubborn about romance.

All of this had culminated into a single intrusive thought that shook Akira significantly.

Had he been subconsciously encouraging Morgana to give up on Ann for his own self-interests?

Guilt and self-doubt hit him like a truck.  He never felt more dishonest in his life.  It felt like a great betrayal of his dear friend.  He shook his head, rubbing his eyes as he mulled the situation over.  Perhaps it was his anxiety playing tricks on him.  His feelings for Ann – both romantic and platonic – were equally valid.  He valued her as both friend and woman.  Her boundaries and wishes mattered to him.  

Ann wasn't interested.  Morgana was insistent.  He tried to mediate for both their sakes.  All of this was true.  But all the paranoia, self-scrutinization, and guilt.  He wasn't sure if he was ready to say that word yet.  But he definitely did like Ann.  A lot.  Significantly more than the other Phantom Thieves.  Than any girl he had ever met.  But so did Morgana.

"Oh noooo," he groaned softly before resting his forearm over his eyes.  He fought with himself with no end in sight, switching between confidence and guilt with no end in sight.  Akira peaked out from under his arm to glance at the cat.  Still asleep.  Unaware of the internal conflict residing within the young boy.  Akira sat on the mattress, just staring at the door.  This inner debate would rage on all night.  Several hours of lying awake in bed unable to sleep while he endlessly tore himself apart didn't sound remotely enjoyable.  He left the room and ventured down the stairs.  Searching for something.  A makeshift spirit quest.  And he had an inkling as to who might help.

The coffee shop came into view, Sojiro still behind the counter.  He didn't pay any attention to him as he shined up the mugs.  Akira took a seat at the counter and sighed.  The owner looked from his dishes to the boy, a curious look on his face?

"What's up?"  Akira gazed at him searchingly. He did speak about his luck with women many times in the past.  Though the boy felt some his tales a bit farfetched.  Someone like Sojiro a playboy?  Perhaps in another time.  Like a million years ago.

"Boss…"  His words hung in his throat, all while Sojiro waited on him to finish.  Anxiety gnarled itself in his chest to halt his speech.  Mentally, he struggled to put his concerns to words.  The lingering threat of stressing all night only fueled his anxiety further.  Now he was anxious about being anxious.  Akira sighed roughly and faced Sojiro sternly.  "I need some advice."  His neck grew hot from his confession.  The leader of the Phantom Thieves asking an old man in a coffee shop for life advice.  About women, no less.  His pride wilted.  Sojiro leaned on the counter.

"Alright.  Shoot."  Akira inhaled slowly through his nose, out through his mouth.  A gulp dragged his apprehension down into the deep recesses of his body.

"It involves a girl."  The old man raised an eyebrow and smirked smugly.

"Need to know how to ask her out, huh?" he asked.  "I'm sure I've got some aces up my sleeve that might work.  Even for you."

"It's not that," he said, shaking his head.  "You see…"  He glanced over to the stairs through his peripheral.  No one there.  Now he was just being paranoid that Morgana was spying on him.

 _This can't continue_ , he thought to himself.

"I also have a friend.  A… guy friend.  Named…. Mona.  And he also likes this girl."  Sojiro blew air through his mouth slowly, slicking his hair back.  Akira planned his words carefully.  Craft a modified version of the true story.

"Oh boy," he muttered lowly.

"He tried his hand at asking her out, but she isn't interested. I told him this, but he doesn’t really believe it.  I started hanging out with her more often, and things began…"  His cheeks flushed, the redness on his neck growing hotter.  He ran his hand along it to ease the burning.  "You know, they changed.  I…"  His tongue ran along his drying lips.  "You know, I like her.  A lot."

"Hmm…"  Sojiro stroked his beard as he mulled the boy's story over.  "So what's the problem?"  Akira ran his fingers through his hair.  Saying it all out loud, he wasn't sure what he was trying to explain anymore.

"After I told him to stop pursuing her, I started getting interested in her.  Now I feel a bit dishonest.  Like, we both like the girl. After he made it known he liked her, I started taking a greater interest.  It feels wrong, moving in on a girl my friend obviously likes."  The old man slowly nodded as he finished recounting his story.

"Oh… I see."  His gaze denoted no recognizable look of judgment, but Akira felt like a bug being fried under a magnifying glass.  Sojiro turned to pour himself a small cup, smacking his lips softly at the rich flavor.  "Let me ask you a few things.  How do you know this girl isn't interested?"  Sojiro studied the young boy, all that he knew about him being compared in his head.  

The older man knew full and well which girl it was.  Even if he hadn’t seen them outside yesterday with his own eyes, it was rather easy to piece together that it was the blonde.  But Mona was obviously a fake name.  The boy was being vague to protect identities.  Had to be someone in his inner circle.  He suspected Ryuji.

"Well, she told me.  Plus, it’s kinda obvious to everyone else."

"Has she told _him_?"

"Not personally.  Like I said, I tried to talk with him about it, but he refuses to listen.  That might be tough to make happen…"  There'd be no way he could have Ann just tell Morgana she wasn't interested in him.  It felt too manipulative at this point.  His sense of guilt only deepened.

"And you like this girl?"

"More than anything," Akira said, leaning forward urgently.  Sojiro merely shrugged before folding his arms.

"Then if you like her, you should go after her."  Akira blinked at him, a searching look on his face.  His breath hung in his chest as he struggled to speak.

"Wha-hold on," he stammered.  "Didn’t you just hear what I was saying?"

"I did."  Sojiro began to polish his glasses nonchalantly.  "You like the girl.  So does this "Mona” apparently.  She doesn't like him back.  He keeps going at it even after you told him she's not interested.  He doesn't believe it.  And she won't tell him she's not interested.  Probably to avoid hurting his feelings, right?"  The old man merely shrugged.  "Sounds like his problem to me."  Akira let out a breathless scoff.  It was such a blunt, aloof statement.  No empathy to be found.  "If a guy can't accept no, that's his fault.  And I got no sympathy for people who keep ramming their heads into a wall expecting something to change."

"Yeah, w-well…"  Akira rubbed his brow as he attempted to explain.  Some justification or defense for Morgana.  To hear someone else be this critical of his acts was discomforting.  That was his friend, after all.  And this complete unwitting strange was being so judgmental.  Even so, he couldn't deny what he was saying.  Akira sighed and leaned forward, fingers in his hair.  "I just don't want to ruin our friendship is all.  He's my friend."

"Any friendship that can be ruined by how two guys feel about the same girl is a weak one," Sojiro stated with unwavering resolve.  "I've seen this type of situation before.  Two guys like the same girl.  She only likes one.  Their friendship dissolved, and they blamed each other as well as the girl.  Now, they have neither."

"I'm not liking where this is going," Akira said, sinking into his barstool.

"The girl wasn't two-timing either of them.  Neither were mature enough to acknowledge her as her own person, instead seeing her as a prize to be won and the other guy as a competitor.  Women aren't prizes to be won, son.  If your friend can't respect this girl's feelings and accept no as an answer, then he's a damn fool.  And you're better off without friends like that in your life.  Friends that'll disrespect you and the girl you like because he couldn't have her."

Akira leaned back apprehensively, intimidated by Sojiro's rather passionate speech.  He hadn't heard him this fiery since he thought Futaba was in danger when they had snuck into his house.  The conviction in Sojiro's voice was unshakable.  But his words cut deep.  Morgana was one of his best friends.  He'd lay his life on the line for him.  Their friendship could never be broken in such a way.  But the heart and its emotions weren't rational.  Romance dragged the mind into a miasma where not every action or thought was grounded in reason.

"I… can't really think of anything else to say…"  The boy reluctantly relented.  He felt like an idiot, his emotions toying with his mind and guilt tripping him.  Stammering directionless in front of the old man.  Sojiro merely shrugged before finishing his drink and washing the mug out.

"Sleep on it.  I'll lock up for you.  Get to bed."

"Thanks," Akira said.  Sojiro merely nodded and smiled softly to himself as the boy climbed the stairs.

"He'll be fine," he muttered to himself.  The shaggy-haired boy changed into his pajamas before picking Morgana up in his arms

"Hmm?" the cat stirred, eyes open by a margin of a sliver.

"Time for bed, bud.  Sorry to wake you."  The lights turned off, and Akira sat the cat gently down upon the bed.  Morgana snuggled next to his legs, letting out a soft yawn.

"Thanks for carrying me," Morgana muttered with fading coherence.  "You're a good friend…"

Akira said nothing, sitting in silence.  It was a cool summer night, a much-welcomed reprieve from the sweltering heat outside.  The boy placed his glasses on the small stand to his left.  He turned over and closed his eyes.  Minutes clocked by, and soon an hour already passed.  Sojiro's words did seem to hold a truth Akira couldn't completely deny.  But paranoia and self-doubt were not things that could be reasoned with.  A dry and unamused laugh resonated in his mind as he buried his face in the pillow.

_This sucks, man._


	31. Meeting Like This

_8/28/17 – Sunday_

"You want anything, Futaba?"

"Orange juice.  One hundred percent natural."  

Akira listened to Sojiro and Futaba talk while he tended the counter, wiping it off and cleaning dishes.  The past six days of bonding with Futaba and getting her to emerge from her shell had been rather successful.  She proved to be more responsive than anticipated.  And was open about her feelings.  Though Akira's constant presence by her side during all this seemed to be the key catalyst in her motivation.  Tomorrow, the lot of them would head to the beach.  The girls picked out a swimsuit for Futaba, and Ryuji had been filling the boys' heads with images of what they would look like in bikinis.  The others tried to brush him off, but as they often do within the minds of teenage boys, the images came regardless.  Of course, Akira’s mind was dominated by the thought of Ann.

They hadn’t really had much opportunity to talk after Monday.  He was tempted to text her in regards to hanging out.  Though his inner turmoil about him and Morgana had him refraining.  Was it really right to go for it when he knew Morgana liked her as well?  Despite Sojiro’s attempt at consolation, the conflict of interest was rather evident.  But he desperately wanted to see her.  Whenever she had come around, it was either with Ryuji or Makoto.  And what brief interactions they had were rather awkward.  He had to know what that kiss meant.  Was it a platonic kiss?  If that was even a thing?  A heat of the moment type of deal?

"You guys are going to the beach tomorrow, yeah?"   Akira snapped back to reality, turning to face Boss.   "Go have fun, and make up for the fireworks.  Just try not to cut loose too much."  He couldn't help but smile at the old man's kind words.  A sentiment from Sojiro he was not used to.  He hoped more would come in the future.

"Fireworks?" Futaba inquired.

"Oh yeah, you wouldn't know.  He tried to go to a fireworks festival, but it got rained out.  Not only did he get crushed in the crowd, but he came home looking like some kinda drowned rat."  Futaba giggled in amusement at the thought of a damp Akira wandering into the shop.

"It didn't look that bad," he insisted.  Sojiro gave a jovial chuckle, patting Akira on the back.  The walls between them had begun to waver somewhat.  He was talking with Boss more regularly now.  Another chain of events he hadn’t anticipated to unfold.

"Fireworks, huh?" Futaba mused to herself after her giggles subsided.  The bell jingled as a customer entered the door.  Which sent Futaba behind the counter.  They still had a lot more work to do with her, it seemed.  Akira looked towards the entrance and felt his chest twist into a knot.  The long auburn hair.  The plaid blue sweater vest and khakis combo.

"Hello," he greeted.  A silver briefcase lingered at his side in his grip.  He gave Akira a simple smile, acting completely coy about their last meeting.

"Oh, welcome," Sojiro said.  Akira rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Hey…" he said flatly.

"Oh!  You're…"  His posture seemed to stiffen, but he still acknowledged Akira with a friendly demeanor.

"Huh?  You know each other?"  Akira nodded at Sojiro, though his expression betrayed a feeling of dissatisfaction.  The shop owner blinked and narrowed his eyes.  "Wait, aren't you…?"

"I'm Akechi."

"Oh yeah, the one on TV and stuff.  So what brings you here, Mr. Detective?"  Akechi eyed the jars lining the walls behind the counter.  Sojiro had amassed an impressive amount of ingredients for brewing the finest coffees.  Leblanc may not be as widespread as the other standard coffee joints, but it boasted quality.

"This place is more than I imagined it to be," he said, smiling.  "The atmosphere is wonderful.  No wonder Sae-san recommended it so strongly to me."  Both Akira and Sojiro narrowed their eyes at the boy.  Neither were exactly on pleasant terms with the detective woman after she had been pestering Sojiro for answers.  Akira tapped the counter with a finger anxiously as he studied the young detective.  Sojiro was the first to break the silence.

"I already told her everything I know.  There's nothing more I got for you people."  Akechi shook his head, still retaining his winning smile.  Winning to everyone save Akira, that is.

"Oh no, that's not my intention," he reassured them.  "I just came to enjoy some coffee."  Sojiro seemed to relax while Akira retained his suspicion and disdain.  Futaba pulled on his sleeve from behind.

" _What do you think of him?_ " she whispered.

" _Just serve the coffee and make idle chatter._ "

"And she is?"  Futaba peaked from behind Akira to see Akechi looking at her warmly.  She didn't seem done in by his smile either.  He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.  "Oh, you must be Wakaba Isshiki's-"

"What'll it be?" Sojiro interjected.  Akira relaxed his clenched fist, thankful that Sojiro had quieted him down before he grew too nosy.  Again.  Despite being a detective, Akechi was really bad at picking up touchy subjects.

"I'll have whatever you recommend," was the detective's response.

"Coming right up."  Akechi sat and awaited his beverage patiently while Akira stood next to him.

"…Fancy seeing you in my neck of the woods," Akira commented.  He managed to somehow make himself relax, resolving to be cordial to the detective.  Akechi seemed to greatly appreciate his warmth and smiled.

"I hope I'm not intruding or anything," he said.  Akira merely pursed his lips to stifle his response.  Sojiro brought him his drink and was thanked for his service.

"I'm gonna take some inventory, alright?" he said to Akira.  "You look after him."  The boy nodded and turned back to Akechi.  He looked down at his drink with a rather sullen expression.

"It seems I'm unwelcome no matter where I go.”  Akira felt his insides squirm from his statement.  The memories of his verbal lashing at him hadn’t gone unforgotten.  In the moment, it had been satisfying beyond belief.  His pride did battle with his good nature.  Neither he or Sojiro wanted any law enforcement sniffing around Leblanc after all they’ve been through.  Wakaba, plus Akira’s own criminal record.  Not to mention the added bonus of being Tokyo’s most wanted.

 _Ah geez,_ he thought to himself.  He cleared out the lump in his throat wallowed it down into the pits of his stomach.

"Hey, listen," he softly managed to utter.  "About last time we meet."  He paused, another sigh escaping.  "I just wanted to say I'm sorry about-"

"It's fine," Akechi said while nursing his drink.  "I mean, I admit I had rather overstepped my bounds in bringing up your record.  I had never intended to offend.  My curiosity had just gotten the better of me.”

"Still… we had just been dealing with finals at Shujin, and it's been tense with the Kamoshida and Kaneshiro incidents.  Madarame too, in Yusuke's case.  But that was too far." He saw Morgana peeking out from under the table, shining an approving smile at him.  "So how about we hit the reset button?  Restart on friendly terms?  I probably don't entirely deserve it, but it's available."  Akira extended his hand, which Akechi shook vigorously.  A thankful and pleading look in his eye.

"I would love that!" he said.  “Yes, thank you, thank you very much!  A new opportunity to start anew!”  He chuckled softly and composed himself once more, sipping on his beverage.  Akira couldn't help but crack a small smirk.  He was kind of a pushover.  Not that he’d complain.  The fewer people that held grudges against him, the better he’d feel about himself.  Although he’d probably still beat himself up over it.  "A wonderful drink."

"That's Leblanc for you," Akira boasted.  "The best in Tokyo."  Akechi nodded in agreement.

"I'll take your word for it."  He sighed and stared into the dark liquid within the cup.  After languishing in silence, a rather amused chuckle slipped out through Akechi’s thin lips.  "You know, I've never heard anyone unleash such a barrage of foul language before."  Akira shrugged, rubbing his neck sheepishly.

"You'd be surprised how many friendships started with that."  This was a rather familiar routine, as he had walked the same line with Yusuke and Makoto.  Annoyed and angered by their obstruction and causing trouble for the Phantom Thieves, getting verbally castrated, Akira apologized with great sincerity to them after they helped defeat the shadows, and their friendship solidified.

"I suppose you weren't too wrong on the things you said," Akechi said, his smile fading.  "About me craving the attention."  A pitiful chuckle floated through the air.  "And me being a bastard, as you described.  Apparently, my mother was in a relationship with some low-life of a man…"

 _Oh no,_ Akira thought to himself.  His chest seemed to sink into the recesses of his body as apprehension and anxiety set in.  _Not the tragic backstory…_

"She was swiftly discarded when he learned she was pregnant.  That despair would leave to her death.  Thanks to him, I was passed from foster home to foster home."  He glanced up, seeing the look on his face.  It burned Akira to see someone treated so disdainfully by family.  And slight anger at himself for being so callous and ignorant in his barrage of insults.  "But I do quite well for myself these days."  Futaba found herself staring glumly at the detective from behind Akira.  Empathy hung heavy in her heart and eyes.

"Some people are so rotten," Akira growled lowly.  He shook his head ever so slightly, face curled up as he reflected disdainfully over how Akechi was treated.  Though he took great issue with his smug tendencies and attitude towards the Phantom Thieves, nobody deserved that.  At times, he did find the detective grating.  His simplistic fed-serving attitude and rather flippant tone.  But getting under his skin wasn’t a crime.  Akechi gave him a warm smile.

"Forgive me," he said.  "I didn't mean to drag the mood down.  Let us change the subject.  How about… Medjed?  Ah, yes, Medjed.  To think they'd be taken down by another hacker.  I'm not sure whether Medjed was defeated by the Phantom Thieves themselves or an avid supporter…"  His eyes caught Futaba staring at him from behind Akira.  "Um, you're… Futaba-chan, right?  Sae-san told me about you."  Akira turned his gaze back to Akechi warily.  Futaba's past was thin ice to be tread carefully, and he hoped the detective would be sensitive if he claimed to know about her mother.  "Many kids your age seem to be fans of the Phantom Thieves.  Do you like them too?"  She said nothing, merely adjusting her glasses and stepping in line behind Akira.  Just blinking at her.  "What's the matter?"

"You're popular too, Ace Detective Akechi."  The young boy smiled and gave a soft friendly chuckle.

"Thank you.”  From the tone in Futaba’s voice, it clearly wasn’t intended as a compliment.  Akira wasn’t quite sure just how good a detective Akechi truly was if he was this ignorant.  “Although I'd rather not be compared to people like the Phantom Thieves, if at all possible."  Akira's eyebrow twitched, disguising the soft frown that tried to form.

 _Still better than us, apparently, huh?_ he thought to himself.  Akechi took no notice of Akira and merely sipped his beverage.  He licked his soft lips as he adored the flavor that had kissed them so graciously.

"Mm, this is delicious.  You get to drink this coffee every day?  I'm incredibly jealous.  I would never have thought you'd be boarding at this café.”  Another gentle chuckle escaped him as he stared down with a sort of fascination into the drink.  ”We seem to share some kind of bond."

"I guess," Akira said.  "I mean if that's what you wanna call it."  Akechi chuckled with amusement at his response.

"I believe that fate brings people together," the boy detective mused.  "It's strange, but talking to you is thought-provoking."  He smiled before finishing his drink.  "Well, I think I found my go-to café."  Akira felt his eye twitch at his words.  If Akechi made it a habit to visit here, it would make Phantom Thief meetings incredibly difficult.  The more at arm’s length he kept Akechi, the better.  "I remembered that you never did give me a true answer on what you think of the Phantom Thieves."  He had been pressed about them a couple times in the past, once at the television show and another at the subway.  Both times, he voiced his disinterest.  He sighed and resolved to give him a genuine answer.  If only to get him off his back.

"Well, whoever they are, they've stopped a lot of bad people," he said.  "They sealed away Kamoshida after beating and raping those students.  Stopped Madarame's little child worker plagiarism deal.  Kaneshiro and now cyberhackers threatening to crash the economy and dox people."  He smirked with smug satisfaction, leaning against the bar.  "Sounds like they're alright to me."

Akechi smiled and gave him a nod, grateful for an actual response.  He was living for the chance to pick Akira’s brain yet again.  And to play his devil’s advocate.

"I'm impressed.  I also respectfully disagree."

" _Of course, you do_ ," he muttered under his breath.  His tone was flat but not entirely disdainful.  He at least resolved to somewhat hear him out.

"Those men were quite despicable, but the Phantom Thieves acted outside the law.  There is no justice in these confessions.  They're just as bad."  Akira turned swiftly around and began polishing some dishes so that he might hide his dissatisfaction.  Akechi knew all the ways to get under his buttons. 

"So they're just as bad as a rapist?"  His tone was calm, composed.  "Because they operated outside the law of what's acceptable conduct, they deserved to be punished like Kamoshida?"  Akechi sighed.

"Akira, I understand this matter might be a touch personal for you, on account of Kamoshida's… misconduct."  Akira shook his head, still tending to his dishes.  "But please try to separate the personal from the facts."

"I can do that." Akira placed his plate down and approached the counter.  "The facts are simple.  Kamoshida beat up students.  He raped a girl.  The Phantom Thieves made him confess.  People came forth about his "misconduct," as you called it.  The Phantom Thieves saved lives and stopped all of this.  And you're saying that makes them just as bad as Kamoshida." Akira calmly shook his head, a disapproving frown on his face.  "No chance."

"Akira-"

"And it's easy to say that you should take the personal out of it, but that's better said than done." Futaba and Akechi watched him, still sporting a level head but his words were heavy.  "Our friend Shiho was raped.  Raped because Kamoshida had tried to make Ann have sex with him so Shiho wouldn't get kicked off the volleyball team.  Then she tried to commit suicide by throwing herself off the roof of the school.  Survived and spent months in physical therapy trapped in a hospital.  Now she's moved away because Shujin is tainted."

"I understand that, but it's not so cut and dry."

"You're the one who said it was so cut and dry.  The Phantom Thieves are criminals because they stopped a rapist using methods outside the law's jurisdiction.  So which is it?  Is it cut and dry, or is it not?" Akechi fumbled as he tried to construct a reasonable retort.  Akira was more intelligent than he had anticipated.

"Well… You see… The law-"

"Oh, come on," Akira said, waving his hand dismissively.  "The law was made to protect the people.  The authority in charge was supposed to uphold the law.  Our school knew what Kamoshida was doing and just let it happen.  The teachers and the athletes' parents looked the other way because Kamoshida gave them star power.  We were sold out." He threw his hands up and looked at the boy detective searchingly.  "What else could've been done?"

"It's true the issue with Kamoshida was complex, to say the least," Akechi said.  "But we have rules for a reason.  Without those rules, the alternative is vigilantism.  People making their own rules and deciding the fate of others of their own accord.  The law may not be perfect, but it's the best we have.

"Not if it can be bought." Akira leaned on the counter and drifted back to that fateful night.  Where that man had bought out the police and threw his life into turmoil.  The law had been shelved into a wallet.  Its integrity gone.  He sighed and rubbed his eyes.  "Akechi, all I hear from you is "the law" this and "the law" that.  What is it that  _you_  feel personally?  I want a human moment from you." Akechi furrowed his brow in thought, blinking at the boy.

"But… the law is all I know." He leaned forward, staring into the empty cup.  "What else… is there?"

"What happens if the law doesn't work?  If it's exploited by those in power?" Akechi shook his head.

"No, that… that can't happen.  The law – well, I mean there's corruption, but the law always… stops it?"

"Didn't stop Kamoshida.  Or Madarame.  Kaneshiro.  Medjed."

"But we  _need_  the law."

"I'm not arguing about that.  The law and enforcement are important.  But the Phantom Thieves tackled criminals that couldn't be touched via ordinary means." He pointed to the empty cup before him.  "Mind if I wash that?"

"Go ahead." Akira scooped it and began to wash it within the sink.  Akechi watched him work, Futaba staying silent and avoiding eye contact with either of them.  He pursed his lips and ran a finger over them.  "You seem to have given this a lot of thought." A playful smirk rose on his lips.  "Not bad for someone who claimed to have no interest in this subject." Akira chuckled lowly, drying the cup off.

"Well, you know my record so you know why," he said.  Akira approached the counter and leaned forward.  "You talk about what the law wants, but what do you want?  Still haven't answered that yet." Akechi pondered his chin in thought.  His reddish-brown eyes bared down on the counter, almost piercing them.  They burned with great intensity before fizzling out, followed by a heavy sigh escaping his chest.

"Acceptance," he admitted.  Akira gave a limp nod as he mulled his words over.  "I never had a proper family, as I previously told you.  I just want somewhere that I can belong.  And law enforcement seems to be a place where I can feel part of."

"I know the feeling," Akira said.  He folded his apron up and placed it on the counter before joining Akechi on a barstool to his side.  "But blind obedience to the law – hell, to anything – is self-destructive."

"Even to the Phantom Thieves?"

"Absolutely." Akechi felt a small approving smile rise onto his face.  He beamed at Akira.

"You really are fascinating, you know that?" The shaggy-haired boy merely shrugged.

"I try." Akechi sighed and leaned on the counter, his smile now sad and distant.

"My fans would think differently from you.  Most of them have fully embraced the Phantom Thieves and left me behind.  I've even received a couple death threats as a result.

"That's a bit much." Akira frowned at the fanaticism surrounding the both of them.  He had seen some people on the Phan-site making threats and comments about how Akechi should die and asked Mishima to keep things civil.  Though he had harshly disliked Akechi then, even he believed that was not the appropriate reaction.  Akechi merely shrugged.

"The price of fame, I suppose." He fiddled with his hair absently, then letting out a scoff and a shrug.  "Not like it matters.  My fame has dwindled with the Phantom Thieves.  Makes me wonder why I should even stick around." Akira narrowed his eyes at Akechi searchingly, an eyebrow raised.

"Why you should stick around?" he repeated.

"If they don't want me here, why should I stay?" Akira looked perplexed by his words.  He blinked as he processed the statement.

"Because… you believe in justice?  You're a detective, sworn to uphold the law that you idolize?" He rubbed his forehead while straining his brain to figure him out.  "If you believe in the law so much, it doesn't make sense why you'd just throw in the towel because you're not popular in the media anymore." Akechi turned to him, gazing at him with searching eyes.

"If I'm not wanted, shouldn't I just disappear?  Another detective more desired step in and fulfill my role?" Akira frowned, looking over him with remorse and slight disapproval.

"Is that all that matters?" he asked. "Being popular in the eye of the public?"

"I crave that recognition," Akechi admitted. "To be… wanted. Accepted and adored. So that I might fit in." Akira shook his head slowly at him.

"Akechi," Akira said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "The whole point of getting into law enforcement is to enforce the law. Because it's the right thing to do. That's what you said, isn't it? The law is to protect the common man? Justice being its own reward and all that?" The detective chuckled in amusement at his words.

"Justice is its own reward," he said, smiling sadly. A soft sigh, barely a whisper. "Suppose that should be true." The smile faded, his eyes heavy. "Truth be told, I only ever wanted to be a detective for recognition. So people will cheer my name and want me around." Akechi rested his head on his hand, feeling empty and exhausted. It was a rather peculiar feeling, to lay out so much personal information to what amounted to a near complete stranger. But he listened. He engaged. More than anyone else did at the station. Or at his foster homes. Or his father…

* * *

 

Sojiro had left long ago, leaving Akira in charge of locking up.  Akira and Akechi had changed the subject to less gloomy topics, discussing fashion, food, and other interests.  The latter held a natural charisma that Akira found himself drawn into at times, but the former was able to pick up on something subtler.  In the back.  Obscured from plain view, requiring a trained eye.  But he couldn't accurately describe it.

"Farewell, Akira-san," Akechi said as he held the door open for him.  The two shook hands and shared a hearty smile.  "I apologize for the rather gloomy state of affairs from before, but I appreciated your company more than anything." He glanced aside out to the dark of the night.  "To drop so much on a stranger is most peculiar…"

"I've learned from experience that sometimes it's better to confide into a stranger," Akira said.  "It's less personal that way, oddly enough." Akechi chuckled, beaming at the boy.

"You really are one of a kind, Akira-san." The shaggy-haired boy shrugged, smirking comically.  "I hope to see you again."

"Seeya around, bud." He waved to Akechi as he departed into the night.  A content smile was on his face as he reentered the café.  "How about that.  He's not too bad."

"Eh." Futaba sat in the corner of the room, typing away on her laptop.  Akira had completely forgotten she was still here.

"You listened to us the whole time?"

"No," she stated.  "I tuned you guys out after he started going on about fate.  Though I did catch a few bits about the tragic backstory." Her laptop was thick and lined with green lights along the sides and keyboard.

"What do you do on that the whole time?" Akira asked, to which Futaba responded with a limp shrug.

"Browse the internet, blog, shitpost, play video games."

"What's your blog?" Her face reddened, the girl biting down on her lower lip.  She scrolled over and exited the browser for insurance.

"It's… private…" Akira narrowed his eyes at her and delivered a catlike smirk.

"Is it porn?"

"NO!" Futaba closed her laptop indignantly, fighting off a furious blush that deepened from Akira's mocking cackle.  She rose and made her way for the door.  The girl stopped and turned to him before exiting.  "The beach trip is tomorrow…" Akira folded his arms and leaned against the counter.

"Forget already?" he asked with a smirk.  Futaba fidgeted shyly, eyes fixed on her boots.  "Hey, if you're too anxious, you can call it off.  You won't hurt our feelings."

"No," Futaba stated.  She looked up and stared at him with great intensity.  "I need to do this.  Just…" Her cheeks pinkened a bit, and she pushed her pointer fingers together.  "You'll be there, right?"

"Of course." A sigh of relief escaped the orange haired girl.

"Then I'll be fine." She wrapped her arms around herself and shuddered nervously.  "Still, I'm a bit apprehensive to be in a swimsuit."

"I'm sure you'll be fine," Akira reassured her.

"J-just don't get any funny ideas, alright?" The boy chuckled and nodded with an entertained grin.

"You have my word.  Besides, Sojiro would kill me if I had any intention of funny stuff." Futaba opened the door and stepped through

"One more thing," he said before narrowing her eyes.  "Keep an eye on Akechi.  I sense something… off." Akira searched her inquisitively, but she closed the door and departed for her home without clarifying further.  He locked the door behind her and grabbed a cloth from his apron pocket, preparing to shine the counter.  A soft yawn came out from underneath, with Morgana climbing on top.  His feline companion had dozed off at some point during their conversation.

"Hey, where'd Futaba go?" the cat asked.  "And Akechi?"

"Off the counter," Akira ordered, pointing to one of the barstools.  Morgana grumbled and climbed down as asked.  He wiped the cat hair off.  "You know the rules.  Cats aren't even supposed to be in here."

"I'm not a cat-"

"Physically, you are a cat.  We're not having this argument again." Morgana sighed and relented, nestling himself onto the bar stool.

"You know, I'm proud of you for apologizing to Akechi." Akira sighed and sat on the barstool next to him, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah, he seems like he's been through a lot.  And I certainly didn't help matters by ripping into him." He sat and shook his head at himself.  A frown of self-contempt.  "I feel like just a heel." Morgana gently pawed his arm.

"Don't beat yourself up about it.  The past is the past.  You apologized, and the two of you seem to be on nice terms." Morgana's ears folded as he recalled what Akechi had said.  “But I don't know.  I felt like we didn't get the whole story when he was talking." Akira looked down at him searchingly.

"What?  You think he was lying?"

"Not lying.  But withholding information.  I just…" The cat sighed and scratched at his ear with his hind leg.  "It's hard to describe.  I just sensed something off.  Like Futaba said." Akira leaned on his hand and focused.  Like them, he had sensed something deeper to Akechi.  Not just in his voice, but in his eyes as well.  Hidden deep behind the eyes.  Some miasma.  He hadn't expected Akechi to reveal literally everything about himself so some things left unsaid were expected from the boy.  But that shadowy miasma he saw behind the eyes.  It was rather foreboding.  Akira merely shrugged and shook his head.

"I don't know what to make of it either, buddy," Akira said.  "Maybe all this stressing over Medjed has just made us paranoid."

"Perhaps."  Akira's thoughts turned elsewhere, to the ever-growing fame of the Phantom Thieves.  Ryuji had texted them before about how everyone was discussing them.  They made news headlines.  Everyone seemed to be excited about it.  All save Akira.  Fame and egotism were things he was wary about.  They were divisive and destroyed many a friendship from what Akira had seen on TV.  Humility was a virtue he had learned to greatly appreciate.  Remaining humble.  But things were changing at a rate that didn't sit well with him.  Akechi's obsession with fame, his haters sending death threats, the Phantom Thieves becoming a huge sensation.  A gnarled uncomfortable feeling nestled in his chest.  It felt heavy, stifling his breathing.  A low growl resonated in his throat.  Not one of anger or irritation but apprehension.

" _Something's wrong…_ "


	32. The Beach Episode

_8/29/17 – Monday_

The sun was shining, the sand was hot, and the ocean was as blue as can be.  It couldn’t have been a more perfect day to head to the beach.  And a Monday at that. 

Sojiro had supplied Akira with a modest set of rules: watch after Futaba, don’t let any guys hit on her, have fun, and be careful.  Easy enough for a leader of the Phantom Thieves to follow.  The boys sat under a picnic table graciously shading them from the sun by a parasol.  Ryuji nursed a blue popsicle in his mouth while Akira held a cold can of soda to his neck.  Yusuke sat in his thin white hoodie, watching the people upon the beach.

“Man, it’s packed,” Ryuji commented.  The sand was lined with men in trunks and women in bikinis all over.  Young couples, parents with kids, teenagers their age.  Seemed as though everyone had the same idea they had.

“Why a hoodie, Yusuke?” Akira asked, peering at his blue-haired friend searchingly.

“It’s fashionable,” he stated simply.  “And I just like how it feels.”  He did appear rather snug and comfy in it.

“But you’re at the beach, dude,” Ryuji said.  Akira wiped the can upon his forehead, the condensation kissing his pale skin.  Yusuke held his fingers in a frame shape as he surveyed the beach.  The artist was once again searching for that special spark to further his painting.  “So… what do you think the girls will look like?”  The question that had been dwelling on his mind for the longest time. 

“The same but beach flavored.”

“What does that even mean?!”  Akira bore amusement from Ryuji’s attempt at deciphering what he meant.  No doubt Yusuke and Morgana were just as curious about the matter.  Akira personally preferred to downplay his curiosity.  He had other things still on his mind.  Like that kiss.

Endlessly had he racked his brain trying to figure out what it meant.  And they hadn’t much in the way of opportunity recently to spend time together.  It had been too long though he had pictured something less extravagant.  And with more clothes.  The thought of getting to see her in a swimsuit took his breath away.  The real Ann.  Not the Kamoshida construct.  It also made what he was going to say all the more difficult.

There was no question about it that he had it bad for Ann.  Real bad.  And after Sojiro’s words, this couldn’t continue.  He needed to tell her.  Find out where they stood.

“Sorry for the wait.” 

Sure enough, her voice caught his ear and stole his attention back to the world.  The lot of them stood in stunned silence at the girls.  Ann and Makoto smiled softly as the sun bathed their skin with his warm embrace.  Makoto stood to the left, a white bikini and skirt combination.  A simple yet elegant choice, befitting her own personal beauty.  Though the blonde was who truly captivated him.  Ann’s slender body was complimented by the floral bikini she wore.  A kaleidoscope of reds, blues, greens, yellows, oranges, and teals.  A cute little yellow scrunchie was wrapped around her left wrist.  Her gorgeous blonde hair remained done up in twintails, and the yellow hairclip still framed her bangs. 

“Whoaaaa….” 

The boys stood in hushed silence as they beheld the women.  Akira and Yusuke tried their best not to stare too prominently.  Though Ryuji couldn’t fight the energetic grin forming on his face, the popsicle stick pointing up out of the corner of his mouth.  Akira’s breath hung in his throat as he looked over Ann like an extravagant piece of art, a notion Yusuke no doubt shared.  The blonde fanned herself in the summer heat as she stared back at them, rather bewildered at their silence.   Though the realization soon caught up to her, causing the blonde to laugh at Ryuji’s cheeky grin before wrapping her arm around his neck.

“Got a better opinion of me now?” she teased, nudging his ribs.  “What?  Cat got your tongue?  C’mon!”  Ryuji was rather flustered and unable to retort with any of his usual quips or playful jabs at her.  Though he had regarded her as a rather cute girl, seeing her in this light had elevated her to “hot” status.  Ann was living for this moment, grilling him with gusto.  She wasn’t quite sure what it was, but a giddiness had flared up in her stomach. 

Yusuke kept himself composed and hoped the shade of his hood would obscure his wandering eyes.  Akira shifted his eyes over to Makoto, who was watching Ann tease Ryuji.  His brow then furrowed as a realization came over him.

“Are we missing one?” he asked.  Right on cue, Futaba came around the corner.  She sported a cute frilly bathing suit, yellow with red polka dots.  It fit her almost perfectly.  Minus the enormous towel wrapped around her head.  Ryuji let out a shocked grunt, causing the popsicle stick to fall out of his mouth.  Akira and Yusuke shared expressions of exasperation while Ann merely smiled and shook her head. 

“This is perfect!” Futaba uttered, her voice muffled from the towel.  She held her arms out and stumbled about blindly.  Makoto took hold of her before she could wander aimlessly further.

“There’s nothing perfect about that,” Makoto said as she began to unweave the towel.  “Stay still for a second.  You’ll be just fine.”  Eventually, she got it free and allowed her long orange hair to flow down her back.  Yusuke framed her with his fingers to better study her.  Futaba eyed them all nervously but ultimately relaxed when she saw Akira’s approving glance.

“You look great,” he assured her.  A response that earned a twinge of pinkness to Futaba’s cheeks.  Now fully assembled, the Phantom Thieves retreated to the shade of their parasol masking the spot in the sand.  Towels, duffels, and coolers sat between the two chairs.  Ryuji groaned and slumped.

“Ughhh, it’s so hoooooot…”

“I mean, it _is_ the beach after all,” Akira jested, earning an annoyed look from the blond in question.

“You know, that posture is not good for your back,” Yusuke noted.  Makoto scanned the beach and saw the sea of chairs, towels, and parasols blanketing it.

“There’s a lot of people here.  Are you okay, Futaba?”  Futaba held her arms behind her back and administered her best can-do attitude look.

“I’m fine,” she said tentatively.  “You guys are here…”  Though she referred to the lot of them, her gaze was fixated on Akira specifically.  He himself had zoned out completely, however.

His eyes hadn’t left Ann once after they had assembled at their spot.  He couldn’t imagine she’d be even more captivating than she already was.  She always did find a way to surprise him.  Such absolute magnificence.  It rivaled the latex catsuit in terms of magnificence.  Akira took great care to keep himself as composed as possible.  The ideal day at the beach with friends and the girl of his dreams didn’t include pitching a tent in front of everyone.  Thankfully, being at the beach meant he could check her out without it being weird.

“Why don’t we eat lunch too?”  The mention of food snapped him back to reality.

“I’ll go get us some stuff then,” Ryuji said.  The blond collected money from each of them and memorized their orders before heading off.  Surprisingly, he managed to get it all correct without needing Akira or Ann to double check with him.  A fact they made sure to tease him over.  Futaba hadn’t asked for anything, instead reaching into her green cooler and removing its contents.  A cup of instant beef ramen noodles.

“You’re eating that even here?” Yusuke inquired, nose tingling from the scent of the delicious dish.  Futaba nodded with a content smile.

“My staple food.”

Akira stretched and yawned, staring out at the crystal blue ocean.  The reflection of the sun shimmering on the surface.  Friends at his side.  A beautiful girl.  His smile hadn’t been this content in a long time as the scent of sea salt filled his nose.

“What a gorgeous day.  The ocean as clear as can be, and it’ll be hot enough that we won’t freeze.”  A stroke of luck graced him as Ann sauntered over to his side, leaning on him for support.

“I can’t wait to feel the water on my skin,” she said.  “And to catch some sun.  I could use a tan.”  Her eyes wandered down to his bare torso.  It was clear he kept his body in good shape, even before the two of them started combat training in the gym.  Hairless, a regular swimmer’s body.  Her cheeks began to darken at the thought of his toned bod shimmering in the water.  Dripping down the contours of his spry young body.  Then it began to sink in just how pale he was.  And a mischievous catlike smile found its way onto her face.  “You could too, for that matter.”  She jabbed his ribs with her finger, eliciting a surprised giggle from the boy.  Just as she planned.

“C-c’mon,” he uttered between laughs.  “You know I’m ticklish.”  She wiggled her fingers tauntingly at him.  Makoto held a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles.

“Pffft!” Futaba said, nearly choking on her ramen.

“I was unaware of how sensitive your ribs were, Akira.  I’ll make note of them to ensure you behave and not pull any stunts.”  A cold sweat descended down Akira’s back.  Despite the calm smile on the student council president’s face, there was a faint sadistic aura lingering at the back of her words.  Tickled to death was not the way he figured he’d go out.

“Ooh.  Am I missing some lore?” Futaba asked, squatting on her chair.  She leaned forward with great interest.  “I wanna know!” 

“It’s nothing really- “

“Akira was testing dangerous experimental drugs and medicines in order to determine which could aid the Phantom Thieves.  A commendable effort but highly dangerous and irresponsible.”  Though Makoto retained her calm demeanor, a soft smug smile sat on her face.  Akira felt soft fear in his chest as he eyed Makoto through his peripheral.  Futaba, however, gazed at him with shining eyes.

“You tested drugs on yourself?” she asked.  Akira nodded weakly.  “That’s so cool!”

“It is _not_!”  Akira winced in pain as Makoto’s vice grip latched its way onto his earlobe.  The others recoiled at the sight of him.  “It was incredibly risky, and he could’ve gotten himself killed!”

“Why am I being punished for this?  She said it-augh!”  The student council president pulled harder on his earlobe.  “I promised I wouldn’t do it again, didn’t I?”  Makoto hesitated and released him.

“Good,” she said, her icy glare fading to a calm smile.  “Otherwise, that means another urine test.”

“You got urine tested too?!” Futaba’s eyes lit up with sparks, her imagination running wild.  “Gunfights, flashy outfits, evil monsters, and drugs.  It’s just like in those American comic books!”  Makoto cleared her throat forcefully, side-eyeing the spectacled girl.  She quickly changed her tone, lest she found herself in Akira’s situation.  “But to be fair, it also was reckless.  Good thing you’re lucky, huh?”  Akira felt the hairs on his neck stand up as Makoto’s eyes narrowed at him.

“Y-yeah,” he said.  “Lucky.”

“What’s all the commotion out here?”  Akira’s satchel began to shake and shift.  Morgana stuck his head out with a soft yawn.  “We’re here already?”

“You brought Mona?” Futaba asked, looking down at the cat.

“I couldn’t just leave him behind,” Akira said.  “He’s my buddy.”  Morgana beamed at his human friend before eliciting a shocked gasp, breath catching in his throat as he took sight of Ann.  Her slender body and floral bikini enraptured the feline.

“Oh!” he uttered, blue eyes shimmering.  “Lady Ann!”  Akira sighed and rubbed his eyes.

“ _Here we go…_ ” he muttered under his breath.  Morgana swooned and leaned on his front paws.  She captivated him like a dream, an ethereal goddess come to life.

“Such a meow-velous and beautiful girl…”  A look of disgust washed over Akira’s face as Morgana’s words registered within his mind.  He narrowed his eyes and glared daggers at him.

“God.  Dammit,” he hissed, earning a cheeky smile from the cat.  “How many times are you gonna make that same exact joke?”

“Puns make Akira groan,” the cat teased, flicking his tail excitedly as he eyed Futaba.  The girl suppressed a snicker at Akira’s expense.  The pun was nauseating to her, but Akira’s suffering compensated for it.  Morgana narrowed his eyes, his smile evolving into a grin.  “You could appreciate them if you were a bit more… _groan up_.”  Futaba fell back into her chair, holding a hand to her chest.  The sheer gravity of the pun hit her full force, triggering a near out of body experience from the suffering she felt.  The others groaned and sighed exasperatedly.  Akira said nothing, squinting at the cat and holding his finger and thumb mere millimeters away from one another.  A warning.  Ann rubbed her face and took a seat on her towel.  Hearing such a phrase brought her to the brink of collapse.

“Don’t quit your day job, Morgana.”

“Back,” Ryuji said, carrying a platter of food.  He distributed the wealth accordingly, and the young teenagers began to eat their fill.  “So, what’d I miss?”

“Morgana told some puns,” Ann said between bites.  Ryuji winced and shook his head, shuddering.

“I’m so sorry.”

“So are we,” Akira said, nursing his plate.  Morgana swatted at him, earning an amused laugh from the boy.  Yusuke quietly slurped his noodles.  The flavor of the beef at the back of his throat was like a personal slice of heaven.

“This should be a familiar flavor, yet how does it taste so good?” he mused to himself.  Everyone dined on their meals with gusto, save Makoto.  The student council president took tiny bites of hers.  Such behavior had not gone unnoticed by Ryuji.

“What’s up, Makoto?  You ain’t eatin’ much.”  She glanced aside to the direction of the ocean to avoid direct eye contact.  The girl seemed rather flustered and shy.  A great contrast from her normal self.

“Oh, um…”

“Not feelin’ well or something?”

“You just don’t get it, do you, Ryuji?”  Morgana stood on the cooler next to Makoto, taking great care to avoid the hot sun and sand at the risk of burning his paws.  He gazed at the blond smugly as though he possessed some hidden knowledge.  “When a girl’s in a swimsuit, she wants to look as slim as possible.  Still, you’re worrying too much.  Did you make sure to eat breakfast?”  The three girls side-eyed the cat with rather judgmental looks. 

“Mona lacks tact,” Futaba said.

“Yep,” Akira said, leaning back in his chair.

“So, whadda we do now?” Ryuji asked.  “Should we play some beach volleyball?”  A little shoreline sportsmanship sounded right up Akira’s alley right now.  Especially if it meant he could get Ann on his team.

“Oh, sorry,” Ann said, looking over her shoulder.  “Us girls already made plans to ride a banana boat.”

“We could only rent a three-person one,” Makoto relented.  “Sorry.”  Ryuji frowned rather dejectedly.

“Then what about us?”

“Keep an eye on our stuff.”  Ryuji delivered a scoff at Ann’s comment as the three girls prepared to head out.

“Hell no!  Why you gotta treat us like that?  We’re celebrities makin’ headlines!  You should treat us better!”  Akira felt apprehension rise in his chest at his friend’s words.  Fame and celebrityhood.  It wriggled around in his gut uncomfortably. 

Ann and Makoto exchanged looks before giggling at his words, catching the blonde off-guard.  Something about the both of them colluding made him feel nervous.

“I do think they’re not bad in the Metaverse,” Makoto said.  “But in reality…”  Her eyes shifted from Ryuji to Akira to Yusuke.  She let out an amused huff and smiled.  “Strange, isn’t it?” 

Ann locked eyes with Akira, an entertained cat-like smirk on her face.  To which the boy returned in kind.  He could see it in her eyes.  The mischievous giddiness.  It was there, more so than usual.  Perhaps it was being at the beach or because they had time to see each other again, but there was more pep in her step today.  A pep he had been missing of late.

“They can steal treasures, but they don’t seem like they can steal a girl’s heart at all.”  Morgana’s jaw hung open, positively dumbstruck.  As though he had been slapped.

“B-but… Lady Ann…” he whined.  Akira chuckled softly to himself as he observed the insult on Ryuji’s and Morgana’s faces.  Yusuke felt himself deflate a bit, but the shade of his white hoodie obscured his faltered ego.  Ann continued eyeing Akira, a playful look in her pools of blue.  Teasing and challenging.  He merely raised an eyebrow.  His calm demeanor and confident smirk remained unchanged.  He could definitely feel it now.  The vibes he was picking up from her were unlike anything he had felt from her before.  A lot cockier and more playful this time around.  Almost like a challenge, her words were.  Her taunting felt rather exciting. 

“Can we get to the banana boat already?”  Futaba’s impatience had disrupted their little silent staring contest.  Just enticing come-hither glances had bounced between the two while going completely unnoticed by the others.  Makoto rose from her seat and stood to Ann’s right.

“Oh, sorry.  We’ll go now.”  Makoto and Futaba ventured for the boat stand while Ann brought up the rear.

“We’ll switch when we’re done,” she said.  “Keep an eye on our stuff for us!”  The three girls shifted through the hot sands and pushed their boat out into the water.  Akira leaned back and enjoyed the view of Ann sauntering down the shore.  He hated to see her go but loved watching her leave.  Even better was the impromptu comedy act of the trio of ladies struggling to stay afloat.  Though the other boys were less amused.

“Dammit,” Ryuji huffed defeatedly.  “They don’t get how amazin’ we are.  We risk our lives bein’ Phantom Thieves.  There’s no way we’re the same as any other guys around here.”  Akira mumbled an absent agreement at his words, not actually paying attention.  Rather, taking in the sun and the view of the horizon.  Or as best as he could without his glasses.  “I mean, shouldn’t we be havin’ more good times in reality too?”

“We get to relax on the beach, enjoy good food and company, and we get to look at ladies in swimsuits.”  Akira gingerly sippped from his bottle of water.  Content as can be.  “What more could you want?”  Ryuji flicked his wrist dismissively.

“That’s not good enough.  What do you think, Yusuke?”  The boy slumped forward, mulling over Ryuji’s words.

“Well… if you put it that way, you may be right.”  He prided himself on his artistry and Phantom Thief skills.  It would only make sense to test his capabilities in the art of courting women.

“Ann and the others don’t get it ‘cause they’re always around us.  They’re just used to seeing us as “the guys.”  Not as men.”  For the one second Akira tuned in, a snicker managed to escape.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” he said with a laugh.  Watching Ryuji flounder about to salvage his bruised ego was entertaining in a sadistic kind of way.  Morgana, however, was hanging on his every word, leaning forward on his furry little paws.

“Hey, how do we get Lady Ann to notice how amazing we are as Phantom Thieves?” the cat asked.

 “We gotta steal girls’ hearts.”

“I see...  I just need to prove my skills in reality as well.”  Ryuji pumped his fist as the excitement bubbled in his chest.

“Let’s steal all the hearts with the skills we’ve honed as Phantom Thieves!  I’m sure girls will be all over us, considerin’ the vibes we give off!”  Yusuke slowly began to nod and rose from his seat.

“Very well,” he commended.  “Let’s do this.  Pulling off our work in reality doesn’t sound too bad.”

“Count me out,” Akira dismissed, earning a shocked look from the both of them.  “I’m here to relax and catch some sun.”

“Dude!” Ryuji said indignantly.  “We gotta all do this together!  It doesn’t feel right with just Yusuke….. No offense.”

“None taken,” Yusuke said with a nod.  “It is true that three is a more aesthetically pleasing combination.  Very symmetrical.”  Ryuji put his arm around Yusuke’s neck and held his hand out, envisioning the lot of them.

“The three of us perusin’ the beach for babes.  It’s gotta be us three!  Like the Three Musketeers, you know?  Moe, Larry, and Curly, right?”  Akira shook his head slowly at him, a wry frown on his face.

“Those are two completely different things.” 

“That’s not the point!”  Ryuji eyed his friend before smirking at him, raising an eyebrow.  “What’s the matter?  Afraid they’ll all flock to us instead of you?”  Akira stared at the blond flatly before turning to Yusuke.  Then slowly back to Ryuji.  He began to flex tauntingly at him.  “Can’t say I blame you, to be honest.  I mean, I’m basically two men in one.  Akira choked back a snicker forming in his throat.

“How could you ever have guessed?”  He shrugged and took another sip of water.  “Besides, it just means less competition.  And somebody’s gotta watch Morgana and our stuff.”  He waved them off.  “I’ll stay on catsitting duty.  You guys try and show me you got what it takes to get a girl’s number.”

“Fine,” Ryuji said, turning confidently towards the beach.  He pointed out beyond the horizon.  “We’ll net so many babes, you’ll be beggin’ us to let you have one.  We’ll be swarming with tail!  Ain’t that right, Yusuke?”  His friend eyed the excitable blond apprehensively.

“Well- “An arm snaked its way around him, pulling him closer to Ryuji.

“Exactly!”  Yusuke looked back at Akira searchingly, unsure of the consequences of his alliance.  His only response was Akira raising his drink as tribute.

“Make me proud, boys,” he said.  “Operation: Babe Hunt begins now.”  Ryuji and Akira exchanged thumbs-up, and the former carted off his blue-haired friend down the beach.  Morgana sat on the cooler and watched the boys attempt to woo the local women.

“They’ve got no chance,” the cat said.

“Oh, no.  Not at all,” Akira agreed.  “But I’ve gotta see how hard this’ll crash and burn.”  Morgana eyed his friend warily.

“How sadistic.”

“It’s called schadenfreude.”  He propped his hands behind his head and lounged in the chair.  “And it’s gonna feel oh so good.”

* * *

 Sailboats cruised along the horizon with grace and precision.  The sunlight twinkled on the water’s surface.  All such wonderful sights but could not pull Ryuji out of his forlorn state.  The boy wandered back to their spot, dejected and defeated.  Neither he or Yusuke had managed to land any of the girls they set their eyes upon.  Either they were taken or greatly uninterested.  The once normally proud Ryuji now walked deflated and exasperated on the warm sand.  He froze, eyes widened in surprise as he saw Akira lounging in his chair.  With two girls standing next to him.  The boy soaking in the sun said something to make the ladies laugh.  Ryuji couldn’t catch it in time on account of being too stunned to process everything.  Somehow, his friend had women come to him while they had chased girls all over.

“You know, the two of us are gonna hit the ocean,” one girl commented, fluttering her eyelashes at him.  “Wanna join us?”  Akira chuckled and held up a hand.

“Sorry, ladies, but I’ve gotta watch over our stuff.  Plus, I gotcha keep an eye on the old cat here.”  Morgana glared at him from the opposite chair.

“I think it was really cute to bring him to the beach,” the other girl said.  She cooed and baby talked to Morgana, who merely stewed in annoyed silence.

“I had nobody to watch him, and I didn’t want him to just wander aimlessly and get lost.”

“I don’t need to be babysat, you know,” the cat huffed indignantly.  But to the girls, all they heard was a cute little meow.  This only prompted them to coo and coddle him further.  Morgana curled up and attempted to tune them out with a nap.  The girls waved goodbye and left Akira to his own devices.  The boy merely shrugged and continued to watch the water, until he caught sight of Ryuji.  Then a knowing smirk emerged onto his face.

“Welcome back,” he said smugly.  “Where're the babes?”  Ryuji sighed and took a seat onto the towel beside him.

“I don’t wanna talk about it.”  Akira nodded and gently patted his shoulder.

“Struck out, huh?”

“Don’t rub it in.”  Akira chuckled and took another sip of water.  “How the hell did you get those girls to talk to you?”

“Morgana.”  He looked over to the cat, who was frowning at him in annoyance.  “Girls dig cats.”

“They wouldn’t shut up,” his feline friend grumbled.  “Always petting me and calling me cute.  Even said I was a girl!”

“Well, Morgana technically is considered a girl’s name-“ The cat swatted at him sternly, earning an amused chuckle from the boy.  Ryuji kicked at the sand in annoyance.

“I can’t believe you let us go out there on our own,” the blond said.  “We were supposed to be the Three Amigos.”

“I thought we were the Three Musketeers.”  He covered his eyes as Ryuji chucked sand at him, the black-haired boy laughing.

“You know what I meant!”

“Well, someone had to watch our stuff.  Who else would’ve done it?  Morgana?”  The cat glanced up from Ryuji, an amused smirk forming on his face.

“No surprise you came back empty handed, Ryuji,” he teased.  “You just don’t have the skilled excellence of a gentleman to court a lady.”

“Zip it,” the blond said sternly.  He folded his arms and muttered darkly.  “Would’ve worked if Yusuke hadn’t messed up that one time.”  Akira craned his neck and scanned the horizon of beachgoers.

“Where is Yusuke, by the way?”

“You got me,” Ryuji said with a shrug.  “I turned my back for a second, and he completely disappeared-”

“Ah.  There you are.”  Behind Ryuji stood Yusuke, still donning his white hoodie and white dotted trunks.  But he was not alone.  He held two live lobsters in his hands.  The crustaceans were clutched firmly in his grip, looking up towards the sky as though accepting whatever fate had been thrust upon them.  “So this is where you two were.  I’ve been searching for you.”  Both boys stared at him in stunned silence.  Akira blinked as he attempted to process what he was witnessing.

“Alright.  I have to admit.  This time I’ve been caught completely off-guard.”

“Yusuke…” Ryuji said, pinching his brow.  “What’re you doin’ with those lobsters?”  He looked down at the shellfish with a content smile.

“While you were busy with your interrogation, I found these beautiful specimens on sale.  And so, I decided to spend the last of my money on them.”  Akira furrowed his brow and stared perplexedly at the invertebrates.

“They just up and sell live lobsters right here on the beach?” he asked.  Ryuji shook his head with contempt at the artist’s superfluous financial decisions.

“Man, you’re real hopeless when it comes to cash.”  Yusuke gazed lovingly down at his lobsters as they flicked their tails in protest.  Akira studied the crustaceans closely and curiously discovered their lack of claws.  They were not horrifically ripped off but rather seemed to be born without claws.  Never had he seen clawless lobsters before. 

“The moment I set eyes on their distinct shapes, I was in love.  I haven’t had my very core shaken as vigorously as this since the first time Ann entered my gaze.”  Akira’s gaze shifted to Yusuke with complete confusion.  He narrowed his eyes searchingly at the eccentric artist.  His obsessive description of them and subsequent comparison to Ann gave him a feeling of mild discomfort.

“…Are you gonna try and fuck the lobsters?” he asked apprehensively.  Yusuke shot him an angered look.

“Don’t be so crass!” he hissed.  His gaze turned from annoyance to adoration as he looked upon the shellfish once more.  “Their symmetrical and primitive designs.  So elegant in their simplicity.  I just can’t seem to look away.”  Akira and Ryuji furrowed their brows and exchanged confused looks.

“Good for you…” Ryuji said.  “Speaking of Ann, where is she?  And the others?”

“Should be back by now,” Akira said, scanning the horizon.  He saw a couple banana boats, but nobody atop resembling the girls.  They’d certainly been out for a long enough time.  Ryuji’s frown gave away his building impatience.

“They’ve been gone for too long.  It’s our turn to have some fun.”  Akira sighed and rose from his chair.  He had gotten so warm and comfortable too.

“Look!”  Yusuke pointed out through a crowd of people meandering along the sand.  “I see them!”  True to his word, Ann and Makoto could be seen.  Futaba, however, could not.  Next to them were two men, their skin bronzed from the sun.  From the looks upon the girls’ faces, they seemed uninterested and uncomfortable.  Ann glared at the two men with great disdain.

“Uh oh,” Ryuji said.  “Looks like the girls found some weird dudes skeevin’ at ‘em.”

“That’s not good…” Akira muttered.  He held concern for Makoto as well, but Ann was taking center stage in his mind.  The men appeared to be significantly older.  Kamoshida-esque vibes reverbed off of them and hit Akira in the chest, sparking great revulsion on his face.

“Indeed,” Yusuke stated.  His steely gaze locked with Akira’s.  “How do we approach this?”

“Let’s be calm about this.  Don’t make a scene and embarrass the girls.”

“I gotcha,” Ryuji said with a nod.  “Play it casual.”  He shelved his hands in his pockets and stepped beside Akira.

“Hold down the fort, Morgana,” the shaggy-haired boy said.  “We’re bringing the girls back.”  The three boys casually strolled over to where their friends were being held up.  As they drew ever closer, the details of their conversation became clearer.

“We’re here with friends,” Makoto said.  She put on a calm smiling face, but her posture betrayed the discomfort she was feeling.  One man was blond while his companion had black hair and was in significantly less better shape than the former.

“C’mon, don’t lie to us, baby,” he said with a cocky grin.  “How about you come for a nice cruise on our boat?”  The way he conducted himself screamed pretentious to Akira.  And his words made the boy’s skin crawl.  “There’s going to be a party, too.  Tons of celebrities and industry people will be coming along.”

“Are you even listening to us!?” Ann snapped.  Police sirens began to go off in Akira’s head, and he quickened his walking pace.  The two other boys almost had to spring into a light jog in order to keep up.

“Sorry ‘bout the wait,” Ryuji said.  The lot of them turned to see the boys step up just in time.  Yusuke and Ryuji did their best to look casual and nonchalant while Akira merely glowered icily at the two older men.  The pretentious man felt uneasy under the boy’s glare, turning his attention back towards the girls.

“Huh, so you were serious about being here with friends.”  Ann glanced from the boys back to him, her eyes flaring up.

“That’s what we’ve been saying from the start!”  The less in shape man side-eyed the three boys disapprovingly.

“Don’t you find it boring spending your time with kids like them?”  Ryuji scowled at them, clenching his fist.  Yusuke merely administered a cold glower from beneath the shadow of his hood.  Makoto turned her nose up at the older man.

“It’s far more interesting than anything involving you two,” she scoffed.  The pretentious man placed his hands on his hips and frowned at the girl.

“What was that?”

“Are you deaf or just so stupid that you need it repeated, old man?” Akira spoke up.  Makoto could taste the venom on the tip of her tongue.  Though he was holding back, she could tell that it would eventually boil to the surface.  The pretentious man blinked at Akira in surprise.  His counterpart looked over to him and shook his head.

“Hey, let’s just let the children have fun with fellow children,” he resolved.  Akira bit back a jab at them trying to hit on the supposed “children” in the hopes that it would get them to leave.  “We’ll be going now!”  Akira rolled his eyes as the two men skulked away.

“What creeps!” Ann said within earshot.  The two men said nothing, but the twitch that shot up their backs was evidence enough that they heard it.  Makoto held a hand to her chest and sighed with relief.

“Thanks for coming in like that,” she said to Akira.  “Those guys wouldn’t stop pestering us.”

“I got a bad vibe from all the shit I heard,” Akira said.  “Two older men inviting underage girls to a boat out at sea screams “date rape” to me.”  Makoto shuddered at the thought, her lip curling up in disgust at the thought of those two trying to get fresh.

“Tell me about it,” Ann said.  “Got some serious Kamoshida vibes from those guys.”  Now it was Akira’s turn to shudder in disgust.

“Literal police sirens were sounding off in my head,” the black-haired boy said.  “I get staunchly paranoid when older men are around you guys.  Especially you, Ann.”

“Aww, you’re worried,” she teased. 

“Well, yeah…” 

His tone was quite gentle and soft.  Though she giggled at him, there was a flutter of joy in her chest from his words.  It was a very touching sentiment, to have someone trying to protect her from the world around her.  Ann didn’t believe she needed it, and neither did Akira for that matter.  But such a concern for her safety and comfort was beyond sweet of him.  She honestly wished the two men had stuck around a bit longer so that they would receive one of Akira’s infamous chew out sessions.  How hilarious it would’ve been to see a teenage boy give a venomous lecture to two grown men about leaving underage girls alone.  Maybe they would’ve gotten a crowd.

“Hey, if things’d gone bad, we would’ve sent ‘em to the hospital,” Ryuji said, popping his fingers with a clenched fist.  Akira wrapped an arm around him and nudged his ribs.

“Watch out for this guy, right?  Two men in one over here.  Ain’t that right, Ryuji?”  His blond friend laughed and wrapped his arm around his neck, ruffling his hair playfully.  The lot of them returned to the safety of their spot on the beach.  Everything was in order as it should’ve, but Morgana was strangely nowhere to be seen.  Akira checked his satchel to see if the cat had sought shelter from the heat, but he was not inside.

“By the way, where is Futaba?” Yusuke asked.

“And Morgana, for that matter?” Akira asked.

“Ooooh!” Futaba’s cooed as she rushed past a group of others with Morgana in tow.  She skidded to a halt before the artist.  Her eyes poured over the shellfish in his hand longingly.  “Are those lobsters?  One in each hand!?”

“I was wondering that myself,” Ann said, looking at the crustaceans peculiarly.  Morgana’s blue eyes lit up with great intensity, both he and Futaba stepping forward.

“Are you gonna make them into sashimi?  Or perhaps roast them whole!?”  His mouth began to water, his drool dripping onto the sand.

“I wanna hold one!” Futaba said, reaching forward.  Yusuke pulled his arm back, holding his prized possessions out of her reach.

“Enough of your vile postulations!” he warned.  “These are purely for the sake of visual appreciation!”  Futaba stood on her tiptoes, arms stretched out desperately to grab one to hold her for own.  But the artist was far too tall.

“Akira!” she whined, looking to him expectantly.  Akira narrowed his eyes at the two of them bewilderedly. 

“What am I?  The team dad now?”  Ryuji chuckled as he watched the two struggle with the lobsters.

“Akira!” Futaba whined again.  “Make him share!  I wanna hold one!”

“Akira, tell her to leave me alone!  These elegant aquatic beings are mine and mine alone!”  Akira closed his eyes and shook his head, face cradled in his palm out of exasperation.

“You’re grounded,” he said to both of them.  Both Yusuke and Futaba turned to him indignantly.

“What did I do!?” they asked in unison.  Ann and Ryuji were laughing hard while Makoto stifled her giggles.  Akira merely sighed, the notion of ever having children in the future fading away with each second.

* * *

 

The sky burned a brilliant orange as the sun began to dip over the horizon.  It had been a pleasant day all around for the Phantom Thieves, who had soaked in as much of the water, sun, and food that they could.  All the troubles of the past with Kamoshida, Madarame, Kaneshiro, and Medjed seemed some nonexistent nightmare.  Laughs and memories were made that will last a lifetime that day.

The waves lapped the sand gently before Akira and Ann, who stood before the slowing tide.  The two bathed themselves in the warm brilliant glow of the sunset.  They had managed to steal away from the others after packing their things up.  All so they could share a brief moment together on the beach.  It was a quiet subtle thing.  Orchestrated with no words.  Only playful looks and glances towards the water.  Unnoticed by the others.  Pride resonated in Akira's chest as he had slipped away with her without a hitch.  His skills as a Phantom Thief were growing, even outside Mementos.

Both of them stood in silence together.  Only the sound of the waves sliding along the damp sand could be heard.  Most of the other beachgoers had gone home, leaving miles of beachfront for them.

"I've never had this much fun at the beach before," Ann said.  "My parents had taken me while overseas before, but it didn't feel like this." Akira smirked softly, gazing at her from the corners of his eyes.

"I feel the same.  It feels even better now that we can spend some time together.  Just the two of us." Ann bit back an ecstatic smile but couldn't stop the blush on her cheeks from forming.  Not since their moment after Medjed’s downfall had the two of them been able to have something like this.  A little personal reprieve from the others.  The both of them had hoped to steal one moment with one another while at this paradise outside of home.  They would soon have to return home, unfortunately.  But it mattered little.  When it was just them, the world seemed to stop.  Ann glanced down at his hand longingly.  What she wanted was to feel him clasp hers with his firm grip.  The risk of the others seeing was just too great.  A soft amused huff escaped his nose.  "Bet your modeling agency wishes they had a moment this picaresque, huh?"

"Pfft!  Don't even talk about work right now.  This is my day to escape."

"How do you think we'll top this the next time we destroy a Palace?" Ann tapped her finger against her chin in mock contemplation.  Akira snickered at her comical display.  She merely smiled and beamed at him.

"I'm sure you'll think of something." Akira rolled his eyes and smirked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm always thinking of something."

"Someone has to.  Although you didn't seem to do too much thinking on that banana boat." Akira chuckled with amusement, Ann smirking at him smugly with her arms folded.

"I just wanted to reenact that painting of the Delaware Crossing." Ann leaned forward.

"Well, you’re no George Washington."  She stuck her tongue out at him playfully, earning a happy grin from the boy.  When the boys were given the opportunity to hit the banana boat, Akira made the foolish choice to stand up at the front like the captain.  The vessel ultimately capsized, and the three floundered comically in the water as they attempted to climb back on.  Morgana and the girls nearly collapsed from how hard they had laughed.  Their blunder earned some laughter from a few other beachgoers as well.  Ryuji had somehow managed to have his ego deflate even more than it already had.  And Akira wasn't too far behind.

"Hey, at least I didn't end up with a mouthful of sand, right?" Ann held her chest as she burst into laughter from the memory of Ryuji spitting up what amounted to a small sandcastle after returning to the surface.  Ann and Futaba crafted foods out of sand whenever Ryuji would come in for a snack.

"Yusuke looked like a drowned rat with his hair and hood all messed up." Now Akira was laughing, clutching his ribs.

"I told him not to wear that in the water." Eventually, their laughter subsided, the two returning to gaze longingly out at the sunset.  Akira looked over his shoulder but could not see the others.  They had both walked down some ways from their spot on the beach to best escape prying eyes.  He wanted to wrap his arm around her, hold her hand, hold her close.  A brief tender embrace of any sort.  But the hairs on his neck prickled at the thought of being spotted.  No one else was around.  But his paranoia taunted him.  "You know, I used to be on the swim team at my old high school."

"I can see it," Ann said.  "You've got that swimmer's build." Inadvertently, her eyes slowly dripped down.  Down to his chest and torso.  Hairless just like all the Olympic swimmers.  It was an observation she couldn't help but make every time she saw it.  Such an unusual notion to see a man – even as young as Akira – sporting no body hair.  Fortunately, Ann disliked body hair.  Her lower lip trembled, causing her to bite down on it.  His toned figure, seeing water run the length of it upon their return.  Her breath caught in her throat back then, and it was catching again now.  The blonde's fingers twitched with a desire to just touch him.  Place her hand on his chest and run the length of his body.  Down to his stomach.  To feel the firm muscles curvature.  Run her fingernails against his skin and hear the shudders and gasps he would make.  Feel him tremble from her warm touch.  She fought back a frustrated huff building within.  Her neck flushed with shame at the feeling of such thirst.  "S-so did you win any competitions?"

"A couple," Akira said.  "Won me a couple trophies even." His hand ran the length of his left arm.  Feeling the muscles and the smoothness of his skin.  It had been quite some time since he had swum.  To feel himself sliding through the cool water, its moisture kissing his skin.  To go back and revisit that feeling once more filled him with nostalgia.  And slight sadness.  His gaze fell, a melancholic tone to his voice.  "But all that went up in smoke when I got expelled." He gave a nonchalant scoff.  "Doesn't really matter anymore.  They're basically worthless now."

"Don't say that," Ann said, resting her hand on his arm.  Her blue eyes looked sadly to him.  "You should be proud of those.  They still have value.  You worked hard to earn them." Akira merely shrugged, shelving his hands into his pockets.  Ann sighed and leaned against him, folding her arms.  "You're an enigma sometimes, Akira."

"Heh," he said with an amused smirk.  "I get that sometimes…" His eyes widened as he looked over to her, greeted with a view of her cleavage.  Ann's folding of her arms caused her breasts to squeeze together, a sight that caused Akira to clench his thighs together.  Redness shot over his face at the pale bounty before him.  He remembered the first time he had seeing her like this, in Kamoshida's palace.  Though it was only a doppelganger, it was a very good looking one.  Though Ann claimed that he had exaggerated her breast size for his own pleasure, Akira could see that he wasn't too far off.  They were a damn fine pair, with an equally appealing rear to boot.  He suspected that her swimsuit was a bit too snug for her at times, catching her adjusting a wedgie here and there throughout the day.  Ryuji had caught sight of it too, though Akira lectured him not to stare.  He chided himself with amusement at his rather hypocritical statement.  Akira couldn't deny that she was hot.  Drop dead gorgeous.  What he would've given to see water flow through her cleavage.  To see her skin shimmer in the sun.  Akira felt a soft gasp escape his throat as Ann's eyes turned to his.  In the blink of an eye, he met her gaze.  Both face and neck burned brightly as he fought the instinctive urge to look down.

 _Don’t look at her boobs,_ he chanted to himself internally.  It became like a holy mantra as he recited it in his head, as though if he glanced down that it would unleash a malevolent spirit.  Though if Ann caught him staring, it might as well have been like that.  Last thing he wished was to be labeled a pervert.

"Too bad Shujin doesn't have a swim team," Akira said.  Ann bit her lip and furrowed her brow in frustration at the thought.  The thought of swinging by the gym every day to see Akira swim laps, streams of water cascading down his stomach as he dried himself off.  Shirtless and exerted from a hard day's work…

"Yeah," she said.  "Too bad…"

"Gekkoukan High had one, but no way they’d take me.  Think that was for the best, to be honest."

"Didn't some kid die there a couple years back?" Ann asked.

"Ooh," Akira huffed.  Shiho's suicide attempt had shaken him greatly, but the thought of a student actually dying.  He couldn't imagine the pain of his friends and family.  He shuddered, shaking his head.  "That's not a good thing, honestly.  Glad I skipped that one."

"No kidding." Ann's cheeks pinkened, the girl chewing on her bottom lip apprehensively.  "Plus…" She paused, gulping down the knot in her throat.  "I got to meet you.  That has to be worth it, right?" She smiled and laughed nervously.

"Absolutely," Akira said, without missing a beat.  "Ann, you honestly make all the bullshit I've been through worth it." A gasp escaped the girl, a hand held to her chest.  Akira had been put through the wringer.  Anyone in the Phantom Thieves could attest to that.  To hear such a statement from him about all his experiences touched her deeper than anything before.  Her eyes fell to the sand, her cheeks a reddened mess.

"Y-you mean that?" Her voice was shaky and rather fragile sounding.  If Akira noticed, he said nothing.  He was focused on the warm glow in his chest from being so close to her.

"Without a doubt." The two returned to silence, staring out at the sea only to exchange affectionate sleepy looks.  Akira felt the salt of the sea dried and resting on his skin.  His hair was coarse from the tropical waters.  He couldn't wait to get home and hit the bathhouse.  "You know, if Shujin had a pool, I'd definitely try and get a team organized.  Maybe you could've joined."

"M-me?" she asked.  Ann scratched her head as she imagined their team.  Both him and her as the captains, raking in gold medals and bodies shimmering in the water.  Akira wearing black trunks, and Ann wearing a red one-piece like the attractive lifeguard ladies from American television.  Never had the concept of not having a pool felt so bleak and demoralizing.  Still, she gave him a smile.  "Well, with you as your team leader, how could we have lost?  Although knowing you, you'd try and wear some trench coat to the swim meet." Akira and Ann laughed together at the thought of him attempting to swim laps while a heavy leather coat clung to his body.

"Well, if it looks good, I'll make it work," Akira said.  "We'd be a swim team with style.  Sleek swimsuits, black and red." His eyes ran the length of her body, all the way down to her legs.  "Although, Ann, you could make anything look good.  Being a natural beauty and all." A surprised gasp escaped her throat, and she covered her mouth to prevent others from slipping out.  She had been complimented on her beauty before, but it had never made her feel so flustered.  Usually, such feelings were elicited when other students or older men stared.  But with Akira, it was different.  Quite embarrassing but also flattering.

"W-well, you know, I've been working out.  Working hard to keep my figure, you know?" She laughed nervously and sheepishly rubbed her arm.  "Gotta have my body looking as good as yours, right?" She caught the rising gasp and gulped it down, face burning brighter than the sun.  Akira felt his neck flush with heat, his stomach flutter from her words.  Ann was cursing herself mentally at her inadvertent admission of admiring his body.  Normally, she was not such a cluts with her words before.  But she wasn't thinking as clearly as she ordinarily would.  Her body raged with hormones.  Shyness, adoration, lust.  It was an unsteady cocktail, and Akira wasn't faring much better either.  Vocally, he kept himself in check, but it became a much harder occurrence to keep his eyes above the neckline.  If this kept up, he would have to jump into the cold water.  Or risk his dignity with a below the belt salute.

"So, um… about the other night…" Ann's face went pale, a far cry from the familiar warm blush she had been sporting over the past few minutes.  The memories of the Medjed aftermath came flooding back.  Their serious exchange and… the kiss.  The two of them had tiptoed around it during their brief moments together while helping Futaba.  But it had lingered in the back of their minds tauntingly.  Ann had hoped in vain that he wouldn't have brought it up.  Yet the elephant in the room could not be ignored.

"H-haha, yeah.  That was crazy, huh?" Her neck grew hot in contrast with her cold face, berating herself for such a display.  And in front of Leblanc too.  If Sojiro had seen then, she could never go back to that coffee shop again.  Not with her dignity, at least.  Even so, if she had the foresight of what she would feel.  The apprehension, nervousness, and embarrassment.  Even if she knew all of that would come, she would let it happen all over again.  Though beyond flustered at her action, Ann resolved that it was so worth it.  Just for a brief taste of him on her lips, even if it was his cheeks.  A nervous shaky laugh resonated from Akira.

"Yeah, that was pretty out there…" He bit his bottom lip, feeling his neck and back grow hot as he made eye contact with her.  Ann's stomach was doing flips while hers sunk into the earth.  Though the two had just been ogling each other, they both now felt very exposed under one another's gaze.  Ann cradled herself while Akira rubbed his hot neck with one arm, clutching his ribs with the other arm.  "Not in a bad way, though."

"I, uh… to tell the truth, I never kissed a boy before," Ann uttered, barely able to confess.

"Me-me neither," Akira said, struggling to get his joke out.  Ann snickered and felt the tension in her stomach subside.  He always knew just what to say to comfort her.

"You know what I meant." She looked down at the sand, a soft smile on her face.  Akira chuckled playfully.

"I know." Her cheeks flushed as she heard it.  That voice.  That low gritty growl in the back of his throat.  The voice she alone got to hear.  Hearing it in such a public place, the two of them showing such skin.  It was enough to make her melt right there on the spot.  "I admit, I-I gotta confess something." To hear him stammer brought her a sort of thrill.  To see that confidence waver even for a second made her feel powerful.  Akira's chest felt as though it would cave in from the pressure.  "You see-"

"Yo!"

" _Dammit!_ " Akira squeaked, turning away to face the ocean.  Ann saw Ryuji leading the others to them, their gear in hand.

"Hey, when did you guys slip away?" he asked.

"Uh, w-we just wanted to catch a view of the ocean!" Ann said, quick on her feet.  "Before we left!" The others took note of the sunset and stood still.  Captivated by the raw majesty of nature.  Ryuji took a seat on the sand and just stared in awe.

"Yusuke framed the horizon with his fingers as though capturing a photo.  Futaba stood closest to the water and took in the ever-fading warmth of the sun.

"Breathtaking," Yusuke mused to himself.  "If only I had my easel."

"We should get a selfie of all of us before we head back," Akira said.

"Ooh, that's a great idea," Makoto said.

"Futaba seemed fine in the crowd so it looks like she's overcome her last exercise." Futaba looked back and beamed at Ann, a notion she returned.  Despite the beauty of the landscape that spanned as far as the eye can see, the mood eventually grew dark.  Futaba recounted the last few years of her life, languishing in misery.  How she had lost her spirit and how Sojiro was suffering alongside her, silently putting up a brave face to be the father she needed.  Akira – all of them – had instilled her with a new lease on life.  A slowly brewing confidence in herself and a desire to fix the world alongside them.  To protect Sojiro, to avenge her mother, to bring those that conspired against her and ruined her life to justice, to grow stronger, and to help her friends.

Akira beamed at her, and she in return.  He could easily sense the resolve shining right through her.  It was clear she had a lot more growing to do, but this was a great jumping off point.  They now had the technological advantage they needed.  All they needed was to whip her into shape.  And a nickname. 

"Why don't we lose no time and decide on Futaba's code name?" The spectacled girl turned to her tall blonde counterpart.

"What's that?" she inquired.  Ann beamed with pride as she reflected over their Phantom Thief alter egos.

"It's not cool if we called each other by our real names."

"Anonymity in the Metaverse to protect our identities out here," Akira clarified, earning a satisfied nod from Ann. "Morgana's idea." The cat grinned proudly and strutted around the center.

"What can I say?" he boasted.  "I'm a creative talent.  _Some people_  could learn from me…" Ryuji rolled his eyes as Morgana stared at him smugly.

"Joker," Yusuke said, a hand extended in Akira's direction.  "Skull, Mona, Panther, Queen.  And I'm Fox."

"They correspond to themes surrounding our costumes," Akira said before scratching his head in thought.  "Though, I don't know where "Mona" comes from." Makoto tapped her chin with her finger curiously.

"In Futaba's case…" She paused, wrestling with an idea in her head.  "Well, "Hacker" wouldn't be right, would it?"

"Too obvious," Akira said, with Futaba nodding in agreement.

"Mech?" Ann said.

"PC?" Yusuke tried.

"No," Futaba stated.  Ann and Yusuke deflated at their suggestions being shut down so swiftly.

"Why don't we go literal and call her "Goggles"?  Since she wears goggles." The lot of them stared down at Morgana in silence.

"Super lame," Futaba said.  "You've got no taste, kitty." Akira cackled amusedly, earning a glare of betrayal from Morgana.

"Haha, in your face!" Ryuji teased.

"How about you, Akira?" Ann asked, looking at him expectantly.  "Do you have any good ideas for Futaba's code name?" He rubbed his chin, frowning at the ideas that came to him.

"Nah, none of 'em sound good," he said.  "Internet, Pharaoh, Glasses.  None of those work." Futaba frowned and shook her head disdainfully.

"What would you want it to be, Futaba?" Makoto asked.  The girl mumbled to herself, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"Oracle," she stated.  "With my vision, I'll guide you all to victory." Ann beamed with admiration.

"Sounds great!"

"Nice!" Akira said with a thumbs up.

"Then, Futaba'll be Oracle," Ryuji said.  He nodded at the name.  It sounded really solid in his mind.  Futaba felt giddiness rise up in her chest, looking at all of them.

"Man, I never even dreamed that the rumored Phantom Thieves would be so close!"

"Same goes to you," Morgana said.  "To think you'd be the daughter of a Metaverse researcher.  Talk about a mysterious fate."

"This is perfect, actually," Akira noted.  "With Futaba, we can solve the mysteries of her mom and Morgana's true form." He cleared his throat and pushed his glasses up.  "This presents a good opportunity for us." Akira looked towards their newest recruit.  "Futaba, you proved to be quite skilled in handling yourself at your Palace, but we won't be dealing with just your inner cognition anymore.  There'll be others, with shadows and traps of their own in their Palaces.  And there's Mementos.  You might've saved our asses in your Palace, but there's a whole other Metaverse out there.  And we need to get you as much experience as we can." Futaba nodded, fixated on the sternness in his voice.  Ann felt the same as she.  Captivated and feeling the fire within burning bright.  She knew there was a reason Morgana had elected him as their leader.  Akira's natural charisma and fierce determination were how they had come so far.  He could uplift them with ease and inspired heroism within.  The truest Phantom Thief out of all of them, as far as she was concerned.  "Therefore, I propose we hit Mementos tomorrow as a team.  We push farther down and see how much we can go.  I'm sure Mishima has a few requests that need solving, and we'll need to get as much progress in there was, we can before school starts back up." Ryuji groaned, tilting his head back.

"Ugh, I don't wanna go back."

"While we're at school, you do as you see fit, Futaba," Akira continued.  "I may occasionally have you follow leads online to see what we can find, but otherwise, just remain on standby." Futaba gulped at the prospect of fighting a shadow.  Her scrawny body was not built for combat.  The mind was her greatest weapon.  But if it meant she could please him, she would.  He saved her life.  She owed him that much.  "Any objections?" The team shook their heads, intense looks of resolve on their faces.  Akira smirked with satisfaction.

"Great.  Tomorrow, we hit Mementos."


	33. Fear the Reaper

_8/30/17 – Tuesday_

Futaba had adjusted to her role as their navigator with great ease.  Her Persona Necronomicon possessed a myriad of abilities that far surpassed Morgana's, both known and unknown.  The data she scanned from the shadows went into immense detail.  She could reveal nearly anything about a shadow, from its weaknesses down to what it ate for breakfast.  A notion that was both fascinating and disturbing.  Morgana was less than enthused about the whole state of affairs.  His pride at having been demoted had wilted significantly.  The cat put on his bravest face around Ann to mask his insecurity.  No longer being the navigator, what else did he have to stand out?

"Joker," Morgana spoke up, his fearless leader drifting down the subway tunnels.  "I might not be the navigator anymore, but you still think I'm cool, right?"  Akira raised his eyebrow, eyeing the dashboard curiously.

"Well, of course," he said.  "You're a valuable member of this team."

"Every team needs a getaway driver, right?" Ryuji said, leaning back in his seat.

"I don't wanna be just the car!" the cat protested.  Ann gently patted the dash.  She had gotten the privilege of sitting shotgun.  At Akira’s request.

"You're the assistant navigator too," she said sweetly.

"That's not a real position!  You just made that up!" Akira shook his head and smirked with amusement.  He rolled the window down to gently pat the side.

"Don't forget about being the team healer.  Plus, you're the smallest of the group so your stealth and infiltration skills are a cut above the rest."

"Hmm…" Morgana proceeded down the tracks in his van form in silence, contemplating his words.  Being a healer didn't sound particularly exciting, but being recognized as the lead stealth expert sent pride through his soul.  The stealthiest of the Phantom Thieves.  A shadow amongst shadows.  His engine revved with excitement.

"How you holding up back there, Oracle?" Akira asked, looking through the rear-view mirror.

"Wish this place had wi-fi," she commented.  A digital readout of the Mementos tunnels counted their progress into the ethereal realm.  They had managed to progress deeper than they had ever before, knocking requests out left and right.  Akira had plans to visit Iwai afterwards about his stock.  The boy couldn't wait to get ahold of some new shiny weapons to slay shadows with.  Today’s progress had really netted in some money.

"She has her priorities, I guess," Ryuji said with a sigh.

"I'm surprised she's lasted this long," Yusuke commented.  "Here I figured she'd be having withdrawals from no internet." Futaba shot him a look, one that he couldn't help but be amused at.

"Zip it, Inari!"

"Hey, look!  Treasure chest!"  Akira pulled the van over and exited over towards the golden box.  The others piled out in time for Morgana to return to his bipedal form.  He rubbed his toe beans with a wince.

"These rough concrete floors are murder!" he said.  Remaining in car form felt a lot more accommodating right now.  At least the tires didn’t feel pain.  Ryuji scratched the back of his head as he studied the feline.  They joined the others looming over Akira's shoulder as he popped open the chest with a lockpick.  In his hands was a fancy looking katana.

"Hmm, looks like we might've found something good for Fox.  Oracle, run a scan." The girl clicked away at her keyboard as Necronomicon scanned Yusuke's current sword and the potential new weapon.  A smile ran across her face.

"You're in luck, Inari." Yusuke gleefully took the weapon in his grasp, taking great care as he unsheathed it.  The blade shined in the red light of the metro tunnels.  Futaba couldn't help but be enamored by its sleek design.  "Ooh!  Glorious Nippon steel folded over a thousand times!"

"An eye for craftsmanship, I see," Yusuke said with an amused smile.  His content look quickly turned to suspicion as he eyed the girl.  "Or is that one of those internet references you love to spout?" Futaba rolled her eyes at him disdainfully.

"They're called "memes", you dip." Akira listened to the both of them bicker back and forth as he stared down the metro tunnels.  It seemed the deeper they went, the more there was to explore.  And the less answers they found.  Still, he couldn't deny the enjoyment he felt as he ventured with his friends and fought beings of darkness.  All while sporting a fabulous trenchcoat.

"You know, Joker, we've been down on this level for almost an hour now," Morgana commented.  "Maybe we should go back…" The cat remained close by his leg, tentatively eyeing the tunnel.  Akira raised an eyebrow curiously.

"What's got you so nervous?" he asked.  "Normally, you're so gung-ho about all this." The cat tugged nervously on his yellow scarf.

"Well, it's just that being in one part of Mementos for too long could attract some… unwelcome attention." Ryuji chuckled and ruffled the cat's fur.

"If you're scared, just say so," the blond teased.  The cat huffed indignantly.

"I'm not worried!" he said, face burning under his fur.  "It's just that…" His eyes wandered to the apple of his eye, the blonde in the red latex.  "I worry for Lady Ann's sake.  She seems nervous."

"No, I'm not," she said, blinking at him.

"I highly doubt anything down here is too tough for us to handle," Makoto said.  "The shadows we've faced fell with relative ease."

"Don't be so sure," Morgana warned.  A peculiar sound then ran in Akira's ears.  He squinted as he stared down the tunnel.  Nothing to be seen, the path obscured by darkness.  The others stopped conversing amongst themselves and joined his side.  Morgana narrowed his eyes, focusing intently with his ears.

"You hear that?" Akira asked.  The sound of metal scratching against concrete.  Difficult to determine what exactly, but it seemed to be growing closer.  Ann tightened the grip on her whip while Yusuke poised himself for battle.  Ryuji patted his spiked bat, and Makoto cracked her knuckles loudly.  Akira's desert eagle remained in its holster within his trenchcoat, his red leather clad hand resting on it.  The scratching sound grew louder.  More prominent.  A jingling and rattling could be made out now.  Metal tinging in the air as it hung, scraping against the walls.  Like chains…

"J-Joker!" Morgana cried.  His eyes widened with fear as he ran behind them, shifting to his van form.  "We gotta get out of here!  Now!" The others looked back at the black vehicle curiously.  Morgana's metal chasse was trembling in fear.  The likes of which Akira had never seen.

"What's the problem?" Akira asked, drawing his gun casually.  "It's just a big shadow." The silhouette of a rather tall looking shadow was making its way through the darkness.  Straight towards them.  It was an unusually tall sort, more so than anything else they've squared off against.  But all the others died with relative ease.  Why would this one trouble Morgana so much?

"That's no ordinary shadow!" he protested, swinging his doors open.  "Let's go!" The cat's voice sounded urgent.  Futaba looked at the readout on her screen before holstering her laptop in her computer bag.

"He may have a point…" she said apprehensively.  "Necronomicon is picking up unusually high levels of power here." A devilish grin stretched under Akira's white mask.

"Finally.  A challenge." Ryuji primed his bat, ready to swing for a home run.

"Let's wail on 'em," the blond agreed.  Yusuke retained his steely gaze, but his sweaty palms betrayed the slight feeling of apprehension Morgana's voice was building up.

"You don't understand!" The rattling of chains grew louder, almost ringing in the cat's ears.  "That's not just any shadow!  It's the Reaper!" Akira's eye twitched in realization.  He had warned them of the Reaper when they first entered Mementos.  Described to be a herald of death, more powerful than any other shadow in Mementos.  His grin grew wider, more feral.

"Finally...”  Akira spun the pistol in his hands.  Taunting this so-called Reaper floating towards them.  "You've hyped this guy up for so long, Mona.  Let's see how good he really is."

"Yeah!" Ryuji said, patting his bat.  "I ain't afraid of this dumb ol' ghost."  Though not everyone else shared the boys’ enthusiasm.

"Maybe Mona might be right," Makoto said, eyeing the van through her peripheral.  "He seems awfully scared."

"Don't let it sense your fear," Akira said.  "If we stand together, we can beat this overgrown fairy tale." Makoto saw him looking back at her expectantly.  She was one of their heavy hitters, and her council went a long way in the Phantom Thieves.  If she believed a plan would work, they took it nine times out of ten.  The student council president wasn't sure of much in this moment.  "What do you say, Queen?  You got our backs?" Her heart felt torn between backing Akira and preserving their safety.  It was no secret that Akira possessed extraordinary powers, even among their standards.  His arsenal of Personas was incredible to say the least.  But even so, he was still human.  A teenager with limits.  He wouldn't disagree with her assessment, but he seemed to confident and ready.  His form seemed to shimmer with great fire as he stood before the path of the Reaper.  That flame of leadership and drive was something that she couldn't resist.

"Y-yes!" she cried out.  Makoto was apprehensive, but she needed to believe in him.  Believe in him, and he'd carry them to victory.  Just like with Kaneshiro.

"Dammit, Queen!" Morgana cried.  He shifted back and began tugging on Akira's coat almost feverishly.  "Come on, Joker, let's go!  Get out of here!" Akira looked down to his feline friend, a confident smug look on his face.

"How bad can this guy really be?"

" _Turn back, mortals_ …"

A ghostly voice uttered, low and gravely.  Dry and ancient.  The group shuddered from the sound of it.  Akira shook off the goosebumps that formed under his clothes, pointing his gun at the silhouette.

"Nice haunted house trick," he gloated.  "But it'll take more than a spooky voice to get us to back down."

" _You would do well to heed your companion's words, Joker_ ," the Reaper growled.  The others exchanged concerned looks, and even Akira felt the hairs on his neck stand up.  He huffed through his cocky grin, spitting onto the tracks.  The boy took a couple steps forward, twirling his gun.

"So you know who I am, and you still wanna challenge me?" He chuckled and shook his head.  "Tsk, tsk, tsk.  Bad move, Reaps." A low chuckle emanated from down the hall.

" _Very well, then.  Death comes…_ " The Reaper slowly slid from the dark shadows and into the red light of the tunnels.  His was a ghastly form, a pair of chains wrapped around him in an x formation.  He floated above the tracks, body cloaked in a ragged black coat.  His head was wrapped in a white sack with a rope tied around the neck.  Blood stained the fabric, a single yellow eye staring at them through the left of his head.

"Ohhhh…" Akira breathed under his breath as his eyes slowly began to widen in realization.  Never in his life had he seen a shadow like this one outside the Palaces.  "Okay, I may have severely underestimated this guy."

"You think!?" Morgana hissed.  The Reaper reached under its cloak and removed two revolvers.  Each one sported a comically long barrel.

" _Twelve shots…_ "

"Where's this guy's scythe?" Ryuji asked.  "I thought all Reapers had a scythe." The Reaper clicked the hammer on his revolver, pointing the barrel towards Ann.  The shot rang out like an American Western film.  She shouted in pain and tumbled back behind them.

"Panther!" Akira and Morgana shouted in unison.  Morgana pounced upon her, trying to lift her up.  His tiny body did little to help her.

"Are you okay?" the cat asked.  Ann's breathing was heavy, the girl clutching her chest in pain.  Her body screamed at her from the blast.  She wasn't bleeding, and it stung worse than anything she could ever have imagined.  She looked up, seeing Akira staring at her with great worry.  Never had she seen him look so afraid.  Afraid for her.  And it made her neck burn.  Here she was, looking weak in front of him.  She couldn't look weak.  Couldn't look vulnerable.  Between angered huffs did she rise to her feet, blue eyes burning intensely.

"Okay," Ann spat.  Her fingers curled as fire sparked from her palms.  "Now, I'm pissed!" Akira glared daggers through the shadow, turning his head from feeling something land on his shoulder.  It was Morgana, slingshot drawn.

"Nobody touches Panther like that and gets away with it!" His fangs were bared, claws at the ready.  Ryuji was grinning, turning back to the Reaper and pointing at him.

"Oh, you effed up now!"

"Still wanting to run away?" Akira asked with a smug smirk.  The cat shook his head.

"Not a chance.  Let's kick this guy's ass!" Akira's grin grew feral and wild, spinning the pistol in his hand.

"That's my boy!  Oracle, game a read on this guy." Futaba floated above the tunnels inside Necronomicon.  The Reaper paid no heed to her.  As she possessed no weapons of her own.  The invading mortals would need all the help they could get in this fight.

"I'm not seeing any weaknesses," she said.  "But its defense is super high."

"How high?"

"Really!" Akira stared down the Reaper, who remained unblinking.  He looked for any sort of exploitable weakness.  Anything that he could find.  All that it wore was tattered cloth.  Perhaps flammable, but a weak gambit at best, he rationalized.  What stood out the most were the chains on its chest.  His eyes widened in realization.

"Skull!  Shock those chains!" He looked towards them searchingly before a grin stretched onto his face.

"I gotcha…" He raised his bat to the sky, calling upon the inner self of his soul.  "Seiten Taisei!" A giant monkey sporting a colorful biker outfit with a spiked helmet floated in on a black cloud.  It grinned wildly at its opponent, launching a bolt of pure lightning from the tip of its staff.  Sparks shot out from the chains, burning small holes through the Reaper's rags.  It shook and jolted in place ever so slightly but seemed ultimately unhindered.  Ryuji stared in disbelief, cradling the bat in his hands.  "Did that even do anything?"

"Barely," Futaba noted.  The blond groaned agitatedly.

" _We're gonna be here a while, it seems,_ " Akira muttered to himself.  Morgana pounced from his shoulder, peppering the Reaper with slingshot pellets.  They punctured and tore its rags, but the shadow stood nonplussed.  His mighty sword was drawn from his furry back, and the cat slashed through their opponent.

"Take this!" Ann bared her fingers like claws, Carmen mirroring her action as a pillar of fire shot from the floor.  It engulfed the mighty spirit entirely.  Only its silhouette visible through the inferno.

"Johanna!" Makoto summoned her evolved Persona, the cognitive manifestation of her inner self shifting from its chrome robotic form into a sleek motorcycle.  She revved the engine and slammed into the Reaper, hitting it for maximum nuclear damage.

"My turn.  Goemon!" From Yusuke's shadow did the wildly colored and wooden clogged inner self manifest.  Above did a tower of ice shoot down, colliding with Ann's fire.  No sooner did the two meet did steam and water rush over the Reaper.  Fog spreading against the concrete floor from the rush.  A ghostly atmosphere took place around them as it wafted around.  Akira's eyes lit up at his opportunity.

"Isis!" An angelic being with an Egyptian mask and golden feathers floated over Akira.  From her fingertips did a bolt of lightning shoot out, piercing through the heart of the soaked Reaper.  Its form lit up, smoke emanating from him.

"Hey, I get it!" Ryuji said.  "Water conducts electricity!"

"Congrats on remembering middle school chemistry, Skull!" The blond glared daggers at the cheeky cat, dancing back and forth with the sword in his hands.  Clouds of mists hung around the Reaper's form, the water completely evaporated.  Slowly did it clear and revealed the shadow no worse for wear.  Its rags tattered and singed but no sign of unsteadiness in his form.

"We've barely made a dent!" Futaba cried.  On the display monitor within Necronomicon, its health bar had only dropped a sliver.  The Reaper snapped its neck to one side, and the resulting pop sounding like thunder cracking in their ears.

"Urgh!" Ann growled through gritted teeth.  Her ribs still ached with incredible pain, but she was far too angry to feel a thing. Fire burned between her clenched fists, Carmen pulling roughly on the thorny vine leashes of the humanoid figures she stood on.  Both of them raised a hand in unison, fingers gnarled.  "Light him up, Carmen-"

" _Gotcha…_ " No sooner had she raised her hand that the Reaper drew its pistol, piercing her heart with a bullet.  Ann felt it ricochet through her chest and out her back but felt no pain.  No blood.  Only cold.  The others watched as she was engulfed in solid ice, Carmen dissipating behind her.

"What the hell!?" Ryuji shouted.  "It knows ice attacks too?!"

"This is getting out of hand…" Makoto muttered apprehensively.  Morgana was right.  The Reaper was far too powerful for them to fight.  Her gaze fell upon Akira, who looked back at Ann fearfully.  He looked over to her searchingly.  "Joker, I don't know how long we can last against this thing."

"Should we retreat?" Yusuke asked, unloading a round from his machine gun into the Reaper.

"No way!" Ryuji declared.  "We ain't runnin' away after all that shit we talked."

"Don't let pride get in the way!" Morgana said.  "Joker, say the word!" Akira looked back towards the Reaper floating before them tauntingly.  The shadow took aim at Yusuke, a torrent of fire bursting from the barrel.  The artist withstood the attack, wincing from the sharp pain that licked at his wounds.  He bared his teeth in anger at the specter of death.  Even the monsters they faced in the Palaces had not been this stubborn.  Whatever the Reaper was, it was more than a cut above the rest.  By all accounts, they should retreat.  But he dared not turn and flee.  His pride was at stake.  He needed to show them they could persevere.

"We're not leaving."

"What?!" Morgana cried.

"But we can't take this thing down conventionally."

"What do we do then?" the cat asked.  He narrowed his eyes and studied the Reaper closely.  It wasn't at all receptive to any of their elemental attacks.  Fire, electricity, ice, nuclear.  Nothing worked.  They'd be here all day fighting this thing.  Like chipping away at a boulder with a toothpick.  And they had neither the strength, magic, or items to outlast the shadow.  Inside, Akira's mind was hard at work.  Igor had gifted him with the ability to hold many Personas at once, more than he thought he'd actually need.  Akira's compendium had grown hefty with all the strange shadows he'd captured and fused.  His eyes lit up as an idea came to his head.  The perfect Persona.  And the perfect ability.

"We'll have to cheat." Morgana blinked at him searchingly.

"Cheat?  What do you mean?" Akira smirked confidently at his feline companion, raising his hand to his mask.

"Leave that to me." His hands began to erupt with blue flames, and his mask shimmered with a white light.  "I call upon you: Arahabaki!" From his shadow did a huge stone golem emerge.  Stiff as a board, tall as a wall.  Staring back at the Reaper with squinted orange eyes.  The Persona eyed its master curiously.  Awaiting whatever order was bestowed upon it.  Akira pointed towards his opponent with two fingers.  A wicked fire burning in his eyes to compliment the Cheshire cat grin.  "Come at me!  Hit me with your best shot!"

"What are you doing?!" Ryuji asked.  Akira turned to him with a smile so confident that victory had been assured.

"Trust me…"  

A low taunting chuckle emanating out from the Reaper’s ramshackle form.  This mortal was awful brave to taunt him so publicly.  With no real way to effectively retaliate.  The Reaper raised its pistol with the aim to please and kill.  In the blink of an eye was the trigger pulled.  The gunshot sounded more like a bomb detonating in such claustrophobic halls.  All eyes darted to Akira with frantic fear as the bullet raced for his heart.  But it never pierced.  As expected, Arahabaki’s magic shield flew up and protected his mortal form.  The bullet mere inches from his chest.  And sent it right back to the Reaper itself.  Its single exposed eye widened in shock and pain as it was pierced by the very bullet meant for the mortal.

Wounded.  The gun almost falling from its grip from shock.  How the mortal had managed to get a leg up was infuriating.  Empowered by its rage, the Reaper unleashed a flurry of gunshots onto Akira’s form.  Aharabaki reflected back each shot in tandem, but the Reaper didn’t fall for such a ruse a second time.  Its form became intangible, the bullets phasing right through it and shattering against the walls.  The ceiling.  The support beams.  The others had to duck for cover in order to avoid being next.  Even Akira himself had to stand his ground from the barrage of gunfire.  Arahabaki’s shield was holding, but each shot chipped away at its energy.  And he could personally feel it.

"Whoa!" Futaba shouted.  On her monitor did the Reaper's health decline.  Barely a sliver did it fall, but it accumulated to more damage than the lot of them had done combined.  "Joker, it’s working!" Yusuke and Makoto looked over to Akira, invigorated by his wicked grin.  The Reaper showed pain.  And if it showed pain, it could be defeated.  The two of them found new resolve and determination in the wake of such overwhelming odds.

"Skull, see if you can get Panther out of that ice."

"Sounds good to me," Ryuji said, priming his bat.  The blond nodded and began pummeling the block that trapped their friend.  Bits of ice began to fracture with each blow. 

Akira was cursing himself mentally for not buying ailment curing potions.  It had seemed to be a good idea to just buy healing and revive items.  A rookie mistake, he then realized.  His neglecting to purchase more of the aforementioned items slapped him across the face.  Bonding with his friends and confidants, working his part-time jobs, helping Futaba.  Somehow, keeping inventory had managed to slip his mind.  He growled and cursed himself mentally.

 _Goddammit!_ he spat in his head.  _You fucking dolt!_   _Stupid ass dipshit!_  Akira spat onto the ground and shook his head.  There would be time to beat himself up later, he rationalized to himself.  For now, he needed to be their leader and defeat this monster.

"Mona!" Akira barked.  "Heal Fox!" The cat nodded, his Persona Zorro raising his rapier to the sky and calling upon a healing wind to wrap the artist in.  Yusuke's strength returned, and the artist's eyed burned intensely as he pounced forward.  With a rising slice, he cleaved through the Reaper's rags.  He grimaced when he heard Futaba's frustrated groans.  All of his strength had gone into that slash, and it had barely registered a hit.  "Queen!  Go!" The student council president rushed forward on Johanna, forcing the Persona to disappear halfway to the Reaper.  The sheer speed rocketed Makoto through the air, fist first.  Right into the Reaper's face.  A loud meaty blow could be heard as her brass knuckles made impact.  Blood seeped from the punctures, a notion that visibly unnerved the girl.  Ultimately, the shadow was nonplussed and brushed her off like a mere nuisance.

"Rrrrr, this is taking forever!" Futaba cried.  "I wish I had some sort of ray gun!  Death ray or something!"  It was maddening for her to feel so helpless.  Nothing she had up her sleeve seemed to work against something so powerful.

"Just stay on support," Akira ordered, unloading a clip into the Reaper.  The bullets cut through its spectral form.  The apparition floated before them, unhindered and unimpressed.  His gun clicked in his hand after enough shots.  Empty.  And his last too.  But Akira had been counting.  So was the Reaper.  "Ha!  Out of ammo!" The revolvers clattered to the floor, disappearing in a puff of smoke.  A cold sweat descended down his neck as the Reaper withdrew a second pair of revolvers from underneath its coat.  "You gotta be kidding me!"

"How many guns does this guy have!?" Ryuji growled.  "Got her!" Ann's icy prison shattered, and the girl fell to her feet.  Ryuji propped her up on his arm, wincing from how cold she was to the touch.  Ann was shivering in place.  Arms and legs trembling.  She could barely stand.  Akira's heart twisted with guilt and sorrow at her condition.  When they got out of this, he was gonna treat her to whatever she wished.  No matter what it took or how much it cost.  It took all the might he could muster not to run to her, enveloping her in his warm coat.

"O-k-k-k-kay-y-y-y," she stuttered, leaning off Ryuji for support.  Her knees were trembling and fists were clenched, but she stood before the Reaper.  Slowly did her body begin to warm itself back up as Carmen's fire rose within.  "N-n-now I'm r-r-r-really p-p-pissed-d!" The Reaper said nothing, spinning the barrel of his pistol.  Ann roared out in anger, a funnel of fire launching from Carmen's hand.  The Reaper was engulfed by the flames with only his silhouette visible through the bright inferno.  Ryuji stared in amazement at the raw fury she channeled.  Not since Kamoshida had she been this irate when fighting an enemy.  Akira found his heart pounding in his chest at the sight of her.  Such fire, such drive, such raw fury.  It was one of the most attractive displays he had ever seen. In that moment, she could beat him up, and he'd thank her.

 _BANG!_  The Reaper fired through the blaze, piercing right through Ann's heart.  Carmen dissipated as ice entombed Ann once more.

"Not again!" Morgana protested, stomping his foot in anger.

"Dude, what is this guy's deal?" Ryuji asked.

"No one targets the lovely Panther in such an unscrupulous fashion!" Morgana and Zorro pointed their swords at the Reaper in unison.

"Indeed," Yusuke said darkly.  His eyes bore a fire matched with a wicked grin not seen since his awakening.  "I've had enough of this macabre monstrosity!"

"Skull," Akira said between gritted teeth.  Ryuji raised his bat and readied himself for a swing into the ice.

"I'm on it-augh!" The blond clattered to the floor as a bullet pierced his body.  Akira looked back at his friend frantically before staring daggers at the Reaper.  Smoke wafted from the barrel of its revolver.  A dirty trick, shooting him in the back.  The boy rushed to his ally's side, propping him up on his shoulder.

"You alright?" Ryuji panted heavily but managed to get a quick dry chuckle out.

"H-had a lot worse," he uttered.

"Mona!"

"On it!" The winds of healing wrapped around Ryuji, and the boy found his depleted strength returning.  A wicked angered grin sat on his face, one that brought a catlike smirk to Akira's face.

"Go get him, bud," he ordered, patting Ryuji on the back.  Ryuji was owed a chance to smash the beast up.  "Queen!  Smash up this ice!" Makoto and Ryuji swapped places, with the former pummeling the frozen ice as best she could.  But the enormous hunk was as solid as can be, and Makoto's arms were growing tired.  Ryuji shouted to the heavens as Seiten Taisei burst forth, staff in hand.  The legendary weapon stretched out like the story of old, and the Persona slammed it into the side of the Reaper's head.  The sack that consisted of its skull dented under the staff but quickly regained form after Ryuji's inner self faded away.

"My turn!" Yusuke pounced forward with sword in hand, slicing the Reaper's tattered rags.  No matter how much he cut, there always seemed to be more underneath.  Perhaps there wasn't even a body inside.  Akira looked back towards Makoto, who was struggling to make progress.  He wanted Ann out of there desperately but dared not use fire to melt the ice.  Such an abrupt change of two temperatures on her body could severely injure her.  He swore under his breath as he relented to leave her in until Makoto could free her.  His mask glowed white as Neko Shogun sprung forth from his shadow, blasting the Reaper with a psychic blast.  Like all other attacks, it had little effect on the ghostly abomination.  Akira resolved to double his effort to fill Igor's compendium after this.  His Personas were quite strong, having built them up through his many battles and fusions.  But he needed even heavier hitters in his arsenal as their leader. 

Things were getting dire.  More so than they had been against any other shadow.  They were all quick to feel the fatigue and sting from the Reaper’s blows.  Retreating seemed like the only option.  But at the cost of their morale?  If they backed down now, what would stop them from doing so again?  Yet they also needed to live.  Akira had to make sure they all survived no matter what.  And there was no way he could get the Reaper again with the same strategy.  This was no ordinary shadow.  Incredibly intelligent, even knew his codename.  And he wouldn’t be fast enough to protect all of them simultaneously with Arahabaki.

A menacing growl wafted through the halls.  Almost taunting him with how helpless they seemed to be.  With a flick of its wrists, the Reaper began spinning the revolvers in rapid succession.  Faster and faster did they spin, as though they would fly right from his hands.  Red lightning shot out from under it.  The Phantom Thieves poised themselves, readying their defensive spells for whatever might occur.  Akira backed himself up near Ann, resting a hand on the ice.  It was unbearably cold even with his gloves on.  The Reaper began spinning and twirling violently, bullets bouncing and ricocheting from the walls, ceiling, and floor.  A barrage of gunfire ready to cut down anything and everything. 

" _Die, DIE, **DIE!**_ "

"Scatter!" Akira shouted.  Though little cover could be found in their narrow subway tunnel.  Yusuke and Makoto caught a few cuts from the bullets and shrapnel before tucking themselves behind some support beams.  Akira and Ryuji hid behind Ann's frozen form, the ice beginning to crack from the shots.  Bits of concrete and dust flew through the air.  Arahabaki’s shield was holding, protecting them all from the gunfire.  Ann was his primary focus right there.  Trapped inside the ice, she was a sitting duck.  One stray bullet could be the end all for her.  His Persona’s strength was beginning to wane, but he had to remain steadfast.  Hold the shield to protect her and Ryuji.  As for himself, it was a liability.

"Dude, where's Mona?" The cat was nowhere to be found.  Akira scanned the battlefield swiftly but saw him neither with Makoto or Yusuke.  A car horn answered his question as Morgana fell to the ground before them in his van form.  Bullets bounced off his chasse while the cat used his vehicle form to shelter them.

"Ow!  Ooh!  Eeh!  Ouch!  Damn!  Ack!" Morgana yelped and winced with every bullet that stung his metal form.  The lot of them were pinned down by the hail of bullets.  "You owe me big time, Joker-ow!" Akira chuckled, giving Morgana a remorseful look.

"Guess it'll take more than some fatty tuna, huh." His eyes betrayed a feeling of regret.  In his head, Akira was cursing himself for not listening to Morgana.  But his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of clicking and the abrupt end of gunfire.  The others retaliated with their own barrage, with slingshots, rifles, pistols, and shotguns all pointed forwards.  But the bullets clinked against its form with barely a scratch upon the Reaper.  They may as well have been throwing plastic silverware at it.  After the lot of them expunged their ammo, the Reaper took his turn.  A third pair of revolvers was removed from beneath its cloak as the previous pair dissipated into smoke.

 _CRACK!_  The ground rumbled underneath their feet.  The lot of them looked around on high alert.  Ryuji and Morgana aimed their firearms down the tunnel.

"Something else comin'!?" the blond asked.

"I can't see anything!" the cat replied.

 _CRAAACK!_  The ground rumbled once more, this time with dust and small rubble descending to the ground.  The Phantom Thieves looked up to the ceiling of the metro tunnel to find it beginning to cave.  Far too late had the Reaper realized its faux-pas.  Its flurry had shaken up the foundation and fractured some of the concrete.  And now everything was beginning to collapse.  Akira turned frantically back to Ann and began hacking away at the ice with his knife.  But it was far too dense.

"Help me out here!" Ryuji and Makoto darted to his side, wailing on the ice alongside him.  But the stubborn hunk of frozen water remained undisturbed.  A final loud crack rang out as the ceiling groaned.  "SCATTER!"  Tons of concrete rubble fell towards the floor.  The Reaper raised its guns and attempted to shoot the crumbling rubble falling atop it.  But its efforts were for naught as it was ultimately crushed by the collapsing tunnel.  Clouds of dust flew into the air, obscuring their view of one another. 

The Phantom Thieves had rushed to safety and watched in amazement.  Somehow, they had managed to win.  Not conveniently, but they did it.  Despite all its magic and power, the Reaper was still bound to the rules of the Metaverse.  Including being complacent to its inner physical structure.  But any semblance of celebration was lost as sound of shattering ice and a bloodied scream then followed.  Akira felt his blood run cold at the sound of it. 

"ANN!"

The boy vaulted over the hunks of rock and dug through them to find her.  Makoto, Ryuji, and Yusuke, were pushing and lifting rocks to the side while Morgana struggled with his meager cat body.

"Agh!  J-Joker!" Ann's voice called out to him.  He saw her eyes staring back at him.  Tears in them of pure pain.  A panicked gasp hung in his throat as he saw a horrific sight.  A piece of rebar had impaled itself through her side.  She cried and winced, hands wrapped around it.  Akira knelt to her side and lifted her head up, cradling her.  "It hurts!"

"Oh no, oh God, oh God!" Akira's voice was shaky, fear and distress being kept at bay.  He needed to keep on a brave face for them.  For her.  To hide the queasiness and fear in his stomach.  She cried out again as blood began to leak out through her wound.  His hand darted to hers, gripping the rebar.  "I know it hurts, baby.  I know.  J-just listen to my voice, okay?" She bit down on her lip, gulping down an anguished cry.  All she could do was nod between fiercely closed eyes, tears leaking through them.

"Wh-what do we do!?" Ryuji asked, voice quivering.

"I-I don't know!  Queen, what do we do!?" Makoto gasped at them.

"W-we were never trained for this sort of thing in the student council!" Panic began to rise in her chest at the feeling of such loss and aimlessness.  Even when Akira was leading the way, she had always concocted some sort of backup plan.  But now, she had nothing.  She had not felt this vulnerable since Kaneshiro.  "B-but I do know this!" The words of her sister came to her head.  "You don't pull it out!"

"But it's hurting her!" Ryuji argued.

"I know!"

"Listen." Akira's voice drew their attention.  All eyes fixated on him.  His chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, doing all he could not to hyperventilate before them.  "Mona.  Queen.  How much magic do you both have left?" Morgana felt his breath disappear as Ann eyed him worriedly.  Fear and concern were in her watery blue eyes.

"Uh-I-I-uh-" Akira snapped his fingers in rapid succession.

"Come on, Mona.  Stay focused.  How much you got left?"

"Uh-o-only a little bit!  We went through a lot down here and with that battle against the Reaper."

"I've hardly got any myself," Makoto admitted.

"Dammit," Akira hissed.  Not at them but himself.  "We should've gone back like you said, Mona. Now look at us."

"Joker," Ann cried between sobs.  He nodded and cupped her cheek, his eyes growing moist from her pain.  The back of his eyes screamed with pain as he fought off tears.

"I know, I got you." Ann was scared beyond rational thought.  Never had she felt pain this fierce before.  The back of her head screamed, making her want to tear her own hair out in agony.  Her breath began to pick up as panic get in.  The blonde's heart raced lightning fast.  "Nonono, don't hyperventilate.  Listen.  Listen to me, Ann!" He held her head up to look into her eyes.  Ann felt her breath catch in her throat as they made contact.  She had never seen him look this scared before.  Scared for her.  He was putting on a brave face, but she saw what was within.  It broke her heart to see him torn up over her like this.  If she wasn't in such pain, she'd laugh at herself for being concerned with him like this.  His gloved hand wrapped around the rebar.  "I'm gonna pull it out, and Mona and Queen are gonna heal it, okay?" She inhaled sharply through her nose – sniffling at first – before nodding.  "Do you think you can help us heal it?" Ann tried to adjust her position but cried out in anguish as the rebar dug into her.

"No, no I can't!" she sobbed.

"It's okay, it's okay!" Akira assured her.  He looked back at his team urgently.  "Are you guys ready?"

"Ready!" Makoto and Morgana said in unison.  Akira fished his wallet from his pocket and held it before Ann.

"Bite down on this.  So, you won't swallow your tongue." Ann took the wallet in her teeth and braced herself.  "I'm gonna count to three, okay?" They nodded at him, and Akira tentatively wrapped his other hand around the rebar.  "One…  Two…  THREE!" With a swift and shaky pool did he remove the metal, wincing in anger and pain at Ann's shriek.  He tossed the offending metal to the side and let Morgana and Makoto heal her.  Ann sobbed into his chest as he held her.  Akira gently stroked her hair, whispering words of comfort into her ear.  The blood began to fade, and even the tear in her latex suit repaired itself.  Her wound had been fixed before their very eyes.  It took all of the remaining strength the both of them had to heal Ann. Makoto nearly collapsed, Yusuke helping break her fall.  Morgana pounced to Ann's side.

"Are you okay, Panther?" She choked back a sob and nodded.

"I-it still hurts," she whimpered softly.  "I… I don't think I can walk."

"Mona-" Without missing a beat did the cat shift into his van form.  Akira grinned and nodded with satisfaction.  The doors swung open, and the engine revved.  "I'm gonna lift you up, okay?" Ann wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face into it.  She winced at the oncoming pain.  Akira lifted her bridal style, growling in anger at himself as he listened to her anguished moans.  "Queen, get us out of here!  Everyone load up!" No sooner did the back doors close did Makoto gun the engine, racing down the track.

"Where do we go?  Do we see a doctor?" she asked.  Akira was silent, contemplating the situation.  Where would they take her, and how would they explain this?

"Takemi's clinic," he stated.  "She'll know what to do." Makoto nodded, running over the minor shadows like they were roadkill.  Ann sobbed into his shoulder as Akira encouraged her to let it out.  Ryuji, Futaba, and Yusuke all watched her sorrowfully while Akira held her.  They all felt like dead weight, useless.  But Akira felt worst of all, emotionally.  He swore and berated himself endlessly with the same venom and ire he had spat onto Akechi.  "I gotcha, I gotcha." His voice, though shaky and with traces of fear, was calming to her.  Ann's neck burned with shame at how vulnerable and weak she felt before him.  Before them.  Crying in his arms like a baby.  Though they all would have agreed that she had every right to cry from the rebar, it didn't subdue the anxiety within.

The Phantom Thieves sat in uncertain silence as Makoto raced for the entrance of Mementos.  Morgana lurched his chasse forward in a vain attempt to speed them along.  Any treasure the Reaper might have had was left behind in the rubble.  No time to collect it.  Ann needed to be tended to and fast.  They raced up for the surface, Makoto pressing her lead foot on the peddle.  The ride back up felt longer than any Palace they had ever traversed.

Akira alternated between keeping Ann calm and checking the rearview mirrors.  He half-expected the Reaper to be on their tail, surviving the collapse by some fluke.  Knowing his luck.  But it was nowhere to be seen.  It had truly been buried behind them.  A hollow victory.  High off of their success against Medjed had be let himself become.  And Ann was paying the price.  This was supposed to be Futaba’s initiation.  Not a horror story and a failure for him to shoulder.

The Reaper had the last laugh in the end.


	34. The Folly of Pride

_8/30/17 – Tuesday_

It had been a trial to get Ann to Takemi's clinic unnoticed.  With such a large group and one of them being carried, Akira was sure they would've been stopped by police.  Then Ann's parents would be contacted, a huge investigation would take place, and Akira would land in even hotter water than he was already in with the law.  But by some miracle, they managed to pull it off.  Takemi had been rather surprised to see her former "assistant" shuffle in with his gaggle of friends and an injured girl in his arms.  She took Ann in with no questions asked, a show of gratitude to Akira and his contribution to her medical research.  Akira helped her onto a stretcher, and the doctor wheeled her into the back office.  Ann was out of his hands now.  All he could do was wait in silence with the others.  That was when the panic began to really set in.

Akira sat in the corner alone, reflecting on the night and endlessly chewing himself out.  The others tried to reach out to him, but he said nothing.  Remaining quiet and distant.  It was a jarring experience to see their leader – a man who dripped with confidence and wit – be reduced to this.  Now they worried for his well-being also.  Almost an hour ticked away before Takemi called him in.  Tentatively did he enter, leaving the others behind to speculate in worry.  Ann laid on a bed with a breathing mask over her face.  A gasp rose up in his throat as he saw her there.  She was unconscious but stabilized.  An IV was hooked into her arm, sending a spasm of fear through his spine and gut.  Since he was a child, needles unnerved him.  Seeing one sinking into Ann's flesh caused him to audibly shudder.  Takemi giggled at his little display.

"Aren't you a little old to be afraid of needles?" she teased.  Akira sighed and shook his head.

"Not now, Takemi.  I'm really not in a joking mood." She merely shrugged, tapping her pen on the clipboard.  Akira drifted to Ann's bedside and rested his hand on hers.  Her skin was pale and rather cool.  Ordinarily a combination that would bring him comfort now brought worry upon him.  All sorts of paranoid worst-case scenarios drifted into his head alongside a tidal wave of soul-crushing guilt.  Her chest rose and fell softly, comforting the boy a bit.  She was alive, at least.  But as to the severity of her condition, he couldn't say.  And that uncertainty twisted his stomach.  He licked his dried lips and gulped, looking over to her.  "G-give it to me straight, Doc." He paused to let a heavy sigh escape his chest.  "How… how bad is she?"

"She'll be just fine.”  She caught a snicker in her throat as she saw his face.  Run pale, jaw agape, and eyed widened.  All the breath left him in one fell swoop.

"B-b-but-but-b-but-but-but… but….  but…" He looked back to Ann in her bed.  The mask on her face, the polymer fogging with each tiny breath.  "But the mask!"

"Just a precaution," she said.  "To help her breathe easy.  She's in a deep sleep."

"And the IV?"

"She was very dehydrated.  So, to recoup these lost fluids, I hooked her up." Akira looked over to the IV once more, another audible shudder escaping his chest.

"Sh-she doesn't like needles."  He could feel the pinch in his skin just by imagining it.  Takemi giggled at how apprehensive the object made him.  Perhaps she could tease him some more when he helped around the office.

"I'll remove it before she awakens," the doctor said.  Akira took a seat next to her.  His worries began to evaporate little by little, but intrusive paranoid thoughts about the worst hung in his mind.  Like a spider web, and he was a helpless fly trapped within.

"H… how long will she be like this?"

"I’ll keep her here overnight and release her around noon tomorrow." The breath left Akira once more in a single surprised grunt.  This time, she couldn't suppress the laugh.  Akira's face burned as the doctor laughed at his obvious distress.  Takemi was not blind to his agitation and composed herself with a cleared throat.  "My medicines are incredibly strong, thanks to your assistance.  That combined with her rather high vitals mean she'll be up tomorrow with no problems whatsoever." Akira could scarcely believe his ears.  An hour ago, she was twisting and writhing in his arms, blood stains on his trenchcoat sleeve.  Solid rebar had speared her gut.  Now she rested peacefully in the doctor's bed and would return tomorrow.

"…So she's not gonna be a vegetable?"

"Pfft!" Takemi scoffed, covering her mouth.  "Of course not!  What made you think that?"

"Oh, thank God!" Akira slumped into his seat, rubbing his eyes.  Were he alone, he would’ve burst into tears of relief.  "She's fine.  Thank God she’s fine.  If something happened to her, I'd be a miserable wreck for the rest of my life…."

"Now stop being so dramatic," Takemi said, rolling her eyes at him.

"I'm serious!" he insisted.  "She's my….  f-friend." Takemi's lips curled into a small smile as she caught his stutter.

"…Sure." Akira's neck burned from her teasing tone.  Takemi walked over to Ann's bedside with a clipboard.  "I am curious, though.  The patient exhibited severe signs of intense pain, but I found no wounds whatsoever.  I just administered one of my advanced painkillers you helped me concoct, and her torment seemed to disappear almost immediately." Akira once again felt his breath evaporate in his chest.  Speechless.

" _Should've bought some_ ," he muttered to himself in disbelief.  On the surface, he appeared completely numb.  Inside, however, he was being berated endlessly.  By himself.

 _You goddamn fucking stupid ass!_ he shouted in his head.  _Why didn't you buy the goddamn medicine!? You're supposed to be the leader of this team, and you forget basic healthcare rules!? You dipshit ass two-bit dickless wonder!_ An exasperated sigh escaped his chest.  Slowly he rose up before embracing her warmly.

"Thank you," he muttered softly.  "So… so much…" Takemi smiled and gently patted him.

"After all you've done for me, Akira, I'd do anything for you.  Though… you haven't answered my question as to what was wrong with her.  I could find no physical abnormalities, and an x-ray didn't reveal anything unusual." She eyed him wryly, causing a cold sweat to form on his neck.  He recognized that look from when she offered him a new medicine to try.  Even after they mutually ended the deal after helping cure her favored patient, he still had that paranoid notion that she'd make him try something.  But Takemi had no such plans.  "Akira… was this Phantom Thieves related?" Akira felt a knot in his throat develop.  Though he said nothing, his silence spoke louder than anything.  Joy and amusement fluttered in the doctor's chest.  "Is  _she_  a Phantom Thief?  Akira pursed his lips nervously as he saw her eyes drift to Ann. Takemi looked back towards the door to the front lobby.  She raised an eyebrow mockingly at him.  "Are  _they_  Phantom Thieves?" Akira bit his bottom lip apprehensively, the mystery they had all been weaving being undone by one lone doctor.

"Yes, okay, fine.  It was Phantom Thieves business.  We're Phantom Thieves." Takemi giggled with great amusement, earning an embarrassed blush from the boy that only served to fuel her enjoyment.

"I figured as much," she said smugly.  "With you hanging around them so much, it was only natural to assume they were involved.  I'm surprised you were so easy to read." Akira's face burned hot from her teasing.  She cooed and pinched his cheek.  "But I won't tell.  I owe you that much." She looked over to the sleeping girl, reminded of the patient she took care of so often.  The one that Akira helped save.  Her face grew solemn, and she turned back to meet his eyes.  "Akira, I know I'm not exactly the beacon of responsible practices given my unorthodox experimentation on you, but you need to be more careful."

"You're right." Takemi blinked in surprise.  She had expected him to offer some counterpoint.  Some unknown variable that made his situation unique.  Or at least some kind of defiant argument from a teenage boy his age.  But nothing.  Just reluctant admittance.  "I can't exactly tell you what we do, but I made a mistake." Akira looked solemnly down onto the sterile floor.  His eyes and face, glum.  To see that winning smirk missing from his face broke Takemi's heart.  "It was a stupid decision, and I almost got someone killed." He gently placed his hand on Ann's head and ran his fingers through her hair.  Takemi felt a small smile rise on her face from his display of affection.

"I don't suppose I can convince you to tell me what it is the Phantom Thieves do, right?" Akira smirked and shook his head.

"Nope." Takemi found herself laughing softly as she saw that smirk return to its rightful place.

"Well, I suppose that's for the best." A hand found its way to his shoulder, resting warmly.  "Whatever it is you do is no doubt dangerous.  You say you almost got her killed, but I see nothing wrong with her.  She rests healthy as can be – albeit a bit pale and dehydrated – in this bed.  Somehow, she lost some blood, but I see no wounds." Akira looked down at his feet guiltily.  Not since his exile to Tokyo and disdain earned from Sojiro did he feel so low.  Takemi sighed at his sorrowful display.  His soft face now wreaked with sadness hurt her.  "Again, I'm not someone who should be lecturing you on responsibility, but…" She sighed, ruffling his hair playfully with an empathetic smile.  "Be more careful.  Okay?"

"Yes, ma'am." The doctor placed a hand on her hip, pinching his cheek with the other.

"C'mon," she said softly.  "Where's that smile I love so much?" The right of Akira's mouth curled into an unenthusiastic smirk, to which Takemi raised an eyebrow at.  "You're faking it." Akira sighed and delivered a limp shrug.

"Sorry." The doctor ultimately relented, giving him the all clear to go.  She handed him his satchel, filled with dozens of strong medicines for his endeavors.  No charge, she assured him.  Akira slowly exited the back and found the others gathering before him.

"Well?" Morgana asked fearfully, tail stiff and back raised.

"How bad is it?" Makoto uttered, wincing softly.  Akira inhaled deeply and sighed, a look of disbelief on his face.

"She'll be completely fine by tomorrow." The group fell into stunned silence, and Akira had to fight off a snicker in his chest as he saw himself in them.

"B-but she had effin' rebar through her!" Ryuji said.

"I know!" Akira said.  "I was shocked too!  But Takemi ran x-rays and couldn't find anything wrong.  She just gave Ann some medicine, and she'll be right as rain by noon."

"Medicine?" Yusuke inquired.  "You mean the medicines you tested?"

"Bingo." Ryuji grinned with relief, playfully jabbing his friend in the ribs.

"Those medicines you tested really saved the day this time, huh?"

"Medicines…." Makoto reflected on his words.  The illegal medicines Akira was testing.  The ones that could've gotten him killed.  The ones she lectured him over.  They actually saved Ann. "Uh… Akira?"

"Don't say it," he said.  "Gonna try and apologize for the medicine lecture, huh?" She pursed her lips, a tad embarrassed at how well he had read her.  He gave a distant smirk.  "Well, save it.  What you said back then is still true today.  It was reckless of me to try those medicines.  I could've gotten hurt." Makoto frowned sadly at him.  There was no satisfaction in his admittance.

"Well…" Ryuji scratched the back of his head awkwardly.  "It worked out, right?  The medicines and the Reaper fight.  Really gave it to 'em, huh?"

"At too great a risk." Akira leaned against the wall, staring down at his shoes.  Unable to face them.  "It was my job…" His voice grew low.  Gritty and dry at the back of his throat.  "My job to protect her.  To lead you responsibly." He closed his eyes and shook his head.  "I failed you today.  As your leader.  As your friend."

"Dude…" Ryuji shelved his hands in his pockets glumly.  "You made a mistake.  It was a pretty big mistake, but it happens.  We're still teenagers.  We do dumb shit." He looked over to Morgana and gave his best smirk.  "L-like all the times I almost gave away that we were Phantom Thieves in public, huh?" He nudged Makoto's ribs with a wink.  "Like when I called Akira on the phone and you overheard us.  Remember, Makoto?  Heh heh…"

"This is different." Ryuji deflated almost immediately.  He hated seeing Akira like this.  So glum and humorless.  Yusuke stepped tentatively forward.

"W-well…" He paused to gather his thoughts.  "To be fair, it was risky." Akira nodded in agreement.  "Rather… reckless and… irresponsible and…" With every word, Akira's face twitched in very subtle ways.  The artist gulped the knot that had threatened to choke him.  "I can't do this!  Forgive my words, Akira!  I didn't mean to offend-"

"No, you're right."

"But I don't like to hurt my friends' feelings-"

"I deserve this." Yusuke could say no more, the wind in his chest gone.  Akira looked up to him through his peripheral and smiled sadly.  "Should've listened to you, Morgana," Akira said with a sad smile.  He didn't face the cat, but he could feel his eyes upon him.  "You were right.  And I was wrong." He sighed, the smile fading.  "I'm sorry." Morgana's ears folded, the cat lowering his head.  He had wanted to be told he was right and that he knew what he was talking about.  To be regarded as an equal among the Phantom Thieves.  But not like this.  There was no joy to be earned in this admission.

"Akira…" Makoto reflected over all the counseling advice she had read about.  She tried to string together something to say, wanting to approach this like a professional.  But this was her friend.  And the student council hadn't prepared her for such life and death situations.  "You… y-you made a mistake!  Okay?  I made one too!" Ryuji took a step back, fearing for his safety from the passion in her voice.  "Who got us in trouble with Kaneshiro?  Me!  That's who!  It was because of me and my negligence that we all got involved!  You forgave me after my mistake!  Why can't you forgive yourself?" Akira chuckled dryly, much to the surprise of the others.

"Well, you also got a lean chewing out." He couldn't help but laugh.  It was a soft subdued laugh but came right from the chest.  He looked up to her with a wry smile and a raised eyebrow.  "So come on.  Where's mine?  I’d say I deserve one after the stupid shit I pulled today."

"Stop it!" she insisted.  "Stop being so self-deprecating!  I can't stand it!  It's not good for your self-esteem." Futaba looked at Akira from behind the others.  It tore her heart up to see him in such a sordid state.  He saved her life, gave her another chance to live again.  They all did, but he was the one who led the charge.  Now he sat before her disheartened and broken.

"This is depressing," Ryuji said.

"I'll say." The others turned to see Takemi standing in the doorway.  She looked over them with a calm smile.  "Lighten up, you guys.  Your friend will be just fine.  Don't be so glum." Ryuji huffed and scuffed his shoe on the floor.

"Believe me, we've been tryin'."  Takemi looked to Akira and stoically nodded.  That boy brought joy to many with his kindness and desire to help others.  Now he seemed to drain it all from them with his misery.  If the merrymaker is sad, what hope do the rest of them have?

"Can we see her?" Futaba piped up.  He eyed the doctor searchingly.

"Oh.  You're Sojiro-san's daughter, right?" The orange-haired girl nodded, receiving a beaming smile.  "Well, good that you're okay.  I bet Akira-san here has been looking out for you."

"For all of us." She looked back to their leader but received no response.  Only glum detachment.

"Yeah, he does that," Takemi said with a wry smile.  "He's a sweetheart." Through her peripheral, she could see that nothing had changed.  The doctor focused her attention onto the other kids.  "It's a bit small back there, so I'll need two at a time, okay?" Akira had a subtle smile on his face as the others visited their sleeping friend.  The relief and reprieve in their voices lifted his spirits a hair.  But not by much.  They all got their chance to visit before Takemi declared visiting hours to be over.  "I'll be staying here tonight to look after her, but I can assure all of you that she'll be fine by tomorrow."

"My greatest thanks, Takemi-sensei," Yusuke said.  "You have eased our minds tremendously this evening."

"For a friend of Akira's, I'd do anything," she said.  Futaba held Morgana in her arms, despite the cat's initial protests.  Takemi scratched his chin and ruffled his fur.

"Why me?" he protested.  Takemi, however, only heard soft meows.

"Kitty's good," Futaba said, Morgana rolling his eyes at her.

"You kids head home safely, alright?" Takemi asked.  They all said their goodbyes and exited the clinic.  The cool night air was like heaven upon their skin.  Akira remained silent, still solemn and empty.

"So…" Ryuji began, feeling awkward.  "Let's head home, right?"

"R-right," Makoto said, glancing at Akira.  "We'll meet here bright and early tomorrow morning to see Ann.  For now, let's try to get some sleep." The others nodded save Akira.  She leaned forward, glancing at him with concern.  "Please, Akira." The worry in her eyes hurt him.  He hated seeing his teammates – his friends – be torn up like this over him.  He shouted at himself to put on a fake smile for them.  To lie and say he was doing okay.  But the guilt, despair, and apprehension towards lying bested him.  All he could do was nod.  It wasn't a lot, but it seemed to convince the girl to relax.  They said their goodbyes and went their separate ways, with Akira splitting off from Futaba and Morgana.  The spectacled girl caught him slinking off from her peripheral.

"H-hey!  Akira!" He stopped and turned to her, the girl staring down at her boots.  "Where are you going?"

"Leblanc is this way," Morgana said.  Akira gave a slow nod and sighed.

"I need to take of something first.  Take a walk.  Get my mind off things."

"Oh." Futaba clasped her hands nervously, the realization it was just the two of them together setting in.  Well, them and Morgana.  "D-do you want some company?" Akira gave a remorseful frown.

"Not tonight," he admitted.  "I need to be by myself for a bit.  To think." Futaba nodded reluctantly.

"I understand." Slight disappointment resided in her chest at his rejection, but her empathy was not lost on him.  "Sometimes, you need to be alone to deal with your anxiety, right?" Akira chuckled lowly, a genuine real laugh that brought a smile to her face.

"Suppose we know that more than anybody, huh?"

"Promise you won't be out too late?" Morgana asked.  The cat didn't enjoy the idea of going back to Leblanc alone.  The evenings where Akira was gone were the loneliest.  No one to talk to, to air his grievances and concerns.  Akira understood more than anyone else.  So, the relief that shot through the cat's chest when he nodded did wonders to ease his troubled heart.

"I'll be back in time.  I promise."

* * *

 

Akira walked up the steps to the apartment complex.  The key Ryuji had told him about was strangely missing.  A shame as the boy wanted somewhere he could sulk in peace.  Somewhere away from the others.  He twirled the lockpick in his fingers as he climbed up the floors.  With his practice in the Metaverse, opening the door wouldn't be too big a problem.  He sighed with relief as isolation came ever nearer.  The brown bag in his other hand sloshed with its liquid sealed within the glass.  It had taken some degree of convincing to let Iwai give him this bottle of whiskey.  The old Yakuza bore no joy in contributing to a minor, but Akira was no ordinary kid.  He was a Phantom Thief that had gotten involved with shady Japanese crime.  As such, he earned some stripes, or at least that's what Akira said.  Iwai ultimately relented, handing him the bottle and making a point to head to church for penance next Sunday.

Though he got what he wanted, Akira wasn't too happy with his choice of action.  It felt rotten to convince Iwai to give him that bottle.  Here he was feeling sympathetic for an ex-Yakuza for breaking the law.  Were he in better spirits, he would laugh.  But tonight was not that night.  The whiskey in the bottle swaying back and forth taunted him.  He kept arguing with himself to bring the bottle back and apologize to Iwai.  But he couldn't.  He needed the drink.  It was bad and immoral, but he needed it.  It was a destructive vice he was exposing himself to at a young age, but he needed it.  It was a weakness.  But he needed it.  He needed to let himself feel weak.  Out of the eyes of the others so as not to disappoint them.  Just for one night, he needed to be weak.  To give in and just let go.

"What the-" As he stopped before the vacant apartment door, he was surprised to see a light shining from underneath.  He furrowed his brow in confusion as Ryuji had told him nobody lived here.  Slowly, he approached the door, surprised to find it unlocked.  As it opened, he was greeted by a rather stunned looking Ryuji and Mishima.  The boys stared at one another like deer in the headlights.

"Akira?" Mishima asked.  "What are you doing here?"

"I was gonna ask you the same thing..."

"Uh…." Ryuji waved shyly.  "Hi." Diagrams were being written in Akira's head as he tried to piece together why they were here.  Ryuji had told both he and Mishima about this room during school when he had brandished the poster.

"You bastards!" Akira declared with great offense, closing the door behind him.  "You were gonna do the maid thing without me?!" Ryuji held his hands up defensively.

"W-well, you were all depressed earlier, which bummed me out, so I needed to get my mind off it!  So I called Mishima."

"What's that in your hand?" Akira felt his gaze slowly drift down to the bottle wrapped in a brown bag in his hands.

"Uhh…." He licked his dried lips, debating in his head whether to lie or not about the alcohol.  He had already illegally obtained liquor, but he still felt bad about it.  And lying was wrong too.

"Lemme see!"

"Hey!" Ryuji snatched it from his hand and removed the bag, eyes widened with shock at what he found.

"Dude!  Is this whiskey?!" Akira pursed his lips awkwardly and rubbed his neck, which had grown hot from the shame of being exposed.

"….Yes."

"Whoa!  How'd you get whiskey?" Mishima asked, staring at the bottle with fascination.

"Hey, you stay away from that!" Akira lectured.  His neck burned hotter with shame at his hypocrisy.  Ryuji narrowed his eyes at Akira searchingly.

"Were you gonna come here and drink your depression away the whole night?" Akira felt himself shrivel before his blond friend.  Though he was not a judgmental one, it hurt Akira's pride to have tarnished his image in such a way.  "Dude!  Teen drinking is a serious problem.  You know how many people get into drunk driving accidents?"

"But… none of us can drive," Mishima stated.  Ryuji deflated slightly, his point having been sullied.

"Well… anyway, that's not the real issue here." He pointed at Akira accusingly.  "You can't drink away your problems!  I won't allow it!  Like, at least drink at a party or something.  But not here in this tiny apartment." Akira stood in silence for a while before letting out a sigh, followed by an amused chuckle.

"You're right," he said, a genuine content smile on his face.  Ryuji grinned with pride at his words.

"I can get used to hearing that."

"Don't push your luck." Ryuji placed the bottle on the ground and gave Akira a stern look.

"So, we're in agreement.  No drinking.  Right?" Akira huffed with amusement and nodded.

"Only if you promise to keep this a secret from Makoto."

"So, are we still on for the maid thing?" Mishima asked.  Ryuji looked to Akira with an expecting expression.  Ryuji's energy was infectious, and it wasn't long before Akira found that wry smirk back on his face.

"Let's fuckin' do this shit, boys!" Ryuji and Mishima cheered and looked over the poster.  The two of them were rather enthusiastic about the pretty maid girls.  All of them wearing frilly outfits sporting thigh high stockings.  Showing the cleavage proudly on display.  Some of them looking like college age girls.  And talks of "special" services only hinted at with questionable metaphors.  As the three boys' minds began to wander, apprehension set in.

"S-so… we're really gonna do this, huh?" Mishima uttered.  "You think it'll be okay?" Akira tugged on his shirt collar nervously.

"W-well…" Shadows he could face no problem.  Girls, however, were another matter entirely.  "What do you thin, Ryuji?" The blond's eyes returned to the pink flyer.

"Don't sweat it," he said, holding the flyer to their faces.  "Operation Maidwatch, bro!" As Mishima's eyes fell upon the poster, his mind filled with fantasies about busty maids acting sultry and "accidentally" lifting their skirts to him.

"Y-yeah!" he said with a reddened face.  "Operation Maidwatch!"

"If it turns out to be sketchy, we can just bail," Ryuji stated.  "The apartment's vacant, so it's not like we'll be messing with anyone's home."

"That's a good point, Ryuji," Akira stated.  The blond beamed proudly.

"To think Sakamoto has a brain," Mishima said, scratching his head.  Akira chuckled, smirking at him wryly.

"If only he had this level of precision at the beach with Operation: Babe Hunt." Ryuji's neck flushed as Mishima eyed him curiously.

"Don't bring that up here!  Now!"

"Sakamoto tried to pick up girls?" the boy asked, earning a hearty laugh from Akira.

"And failing."

"Yeah, yeah," Ryuji said flatly.  He handed the flyer over to Akira expectantly.  "Okay, give 'em a call."

"Wha-me?  Why me?" He looked between Ryuji and Mishima, the latter shaking his head nervously.

"Not me!  I'm not good at speaking on the phone!" Akira sighed and dialed the number, grumbling to himself.

"Cowards."

"Thank you for calling!" a man's voice said enthusiastically.  "This is Victoria's Housekeeping!"

"Th-they answered!" Mishima whispered with a gasp.  Akira held a finger to his mouth, frowning.

"I take it you're interested in our services, then?" Mishima's cheeks started to redden as he imagined what services their maid would perform.  "Is there anyone in particular you'd like to request?" He looked to Ryuji for an answer, but the blond stood just as lost as he was.

"Uhh, su-surprise me!" Akira said.  The man on the other end gave a hearty laugh.

"Very well!" he said enthusiastically.  "Let's see here…" On the other side, Akira could hear papers being shuffled and what sounded like a pen scribbling on parchment.  "We have a maid available in… twenty minutes.  May I ask for your address?" Akira listed off the apartment and room this mystery maid would be heading to.  "Thank you, sir.  I hope you enjoy our services." As Akira turned his attention back to the boys, he was surprised to see their faces had gone white.  Like they had seen a ghost.

"Shit," Ryuji said with a gulp.  "This is really happening…" The realization of what they had gotten themselves into had just hit.

"A maid's services…" Mishima said, regaining the color in his cheeks as his mind wandered at the possibility.  "Hey, what should we have her do?  I was thinking we start with some cooking." Akira looked around the small room the three of them stood inside.

"Cook what?" Around them resided beige walls with brown furnishings along it.

"That's a good point," Mishima noted, rubbing his chin in thought.  "Of course… I wouldn't mind some of the other services either.  Should we hold a strategy meeting to discuss?"

"They said twenty minutes, right?" His neck glowed hot with apprehensiveness.  His stomach sunk down to the ground.  "I gotta use the bathroom." The blond slipped out to relieve himself, leaving Akira and Mishima behind.

"So what do you think, Akira?  What services should we go with?"

"It's gonna be a little awkward when she shows up to an unfurnished room with three high school boys standing around leering at her," the shaggy-haired boy noted.  This didn't deter Mishima, who began listing off dozens of ideas of what he wished to see.  But neither of the boys had any true idea of what they would see later that night…

* * *

 

Akira entered through the door of Leblanc, greeted by Sojiro himself.

"Hey, where you been?"

"Oh, you know.  Out." A vague half-answer was less mortifying than telling his caretaker that he and his friends had called a maid service out of sheer curiosity.  Even worse was the discovery that it was none other than Akira's homeroom teacher, Ms. Kawakami.  The boy felt he needed a cold shower after seeing his teacher gussied up in a revealing maid outfit, speaking cutesy double entendres.  Such lewd thoughts about an older woman.  He had never been more grateful that Mishima and Ryuji had abandoned him.  If only it had stopped at sexual awkwardness.  When she found the bottle and assumed he was drinking, she held his ear in a vice grip.  Never had he heard her deliver such an impassioned speech before.  It had taken some convincing, but she eventually relented and believed his truth that he had not taken a single sip.  Though, she had taken it upon herself to confiscate the bottle for Akira's sake.  Iwai wouldn't be getting it back after all.  Sojiro dried his hands and exited from behind the counter.

"Now that you're back, you can lock up for me."

"Alright.  Goodnight."

"Night, kid." The storeowner proceeded back home, and Akira began shutting everything down for his well-earned rest.

"Hey!  You're back!" Morgana sat at the foot of the stairs, tail twitching energetically.  Akira shut off the lights, locked the front door, and promptly scooped his feline friend in his arms.  Morgana purred and leaned into his chest.  "You seem to be in better spirits."

"Yeah," Akira said, followed up with a hearty chuckle.  "I had quite the adventurous night.  More so than I actually expected.  I can't wait to hit the sack."

"What happened?" Morgana eyed him expectantly, awaiting a response as Akira chose his words carefully.  He had made a promise to Ms. Kawakami to keep quiet about her moonlighting as a maid.  But this was Morgana.  There was no one besides the Phantom Thieves he could tell.  Still, it felt dishonest to speak of Ms. Kawakami's secrets after swearing to remain silent.  Then again, it also felt dishonest to keep such a secret from his good friend.  The turmoil bubbled in his chest, and he resolved it the best way he could.  With half-truths.

"Ryuji and Mishima had me call a maid service," Akira said.  "Then the two chickened out and left me behind with her." The cat was cackling like a madman.

"What a dolt!" he joked.  "Ryuji running away with his tail between his legs." Akira arrived at the top of the steps and hit the lights, placing Morgana in his spot at the foot of the bed.  Akira removed his jeans and slid under the covers.  The cat's laughter declined in quantity, subsiding to a soft jovial chuckle.  The boy placed his glasses and phone to the side, hands behind his head.  Morgana snuggled by his legs.  "Was the maid pretty?"

"Yeah," Akira admitted.  Though Ms. Kawakami looked rather plain and unassuming at school, she did manage to clean up quite nice.  He sighed, sinking deep into the mattress underneath him as he reflected upon today's events.  "Boy, today has been a fucking day."

"It sure has," Morgana said with a chortle.  "Remember we're waking up bright and early to go see Lady Ann tomorrow, okay?" Akira nodded slowly, his eyes half open.

"Yeah, I remember." Morgana's smile faded as he sensed his tone.  That dry grit had returned to the back of his throat.  The cat had a suspicion of where this was going, and he dreaded it.  But for a minute, Akira said nothing.  Staring up at the ceiling.  The shafts of moonlight lying across his face against the darkness.  "I should've listened to you today, Morgana." The cat didn't respond, his ears folding sadly.  "I let you down.  I let all of you down."

"Akira," the cat said.  He paused, kneading the blanket with his paws tentatively.  "I won't lie and say that today went by smoothly.  You made a mistake.  No doubt about that.  But everyone is fine.  Lady Ann will make a full recovery by tomorrow."

"Is that what it's all about?" Morgana grew silent.  There was great disdain in his voice.  Heavy with disappointment and heartache.  It was quiet.  Subdued.  "It's okay to put you guys into reckless danger as long everything turns out fine in the end?  We can just shrug our shoulders and move on simply because of luck?"

"But we won-"

"Barely." He let out a dry chuckle and rubbed his brow.  "I figured you'd be all over this, Morgana.  Taking the opportunity to tell everyone you should be listened to.  Taken seriously."

"It doesn't feel right," Morgana admitted.  "If it was anyone else, maybe.  But we've done so much, you've been through so much-"

"We've all been through the shit," Akira stated simply.  A stoic flat expression on his face as he stared at the ceiling.  "Doesn't make me special or above criticism.  We're all running the same race."

"I'm not saying that," the cat insisted.  "It's just…" It was painful to see Akira in such a sorry state of self-loathing.  He made a foolish mistake that had almost proved to cost too much.  That much, Morgana couldn't deny.  But just the level at which he scrutinized himself.  The harshness, the disdain.  He did a better job putting himself down than anyone else could.  "Yes, you should've listened to me when I told you to retreat.  That we weren't ready to fight the Reaper.  But you somehow managed to beat him.  We all managed to walk away, and Lady Ann will be completely fine.  Doesn't that count for something?"

"Not enough." Morgana's ears folded but not out of sadness.  But rather agitation.

"Not enough?" he repeated, slowly rising to his paws.  " _Not enough?!_  What would've been enough then?"

"Had the mistake not been made in the first place.  It was my job to protect you guys.  To lead you responsibly.  I failed." Morgana sighed frustratedly.

"Akira, you're going to make mistakes at some point," the cat said.  "This was your first mistake, and it won't be the last."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

"You can't be like this every time you make a mistake!"

"I can when someone almost dies because of it."

"But Lady Ann didn't die-"

"Doesn't matter.  The whole thing could've been avoided if I had listened to you.  That was an error in judgment, and it's a stain on my position as your leader." Morgana pounced on his chest, glaring at the boy.

"So, what?  You don't think you're fit to lead us anymore?"

"Perhaps.  If a change of leadership is needed, then we should vote on it."

"Because of one mistake?"

"Ann almost died-"

"Enough of this!  I can't stand it!" Akira was surprised by the genuine anger and frustration in the cat's voice.  Very unlike Morgana to become this irate.  He pointed a claw at Akira, his paw shaking.  "You can't fall apart because of this one mistake!  It was a really big one!  Huge, even!  It was really stupid and reckless of you to engage the Reaper after being warned we couldn't do it!  Yes, Lady Ann got hurt because of your decision, but you also pulled through and helped us save her from dying!  I believe with all nine of my lives that no one else could've pulled that off the way you did!  Not even me!  And I can't just sit here and watch you sulk!  Like it or not, life goes on, and you're not doing any of us any favors by doing this to yourself!" Morgana's little chest rose and fell while Akira sat in silence.  Never had he erupted with such intensity before. Akira was impressed, oddly enough.  The cat took his sustained silence as understanding.  He sighed and shook his head.  "This is like talking to a brick wall."

"You talk to a lot of brick walls like it's just a normal thing to do, then?" A snicker escaped the cat, which earned an amused chuckle from Akira in return.  He ruffled Morgana's head and slid closer to the wall, lifting the cat and placing him by his head.  Morgana curled up and nestled against the pillow.  "Thanks for that, Morgana.  I guess sometimes a good kick in the ass can set you straight." The cat snickered once more, playfully flicking Akira's nose with his tail.

"You're the leader for a reason, Akira.  We trust you, and you've proven me right when I chose you to be our leader many times over.  You should count your victories sometime." Akira smirked and huffed with amusement through his nose.

"Hard not to doubt yourself when you gotta pull rebar out of your friend," he said dryly.  "But know that it'll take more than one major fuck up to get me to quit.  I'm in this for the long haul.  We Phantom Thieves stick together." Morgana smiled contently, burying his head into the pillow.

"Good.  Because you promised to help me become human again, and I'm still not human yet." Akira chuckled, leaning into Morgana's back.  His fur felt so soft against his skin.

"You got it." Both boys felt they had come closer as friends that night.  Though some doubt of his capabilities lingered in Akira's mind, Morgana's speech did seem to restore some degree of faith in himself.  But Akira would be far more scrutinizing of his decisions in the Metaverse from now on.  For his team's sake.  For Ann's sake.  He would not be responsible for another near-death like that again.  Not if he could help it.

Even if it took his own life to do so, he'd keep his friends safe.

* * *

 

_8/31/17 – Wednesday_

Akira sat at Ann's bedside, head resting on an open space next to her legs.  He had arrived significantly earlier than when Takemi had told him she would be awake, but it mattered little to the boy.  He just needed to be close to Ann, even if she wasn't conscious yet.  The turmoil and self-doubt that had plagued Akira all of yesterday had persisted through the night, giving him little sleep.  It hadn't been intentional for him to fall asleep at Ann's side.  Morgana slept in Akira's satchel in a chair by the door.  The others had texted Akira in regards to when they would meet, but his phone remained unanswered.  He was out like a light, resting as comfortable as he could next to her.  His glasses were lopsided upon his face from the angle he laid his head at.  Takemi placed them to the side and continued with her paperwork, taking occasional glances at Akira.  The boy looked so peaceful by her side.  A far cry from the distressed mess in her clinic yesterday.

Ever so slowly did Ann open her eyes, holding an arm to shield them from the sterile lighting of the clinic. She stretched her stiff limbs gingerly under the sheet.  The blonde was groggy and barely aware of the world around her.  After about a minute, she regained full consciousness.  Ann reached for the phone that rested on the stand to her left.  Shiho had texted her last night.  She was surprised to see it was only Wednesday.  From the severity of her injury, Ann had not expected to be awake so soon.  A jolt of surprise shot through her as she remembered the events of yesterday.  The intensity of the pain from the rebar skewering her.  She panickily reached for her side through her hospital gown, relieved to feel nothing irregular.  No pain and her skin felt as smooth as could be.  As she adjusted her position to get a better view, her leg brushed against something.  It tickled her legs and drew her attention down to what looked like a ragged shaggy mop.  A smile beamed across her face as she recognized its owner.  Her hand reached down and stroked Akira's hair while he slept.  A comforting warmth spread through her chest upon realizing she wasn't alone.  It was adorable seeing him sleeping at her bedside, reminding her of the romance movies she liked to watch.  Him resting patiently for her to awaken.  It made her heart flutter, although she'd never admit it aloud.  Such clichés and romantic cheese were always found to be uninteresting, at least that's what she had told herself for a long while.  Now she had to suppress the joyful giggle building up inside.  He was so soft; she couldn't resist petting him.  A smile crept upon his face as he leaned into her hand, still asleep.  Now she couldn't hold back the giggles within.  Akira stirred from his slumber with a cough, pleasantly surprised to find a hand sitting on his head.  She beamed at him, and his eyes lit up like fireworks.  In the blink of an eye, he was upon her.  Embracing her tightly with silent relieved laughs.

"Thank God you're alright, Ann," he muttered softly into her ear.  Her arms wrapped around him, cradling the boy in her touch.  He felt so warm against her.  After the chaos of yesterday, nothing would've comforted her more than to be held by him.  To be close by him.  "I'm sorry, Ann." She turned to him, perplexed.

"For what?" He moved his chair forward and leaned against the bed, looking at her remorsefully.

"For landing you in here," he said.  "It's my fault you got impaled with that rebar.  I was insistent on taking down the Reaper, and you got fucked up pretty bad.  It was my job to look after you, and I failed." She placed a hand to his cheek, her skin cool against the warmth developing upon it.

"So dramatic." He couldn't help but snicker, taking her hand in his own and gently stroking it.  Running his thumbs across her skin, resting his forehead against it.  "I'm fine.  And we beat him, didn't we?"

"It was a reckless decision."

"But it turned out okay, didn't it?"

"Not good enough." She frowned at him.  The distress in his voice caught her off-guard.  The remorse and bleakness were off-putting.  She had witnessed his somberness during their discussion outside Leblanc, but this was another level entirely.

"Akira, I said I'm fine, okay?" she reassured him.  "I'm alive, healthy, and I've got you." He suppressed the overjoyed smile on his face.  It didn't feel earned.  In his mind, he didn't deserve to smile.  Not after reliving his mistake again.

"You're not angry at me?"

"Well, of course not!"

"Why not?" She paused.  The question was rather odd to her.  When a boy made a mistake, usually he would be begging for forgiveness.  At least that's what she knew from romance films and novels.  Here she was, fully forgiving him for his mistake.  And he was beating himself down relentlessly.

"Akira… you made a mistake.  A big one.  But you fixed it the best you could.  More than anyone else could've done."

"But I still made the mistake in the first place.  How are you so willing to let this go?"

"Because of all you've done." She cupped his chin and tilted his head up, forcing the boy to face her.  "You helped me stop Kamoshida.  You were there for Shiho." Back then, she had merely thought him to be a nosy bother for investigating Kamoshida.  Annoyed with him for his altruism.  Now it was one of the biggest things that drew her to him.  His kindness, concern for a complete stranger that wanted nothing to do with him while others averted their eyes and their hearts.  And together, they stopped Kamoshida once and for all.  No more groping Ann in the hallways when no one saw.  No more extorting the girls for sex in exchange for a spot on his team.  No more beating the boys into pulp.  No one would have to wander the halls in fear anymore.  His reputation would forever stain Shujin, but both of them had cut the head off the serpent together.  He was done, and they were just beginning.  "You gave me my life back, Akira.  You helped give all of us our lives back.  How could I ever hold anything against you?" Akira found himself at a loss.  All he could do was lean into her hand, too bashful to face her directly.

"You're way too kind, Ann," he said softly.  "More than I deserve." As Ann opened her mouth to retort, a surprised gasp escaped instead as Akira planted his soft lips on the back of her hand.  Her face exploded bright red from the warmth he placed upon her skin.  Nervous giggles were elicited from the girl to ease the tension he felt within.

"H-heh heh, guess we're even for what happened outside Leblanc, huh?" He tilted his head back up and gazed at her with longing eyes.

"Suppose we are." There was that grit again.  Only it wasn't somber but intimate.  Sending shivers down her spine whenever it graced her ears.  Such a rugged sound from such a soft looking boy.  God, he was so handsome.  Fair skin, dark contemplative eyes, classy taste in glasses, and a shaggy head of hair she wanted to run her fingers through.  He cleared his throat, nursing the heat building upon his neck.  "So… we never did get to finish our conversation at the beach…"

"Oh!  You're right." She looked at him expectantly, tapping her fingers.  "Last I recall, you were going to confess something." Akira smiled and laughed nervously.  In these moments with just her, where only the quiet accompanies the both of them.  It was such an intimate magical time that bore him both a feeling of relaxation and nervousness.  Ann was the only girl in all his life that had that effect on him.  Around her, it felt okay to be nervous.  She wouldn't judge him for his anxiety.  Tease him, maybe.  Not that he minded the teasing.  If anything, he found it quite alluring.  Part of her natural charm.  The both of them playfully and affectionately jousting with one another.  From witty banter to closely knitted conversations they would span.  The loyalty and friendship of a truly wonderful person.  And he had nearly almost lost all of that.

"Ann," he said, clearing his throat.  "In light of yesterday's events, I feel that I need to say this.  Now more than ever." The knot that developed in his throat interrupted him.  He found difficulty in breathing, the air having grown stuffy.  His anxiety played its foul mind games upon him once more.  She bit her bottom lip, eyes lighting up with anticipation.  Since that night outside Leblanc, she had been awaiting this.  Akira licked his dried lips and tugged on his shirt collar in an attempt to cool himself down.  As he opened his mouth to speak, Morgana pounced over his shoulder and into her arms.

"Lady Ann!" he cried, purring and nuzzling her.  She beamed at the cat before bursting into laughter upon seeing Akira's face.  The boy's eyes were closed, a look of bitter tired defeat and exhaustion before her.  "I'm so glad you're okay!  We were all worried about you!" She giggled with amusement at the little cat.

"It's good to see you too, Morgana," she answered sweetly.  Ann had wanted to hear him say it badly, but she wouldn't disregard Morgana's displays of concern and affection.  Akira felt rather differently.  He had wanted to say this since the beach.  To part the fog, stop the mincing of words, and be direct with how he felt about her.  It felt as though the universe was conspiring against him and all his efforts to tell Ann how he truly felt.  As if to throw salt into the wounds, the door opened, and all the others came piling in.

"Hey, you're early!" Ryuji declared, patting Akira on the back.  Ann was giggling like crazy as she watched him disguise his exasperation.  The past two days had been his worst string of luck since his arrest.  He mouthed "later" to her and took his place by the others' sides.  Ann beamed with joy as all her friends had come to visit her.  Her eyes widened in realization, a cold sweat running down her spine.

"Oh, crap!  I didn't go home last night!  My nanny's probably freaking out-"

"Don't worry," Makoto stated calmly as Ann reached for her phone.  "I notified her after we left the clinic.  I told you you'd be staying at my house last night." Ann sighed with relief and leaned back into the bed.

"Quick thinkin', Makoto," Ryuji commended.  Yusuke rubbed his chin in thought curiously.

"How did you obtain her contact information?" She cleared her throat and stood straight and tall, as though delivering a speech.

"As student council president, it's imperative that I make sure to look after the safety of your well-being.  So, I memorized all of your emergency contact information in the event of a serious occurrence.  I even have yours, Yusuke." A rather awkward silence fell over the group, unnoticed by Makoto.  The others exchanged perplexed glances amongst themselves.

"Makoto, that's kinda weird…" Ryuji said, scratching the back of his head.

"I'm rather curious as to how you obtained mine," Yusuke said uneasily.  "We don't even go to the same school." As the others conversed about a myriad of different topics, Akira and Ann locked eyes.  A longing anxious look for one another.  Futaba interrupted their lovesick gazing by asking Akira to attend dinner later with her and Sojiro.  The shopkeeper planned to take them out to sushi on his dime.  He accepted and took a step back as Makoto began to question Ann about her health and physical well-being.  Nothing out of place from what Takemi had told him earlier.  His heart hung heavy with desire and frustration as Ann shooed them out to change and check up with Takemi.  So close only to be interrupted by fate.  But it would be the last time.  Next time, there would be no interruptions.  It would be perfect.  The two of them alone, somewhere quiet with a rather lovely view.  And he would at last confess the feelings he harbored for her.  Hopefully, she would do the same in turn.  Looking back on it all, it seemed rather obvious the affection held for one another.  But it was one thing to notice and an entirely different thing to declare it.  To make it a truth.  And that's what he wanted.  What they both wanted.  Akira was determined above all else to make this truth real.  Because if the Reaper incident was anything to go by, there might not be another chance to do so.


	35. The Confession

_8/31/17 – Wednesday_

Mementos.

Returning to such a place only a day after Ann's near demise didn't settle well with Akira.  But Ann had insisted the two of them venture there.  It had been such an odd request of her to make so soon.  But she had a fire in her that would not be quelled.  After being thrashed by the Reaper in such a way, it had instilled a restlessness in her that refused to subside.  It felt humiliating to have been frozen twice by the shadowy being.  The others standing tall while she had been trapped inside an icy prison.  Now she was looking for an outlet to take her frustration out onto.  The shadows that they came across were the unfortunate targets. 

At Akira's request, the two of them remained on the upper levels.  He wasn't quite ready to head farther down this soon.  The two meandered the hallways, Akira with pistol in hand.  Not once was it spun to impress Ann or even its craftsmanship admired.  His only goal was to gun down any shadow before it laid a single claw on Ann.  The threat of the Reaper lingered in his mind, fresh as day.  Filling it with paranoid thoughts of some monster bursting from the darkness to hurt Ann.  He himself being powerless to stop the beast, another failure of his as a leader.  His vivid imagination was something he cursed during the times it fed on his anxiety and self-doubt.  He could not let that happen again.  Not to her, not to anyone.  As such, he always kept a brisk pace before her, leading the way with desert eagle always drawn.  Finger resting against the cylinder, showcasing the trigger discipline Iwai had taught him.

"I wonder how deep this place goes," Ann wondered aloud.  Akira said nothing as he gripped the pistol in both hands and sidled around the edges of the tunnels.  His silver eyes scanned the corridors before them on all sides.  "What do you think?" He held a hand up to listen.  All that could be heard was the sound of the breeze blowing through.  No shadows to be found, at least not in plain sight.

"Alright, we're good." He beckoned her along as he led them down the tunnel, gun raised and ready.  "Let's go.  Find us some shadows to beat down." Ann looked forward at him with a crestfallen expression.  It wasn't like him to just ignore a direct question.  Even if he had no answer, there was at least some snarky quip to be found.

"Right…" Akira's determination couldn't not be noticed, each step he took feeling heavy enough to shatter the concrete they trod upon.  In fierce combat situations against the Palace bosses, his precision and tact were military grade.  But this was just a regular day, and the shadows they were hunting were few in number.  Without hearing his voice or the hum of Morgana's engine, it truly began to sit in just how quiet Mementos truly was.  The ghostly subway cars operated farther down, leaving them with only corridors and empty railways.  With no cars or people, the silence proved to be rather deafening.

"Hold it." Akira held his hand up as if holding her back.  Before them was an open hub area, with emptied kiosks and chairs scattered about.  Akira narrowed his eyes and listened intently. Still, he heard nothing.  But his gut told him otherwise.  If there were shadows skulking about, this would be the most opportune place for an ambush.  "Wait back here.  I wanna scope the place out."

"Is that necessary?" Ann asked.  He delivered a curt nod in response.

"Can't let them get the jump on both of us." Her expression fell, and she gave a limp shrug.  Akira's features seemed to soften at her change of face.  His taciturn approach to their outing into Mementos seemed to be putting a bit of a rift between them.  Not at all what he wanted.  He merely wished to keep her safe.  To not fail again as a leader and a friend against a potential repeat of the Reaper fight.  A small half-smirk found its way upon the corner of his mouth, and he twirled his pistol once.  An amused huff went through her nose, her lips curling into a faint smile.  "I'll be right out here." He clutched the gun tightly and navigated towards the center of the open space.  A deep sigh escaped him as he eyed Ann through his peripheral.  That small smile she had given him – that simple act – had caused the knotted tension in his chest to subside, albeit meagerly.  Her happiness was crucial to him.  But so was her safety.  As the leader, Akira needed to keep her safe.  But his focus and anxiety had made him cold.  He had dampened her mood.  He scanned the corners of the room before his thoughts returned back to Ann.  As hoped, the area was empty.  Maybe he should loosen up some.  Not be so aloof and distant towards his friend.  The girl he cared for so dearly.

" _Gah!_ " A heavy force pounced on him from the ceiling, pinning him to the ground.  Akira tried to push himself up, but the shadow kept him against the floor.  It had leapt from above, obscured by the shadows.  He pounded the floor with his fist angrily at the surprise attack.  The second time one of these monstrosities had made a mockery of him.  Anger and frustration seethed in his chest.  Fire shot out at the mighty shadow as Ann rushed forward, whip in hand.  The shadow abandoned its assault on Akira and charged for her.  With a mighty slap did it send her clattering for the ground.  A tendril snaked from its arm, forming into a meaty club and pounding onto her back.  She cried out in pain from the blow, sparking wild anger within her partner.  Akira rose to his feet with manic animalistic eyes.  " _GET AWAY FROM HER!_ " The shadow turned back forwards him as Akira sprinted onwards.  His silver eyes flashed yellow, and Kin-Ki emerged from his shadow.  The Persona twirled its blade and sliced the shadow's stomach open.  Black goo dribbled and washed upon the dirty concrete.  Kin-Ki slashed and diced the monster almost to ribbons before her voice drew his attention elsewhere.

"Joker!  Look!" From behind the subway terminals did four smaller shadows emerge.  Though small, they were by no means any less a threat or vicious.  Their jaws dribbled with drool, sharp teeth hanging from outside their lips.  Ann's fingers began to crackle with fire, Carmen poised to strike behind her.  Before she could unleash hell upon the beasts, Akira slid before her to pepper the shadows with gunfire.  An entire clip was unloaded into the meager enemies, dissipating like flies before him.  The larger shadow rose up and raised its mighty fists to strike Ann.  The blonde cracked her whip, catching the creature on its torso before the third lash caught across Akira's back as he pounced onto its chest.  He cried out in pain from her strike but kept his attention focused on the shadow as he stabbed it mercilessly in the eyes with his knife.  As the beast fell to trails of smoke from the onslaught, Ann rushed to Akira's side.  His back stung sharply from the severity of the whip.  Ann prepared to heal the sore boy, but a guttural roar interrupted her spell.  Another large shadow beast scrambled from the tunnels, leading a small force of smaller apparitions with it.  A large tendril shot out from its back towards the two.  The barbed pointed end raced forward with great intent.  Ann curled her fingers and channeled the magic within, she and Carmen attempting to summon a great wall of fire.  But Akira pushed her to the side and interrupted the spell.  The tendril pierced his shoulder and pinned him against a pillar.  He cried out in anguish between gritted teeth.  Though punctured, it had not felt as though it had torn any muscles or punctured any bones.  But if the pressure being placed into it continued, his shoulder would be broken.  Akira sawed at the barbed appendage with all the might he could muster behind his left arm.  But the pressure continued surmounting, and he couldn't cut fast enough.  The area then lit up with a spectacular towering inferno as the larger shadow and its minions were engulfed in immense flames.  The fire burned brighter than any Akira had seen before.  Standing before the shadows as they dissolved to ash was Ann with Carmen behind her.  With one mighty whip crack, Ann shattered the burnt remains of the shadows into pieces of charcoal.  Akira slid to the ground, no longer being pinned by the tendril.  With its dead owner had it lost its life, now limp.  He removed the offending appendage from his arm and cast it into the railways.  Like lightning was Ann upon him.  Her eyes shimmered with fear at the hole in his arm.  His black trenchcoat stained a bit with warm blood trickling out.  "Joker!" Her voice shook uneasily as she eyed the hole in his shoulder.  Akira hissed between his teeth, a makeshift grin on his face as he tried to calm her nerves.  Ann gulped down the apprehension in her throat and placed her palm against the wound, a wave of healing magic washing over the boy.  The wound began to close up, and the vast stinging pain washing over his body.  Within seconds, the pain had completely subsided.  Akira clenched his fist to test his muscles.  Everything tightened up properly as expected.  Though his shoulder felt stiff, it soon regained its smooth movement as he pivoted it around.  A great sigh of relief escaped the boy, and he looked upon Ann with graciousness.

"Thanks, Panther," he said.  She huffed with relief through his nose, planting her hands onto his shoulders.

"You're welcome.  But please try to be more careful next time, okay?  You almost got yourself seriously injured." The look of solace on her face was replaced with concern once more, mixed in with a scowl.  "That was pretty reckless." He found himself surprised to hear those words leave her mouth.

"It would've impaled you-"

"Not if you let me incinerate it like I was going to.  Before pushing me to the ground." The shadows had fallen to ash almost instantly when touched with her mighty fire.  If Ann took issue, she would let it be known.  No longer content to just be the doting girl on the sidelines.  Not since standing against Kamoshida.  His actions began to stir forth the feelings of self-doubt once more.  In his desire to keep her safe had he been putting himself at greater risk.  And he would be of use to Ann or anyone else if beaten to a pulp.  With an embarrassed heat rising on his neck did he raise himself onto his feet.

"Right," he said reluctantly.  "Sorry, Ann." She ran her hands along her back, the healing magic taking its course and alleviating the pain from the blow she took.

"Good." He sighed with relief at how quick she was to let it go.  How grateful he was that she wasn’t the type of person to hold something over his head.  "Now, then.  Let's see where those shadows were coming from." The girl tautened the whip in her hands and strode past the terminals.  Swiftly did Akira shuffle to his place in front of her, gun drawn.  Though he had resolved to be much more careful about his actions for her sake, by no means would he relent on protecting her.  Ann cradled a ball of fire in her hand as a makeshift lantern.  Akira smirked at her ingenuity.  The area behind the terminal led to a flight of stairs, leading out of the subway.  A stiff breeze could be felt and heard billowing down into the tunnels.  "That's weird.  I didn't even know there was an outside portion here."

"Stay behind me," Akira warned.  Ann frowned with displeasure as he rose up the stairs.  His desire to keep her safe – while endearing – was beginning to feel more and more like coddling.  And by no means was she a woman to be coddled.  That much, she had made abundantly clear time and again.  Though her annoyance was lost when she saw the vast space outside the subway.

"Holy shit…"

Like the Station Square above the subway in the real world, there was one here.  A vast open space for people to congregate.  Akira recognized the stand where Toranosuke Yoshida would give speeches in the plaza periodically during the week.  But the square was incredibly unnerving in appearance.  The architecture was predominantly the same, only with everything bathed in a red light on account of the red and black patterned sky.  What was really disturbing was the lack of people.  All day and night were this place populated with almost a hundred people.  Now, it looked like a ghost town.  Fortunately, no shadows seemed to be close by either.

"Creepy," Akira growled lowly.

"Yeah.  No kidding…" Months ago, when Kamoshida had called her on the phone, the square felt exactly like this to her.  Empty despite the hundred or so people present.  But no one showed any sort of care or concern for her emotionally devastated state as she nearly broke down into tears when that awful man used Shiho's position on the team as leverage in exchange for sex.  Everyone else turned a blind eye to her upheaval.  Everyone except for him. Except Akira.  But he was being so distant and cold, focused on killing all shadows despite the risks he was putting himself under.  And she wanted that warm boy that had tried to help her long ago to be here again.

"Let's look around.  Maybe we'll find something." She nodded and took her spot behind him.  Akira walked at a brisk pace, a jog to most normal people.  The square expanded out to the streets, where those weird red roots climbed the sides of the buildings.  They emerged from under the concrete, manholes, cracks in the sidewalk.  Like a fungus upon dead wood.

…

The shadows on this topside portion of Mementos proved to be much ornerier than their tunnel dwelling brethren, perhaps a side effect of the vast open space around them.  Nowhere to hide or obscure themselves.  They presented a bit more of a challenge than most of the ones skulking about the top levels, but by no means were they too large a handful.  The two Phantom Thieves kept the creatures at bay and fleeing from the battle, with Akira's attacks being particularly vicious.  The boy was putting nearly everything into each swing and spell, and it was starting to take its toll.  Sweat beaded his brow, and his chest rose and fell with every ragged pant.

"Can you slow down a bit, Joker?" Ann urged him.  Down each and every alleyway and street corner did he point his gun.  Each fight against even weak shadows did he drive his blade deep into their necks.  As though each fight would be his last like they were on borrowed time.  And it was starting to take its toll.  It was clear on his face that Akira was running himself ragged.  His breathing was a lot heavier, the gun in his hand sometimes trembling from how hard he was exerting his musculature. 

"Just covering you," he rationalized.  She raised an eyebrow at him before drawing her Tommy gun from her back, cradling it in her arms.

"You know I can protect myself, right?" He looked back and took notice of her trigger discipline.  Were his nerves not so flared up, he'd be rather impressed.  "I don't need to be babysat." Akira pursed his lips and thought his words over carefully.  He was at it again.  She was one of the toughest women Akira had ever known.  The blonde could incinerate a crowd of shadows with a snap of her fingers.  She had even saved the lot of them from the clutches of demise a couple times in Kaneshiro's Palace.  Yet he was coddling her.  Despite the words of Ann, Morgana, and the others, he still could not get the lingering guilt and fear of a repeat performance of the Reaper incident out of his head. 

He hated this.  Lingering in the self-doubt and scrutinization.  More so than usual was it plaguing him and for good reason.  He forced himself to choke it down.  Fixate on stomping the shadows to build himself up.  Blow off steam.  Akira leaned against a wall, peering down an alleyway.  The gun was primed and ready in his hands, but no target revealed itself.  The alley appeared to be empty.

"The way is clear.  Let's hit it." Ann strode into the shadowed alley, Akira keeping a brisk pace before her.  Always several steps ahead of her.  His eyes were steely with intense focus, but such a state left him awfully disconnected.  His usual jests and jabs were gone. Nonconversive and distant.  It was disheartening to see him in such an unusual state.  He held a hand out to stop her as he peered around the corner.  Before them was a ghostly looking building.  Red lights emanated through the cracked windows.  With its shanty roof, it was a rather shifty looking building, to say the least.  Fortunately, there were no shadows to be found still, which set his mind at ease.  "Wait here." Slowly did he approach the building while Ann lingered behind.  His hand slowly grasped the doorknob and turned, sliding the door open.  Inside appeared to be a ramshackle safe room, decorated with a table, a couch, and a few chairs.  Meager living conditions for anything that could be alive in the Metaverse.  What a safe room was doing so far out from the underground tunnels was unknown, but Akira wouldn't complain.  "All clear!  Come on in." Ann shuffled in with Akira closing the door behind her.  She sat back on the couch, propping her boots up on the table.  Akira hadn't left the door but had rather taken position near the wall to spy out the window.  "We'll rest here for a bit."

"You should consider getting yourself some rest too," she said.  "You look tired." His cheeks glistened with sweat from the stress and pressure he was subjecting himself to.  The boy raised his sleeve to wipe away the moisture.

"I'll be fine."

"Akira..." He turned and saw her folding her arms.  Hearing her drop the codename in this place.  That was their rule: always keep to codenames within the Metaverse.  But it was just them, and no shadows to be found.  Within no palace did they stand.  In a situation like this, Akira found it quick to forgive her slip up.  He rather liked it.  Hearing his name spoken aloud by her in this ethereal foreign realm.  It was an intimate close thing, one that caused his heart to tremble.  He felt a vulnerability creeping on them both.  But there was also a lingering comfort that did battle with these feelings of negativity.  In her presence, where no danger was close.  Just the two of them.  Part of it did feel somewhat safe.  "Take a seat with me."  His head felt a mess.  Swimming in this back and forth emotional turmoil brought on by his stress and insecurity.  Akira felt his heart seize up as she looked at him with those shimmering blue eyes of hers.  He fought back a grunt in his throat at just how beautiful she looked.  Positively a stunning gorgeous woman.  With those pleading eyes, she could ask for anything and everything from him.  And he's said yes every time.  "Please?" And just like that, he found himself seated next to her.  Her soft little please had made his resistance crumble.  Inside, he felt he should not remain seated there.  He should be at the door on alert.  For shadows, for anything that could hurt her.  That could put her in danger.  But she wrapped her arms around his arm, resting her head onto his shoulder.  With a reluctant but content sigh, he resigned himself to his fate.  A soft smile spread on Ann's face as she held him close.  With her comforting presence did Akira feel the tension dip in potency within.

"Well, we can't sit around too long," he said.  The gun sat holstered in his trenchcoat pocket, his left hand tapping fingers against the fabric of the couch.

"Still worried about me?" He felt his neck and chest grow hot as she saw right through him.  It didn't take an A average student to see how hard he was pushing himself.  Underneath his coat were sore muscles from the overexertion and protective blows he had taken shielding Ann from shadow attacks.  Meanwhile, she sat almost untouched, the blow she had received to the back having faded.  Her latex-clad fingers ran up the length of his arm, feeling the toned muscles underneath his coat.  From the twitches in his arm, she could tell he was flexing to impress her.  She bit the inside of her cheek to contain the giggle that threatened to escape, settling for an amused huff of air through her nose.  "You're trying to do too much.  You're not a super sentai hero, you know." Her heart raced as she heard a chuckle escape him, followed by that winning grin of his.  The first expression of joy all day.  She squeezed and hugged his arm like a teddy bear, nuzzling it with her cheek.

"What a nerd," he joked, giving her a playful look.  She snickered and leaned into his neck to tickle him with her hair.  The act worked as his laugh escalated.  The boy tried to move his neck, but Ann had no intention of letting up.  Instead, she gripped his arm firmly and pulled him closer.  Akira leaned into her, the two of them now sharing a hearty laugh.  The tension seemed to melt away instantaneously from their playful shenanigans.  Akira felt as though a great weight had lifted from his chest.  He could breathe again, his skull didn't feel like it was choking his brain, and the tension in his lower back had subsided.  The laughter slowly subsided, and the two sat together, basking in the warmth of each other's company.  After being plagued by self-doubt for two days straight, it felt as though he was reborn through this single act.

"Seriously, though," Ann said, still holding his arm.  "If you keep up this attitude, you'll get yourself hurt just as badly as I did."

"Well…" Akira's voice fell to that familiar grit.  He was contemplating deeply the gravity of their situation.  "It would be better than seeing you hurt."

"No, it wouldn't!" She shuffled onto his lap, gripping his coat for support.  Akira instinctively cradled her, Ann burying herself into his neck.  "Don't say things like that.  You know how you feel now?  The guilt and anxiety you told me about?  Well, I'd feel it too!  But worse because you're our leader, and I would've failed to protect our leader!"

"That's not how it-" He sighed and shook his head.  "The leader is supposed to protect his teammates."

"We protect each other.  That's what a leader and teammate do.  Watch each other's backs." Akira searched for something to make her see reason, to make her not stress over him.  He felt helpless, forlorn, and a bit frustrated at his inability to provide a suitable enough answer.  Now he knew what Morgana and the others felt like dealing with him.  "I know you don't wanna see me get hurt again.  Believe me, I'd rather not get hurt myself." Akira chuckled dryly at her response.

"Well, I could imagine." There was that winning charm again.  His lightening of the mood with humor was something that always drew her to him.  His way of relieving tension and making her feel calm.  She gave a small smile and nestled into his neck.  Akira toyed with the tip of her pigtail drooping down her back.

"Akira, if something happened to you, I wouldn't know what to do with myself.  None of us would." She hugged his neck closely.  "You can't be willing to recklessly put yourself in harm's way all the time in the hopes of keeping us safe.  Sometimes, we just have to take the hit." Akira sat in silence, chewing on his bottom lip as he mulled over her words.  Though he couldn't deny a single thing she was saying, it was difficult to face.  They had been roughed up fairly badly before, but that rebar was a whole other class entirely.  A gruesome display that twisted his gut.  Perhaps a freak accident, but one that could've been avoided had he listened to Morgana's advice to flee.

"I'm just…." A defeated sigh escaped the boy.  He rubbed his sore eyes with his free hand.  "I'm afraid." His heart trembled from admitting such a vulnerable thing.  The Phantom Thieves looked to him as their leader, the fearless dashing Joker who would overcome all odds and lead them to victory.  The pressure of such a role hadn't set in until Ann had gotten hurt because of him.  Now, the threat of failure plagued him at all times.  Lingering in the future that it might happen again.  Demoralizing, soul-crushing.  Ann placed her hand upon his cheek.  The two locked eyes and Akira felt his heart melt into mush under her gaze.  It was such an understanding look, the one in her ocean blue eyes.  Safety, closeness.  "I don't wanna see you get hurt again.  Not when I could've done something to prevent it."

"That's how I felt about Shiho," Ann said.  He frowned.  Not at her but at the remembrance of Kamoshida.  Of Principal Kobayakawa's cowardice in covering it all up.

"That wasn't your fault, Ann," Akira stated.

"But that's how it felt to me." The haunting memory of that day, when Shiho stood along the ledge of the roof.  Ann staring up in fear and apprehension at the lone girl.  Screams of terror echoing through the walls as she plummeted towards the ground.  How she had survived was a miracle.  Ann remembered the words that sent such chills into her heart.  Shiho's wished to escape from the world, from what Kamoshida had subjected her to.  Even after Kamoshida was carted off to jail and his name stricken from everything in Shujin Academy, the guilt she felt wouldn't subside.  Had she just accepted his offer and let him have his way, Shiho wouldn't have jumped off that roof or had to leave.  "You tell me all the time that I shouldn't feel guilty or responsible for it.  But I just can't help it…"

"But that wasn't your fault," he reiterated.  "Torturing yourself about what happened won't help you at all.  It'll just make you a complete mental wreck-"

"Exactly!" She sat up on his lap and pointed at him, the tip of her finger against the tip of his nose.  "I caught you!  You're trying to tell me to stop letting this hang over my head, but you can't do the same!  You can't follow your own advice!" Akira's mouth hung open as he tried to come up with some way to convince her.  Some convincing bit of logic that he could argue with.  But as his mind wandered, all he could go to was "it's not the same." The only argument he had to differentiate the guilt they felt.  But that was the tricky part about applying logic to emotion.  Logic operated under reason and order while human emotion and nature were inherently chaotic.  And the excuse only generated a continuous loop where she would defend the validity of her emotions in spite of the reasonability of his argument.  Then he'd be back here again.  Just thinking about the exchange was exhausting, almost as much as the physical exertion he put himself through today.  A reluctant sigh of admittance escaped his chest.

"You're right," he admitted, earning a beaming smile from the girl.

"As usual." A wry smile emerged on Akira's face.

"Gonna rub salt in my wounds now, of all times?" She stuck her tongue out at him, earning a giggle from the boy.  She rested her head against his, generating a warm blush on the both of their faces.

"I still believe what happened with Shiho wasn't your fault," he said.  "But you're right.  I'm giving you advice I can't give myself." She nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck.  He cleared his throat, nervous laughter in his chest.  "So how about this?  We compromise." She opened her eyes and looked into the deep silver staring back at her.  It was such a sleek and alluring color.  "If I'm feeling like I did, then I'll… I dunno.  Vent to you or… something?  Not keep it cooped up inside and let it brew until I break down." It felt like such a mundane solution when said aloud.  A no-brainer obvious way to deal with his dilemma and ease his anxiety.  Nothing dramatic or instantly changing everything that happened.  Just a simple "talk it out" situation.  He couldn't help but feel stupid after subjecting himself to so much mental scrutiny just to arrive at such an elementary resolution.  But issues are the psyche are ones that cannot be so easily fixed with magic or medicine.  His stress would linger, but doing this with her – discussing his feelings when they threatened to swallow him up in despair and self-doubt.  Maybe then he wouldn't feel so helpless.

"And I'll do the same for you," she said.  Ann leaned into him, the warmth in their chests culminating together and washing over them like a blanket.  "When one of us feels like we did, we vent.  Just like this." Akira wrapped his arms around her.  A tender embrace more intimate than anything they've ever done before, with one another or others.  A slow realization then dawned on him, deepening the blush on his cheeks.

"Just like this?" Ann furrowed her brow curiously and leaned up to look at him.  Only then did she realize how compromising their position was.  There she was – clad in a red latex catsuit – straddling him.  Legs at his sides, sitting right on his crotch.  The both of them looked down bashfully.  Akira's position, however, garnered him a face load of cleavage, forcing the boy to look aside.  The awkward silence set in, broken by a nervous laughter from Akira.  "H-haha, how awkward, huh?"

"Y-yeah…" Though embarrassed, neither one of them wanted to move.  This was way more intimate than any of them had gone before.  A great sensuality hung in the air around them.  Akira gulped down the knot in throat and made a bold move.  Ever so gingerly did he run his hands up her waist.  A shudder escaped from Ann as his hands glided up her latex-clad body.  She heard a low growl in his throat, almost like a purr.  Her heart rate skyrocketed, and she became really self-conscious of her body all of a sudden.  Ann exuded confidence in front of the camera.  She was really proud of her body, both its natural slimness and the progress she made in toning herself up with Ryuji and Akira's help.  Only two things made her feel shy and reserved about her form: perverted men and intimacy.  Akira was making her feel the latter immensely.  Not that she would complain.  For all the embarrassment she felt, a rush of excitement and confidence accompanied it.  She was sitting on a boy's lap.  A boy she really liked.  A boy that made her feel safe and calm, made her laugh.  A boy that was one of her closest friends.  And a boy that also happened to be quite attractive.  When dressed in his regular clothes, he was rather cute.  Akira was like one of the extravagant handsome boys come to life from the romance manga she read in secret.  But when he donned his Phantom Thieves garb, he became rather sexy.  The flowing black trenchcoat and the stylish white mask.  He knew he looked good, and she couldn't argue against it in the slightest.  Only hide her admiration with jokes and jabs.  She looked down at him, a playful look on his face as he drank in the sight of her.  The blush on her face deepened and threatened to rival the latex of her suit.  He always looked so confident and composed, even when he confessed the insecurity he felt.  She got a thrill out of the times she made him blush and stammer.  It made her feel powerful like Carmen in the books that she read.  Tentatively did she reach out and rest her hands on his chest.  A devious smile stretched on her face as she saw his lips tremble, his blush deepen, hear the soft inhale of surprise.  From underneath the grey collared shirt did she feel his chest.  He had toned up significantly in their training together.  For all his soft bishounen features, his masculine qualities were accentuated significantly.  The dry ruggedness with which he spoke to her intimately, softly.  His toned muscles.  Akira was trembling slightly under her touch, a fact that brought her great joy and empowerment.  The two locked dreamy bedroom eyes, nearing closer and closer to one another by the second.  Soon, only an inch of space hung between them.  Lips on the verge of contact.

 _SMASH!_   Akira flew across the room, and Ann tumbled to the floor.  Glass shards clattered onto the ground before them.  Ann darted to Akira's side, lifting him up.  A black tendril slithered away and out the broken window.

"So the shadows decided to show up after all," Akira growled between his teeth.

"Are you okay?" Ann asked, helping him to his feet.  Akira chuckled and nursed his sore side.  The shadow had gotten him good.  But not good enough.

"Takes more than that to get me," he said.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Ann grabbed her whip and burst through the doors to give chase.  Akira clutched his ribs and took off after Ann.

"No, wait!  Ann-uh, Panther!  Hold on!" She wasted no time in chasing after the shadowy creature.  Right into another alley across from theirs.  Akira felt panic seize his heart as two more shadows filtered in.  With a pained hiss through his teeth did he pursue.  The sounds of Ann's shouts, the cracking of the whip, and the shrieks of shadows filled the air.  The street he crossed was empty of all life and activity.  Never had it unnerved him more to see a large city area devoid of movement or people.  The crazy black and red patterned sky did little to ease his mind.  As he slid to the entrance, a wall of fire erupted from within the dark alley.  Akira jumped out of the way in time as ashes floated out with the wind.  The alley had grown eerily quiet.  As worried as the sounds of combat made him, the silence that followed proved to be even more troublesome.  Akira readied his pistol and inched his way into the alley.  The smell of smoke and ash stirred a coughing fit within.  Whatever these shadows were made of, it smelled horrible when it burned.  Whatever Ann did, it left nothing behind.  Those monsters never stood a chance.  Akira would be prouder were he unable to find her.  Ann had disappeared completely.  The sound of metal shaking above him rattled his heart.  He looked up towards the sky and found only fire escapes lining the sides of the buildings.  "Panther?" His voice reverbed in the alleyway.  But no response could be heard.  "Panther?" Like the first, no response.

"Hey." Akira turned to see Ann right behind him.  Hanging upside down.  He narrowed his eyes at her searchingly and looked up to see the front of the whip wrapped around her ankle.  The grip was tied to the metal grating above, allowing her to dangle.  A giddy smile sat upon her face.

"How'd you do that?" Akira asked.

"Saw it in a movie once," she said with a cheeky wink.  Akira craned his neck to further inspect her handiwork.

"Are you sure it'll hold?"

"Don't worry, I've practiced."

"You… practiced?" She dangled side to side with childlike amusement, a giggle sparking up in Akira's throat.  "Having fun?"

"Yeah." She beamed at him and pinched his cheek.  The boy felt his grin flare up, a calm chuckle shaking his chest.  Ann playfully ruffled the shag that resided on his head, causing Akira to blow a few stray strands out of his eyes.  "You know, when I couldn't find you, I got really worried." He shelved his hands into his coat pocket, a heat building on his neck.  He wasn't afraid of being honest about his emotions, but never had he been as forthcoming with them as he was with her.

"Heh, sorry.  I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, color me surprised." With an amorous look, he leaned in closer.  The tips of their noses touched, causing a mutual blush to spring upon their faces.  The two shared a shy laugh only for their time to be interrupted by a thunderclap.  Akira felt something hit his shoulders, then his face.  Water.  With another clap did rain begin to fall.  The both of them stared up with dubiety towards the sky.  It hadn't occurred to either of them that it was possible to rain in the Metaverse.  The liquid didn't seem to feel, smell, or even taste magical in property.  Just regular old rainwater like in their world.  "You gotta be kidding."

"It's so weird," Ann said.  Though clouds amassed in the sky, the red and black patterns remained.  The two of them lacked the capabilities to describe it.  "Well, it beats suffering in the heat back in our world, at least." Akira smirked with gaiety, eyes closed as he soaked in the water.  It felt unbelievably cool on his skin.  Nearing the first of September, the weather began to finally relent in its merciless heat.  Not fast enough for their mutual comfort, however.  Ann's latex glistened as the rain washed all over it.  Her shiny and wet, hanging upside down by a whip in front of him.  Akira couldn't help but find the situation a little titillating.  Her in such an appealing outfit, the both of them alone in the rain.  And no shadows to be found.  That was when it dawned on him.  He had the perfect setup.  But if a shadow tried to interrupt again, there would be hell to pay.

"Ann, listen," he said.  "I, uh…" The breath caught in his chest, the boy scratching the back of his head.  The realization of what he was going to do in combination with the anxiety and apprehension of such a task set in all at once.  It felt so immense that he believed his chest might cave in.  He forcefully sighed in an attempt to alleviate the pressure.  Though it seemed to work ever so slightly, it had still ensnared his heart.  "So… about that confession…" His voice left him once more.  Palms growing sweaty and feeling the heat rise on his neck from embarrassment.  This was proving more difficult than realized.  With nothing to interrupt him, he was now interrupting himself.  Fate proved to be a cruel prankster, but Akira would not be deterred.  He cleared his throat and swallowed the anxiety down, deep into the cockles of his stomach.  Ann hung there patiently, but her anticipation was fairly evident.  She fidgeted with her hands – tapping her knuckles, wringing, locking her fingers.  It didn't matter what he did.  As long as she felt her hands moving, it made the tension more bearable.  "I almost lost you after that Reaper fight, and it got me thinking that I might not always have a chance to tell you how I…" He inhaled sharply, his heart knotting up in his chest.  The tension felt as though his body were contorting into a pretzel to suffocate him so he wouldn't have to say it.  "How I feel about you.  I just…" Another sigh escaped him, and Akira rubbed his face apprehensively.  Ann clasped her hands and leaned forward with sparkling eyes.  Though it was not lost on the both of them of their mutual attraction to one another, the words needed to be said.  To be made concrete.  An objective truth.  Akira sucked in his lips, chewing on the bottom one tensely.  "I like you, Ann.  A lot.  Like, more than just as friends." His face became redder than her suit as the words finally left his body.  The pressure threatening to choke him had evaporated, but now it felt like he'd melt.  After hearing it said aloud, he frowned sheepishly.  He had wanted to declare it for so long, even if both of them knew.  Now, it just felt like stating the obvious.  And made him feel foolish.

"I like you too," Ann said, her face beet red like his.  Though she seemed calmer and more composed than he was.  "Obviously." After kissing Akira on the cheek outside Leblanc, she had expended most of her anxiety over confessing her feelings.  "Though, I won't lie and admit that I wasn't nervous you wouldn't like me back." Akira let an amused huff through his nose, smiling at her bashfully.

"Why wouldn't I like you back?" he asked.  "I mean, you're beautiful, talented, funny, witty, passionate, kind, strong, fierce, and got a great body." Ann covered her mouth and giggled bashfully into her glove.  Her cheeks were burning even harsher from his words.

"Oh, come on," she said, waving a hand at him.  In truth, she relished in his complimenting of her.  Every time without fail, the smallest of compliments from him had her heart aflutter.  Though, she usually only received it for her looks.  Not that she wasn't proud of her physical beauty, but it seemed that it was the only thing most people – specifically guys – only thought about.  Akira saw more than her in that.  More than just a girl.  A person.  A friend.  An ally.  Not since befriending Shiho for the first time had she felt such belonging.  Akira truly was one in a million in her eyes.  A kind and caring boy with a heart of gold and a fire in his soul.  Quite the far cry away from the nasty criminal those at Shujin had painted him to be from Kamoshida's word of mouth.  She folded her arms and tapped her fingers, giving him an expecting more.  "Well?  Got more?" He chuckled, earning a giggle out of her in response.  As vain as it sounded, she wanted to hear him say more.  Bring up more things that he found appealing about her.  With each thing he had listed, her confidence skyrocketed.  At this point, she could've taken on the world.

"Well, you got good fashion sense." She tucked her lips in and smiled shyly.  The latex outfit had been a point of insecurity for her since obtaining it.  So tight and revealing, a racy package combined into one single suit.  All the latex, the thigh high boots, and the whip.  She wasn’t exactly sure about the dominatrix aesthetic, but she definitely would let no man control her.  Anyone else running their eyes over it would make her feel uncomfortable.  Or would earn a slap to the face.  With Akira, it was different.  He gave her goosebumps.  The good kind.  A blissful shiver running its length down her spine.  With a wry smile, she wrapped her arms around his neck.  The trembling of his lips as she closed the gap between them caused her heart to flutter excitedly.  God, did she love that.

"Akira?  Have you ever had a girlfriend?"

"Not a one," he said, shaking his head.  The blonde blinked at him in surprise.  It made sense as he had in fact told her he hadn’t kissed anyone before.  But someone like him to have always been single?

"I find that hard to believe.  I mean, you're cute.  Like, really cute!  Those dashing silver eyes, your catlike smirk, that shaggy dopey hair of yours that I just wanna run my fingers through and…" Now she felt her voice leaving her as a bashful little smile ran its way across his face, with Akira biting his bottom lip to suppress it.

"You think I'm cute…" Ann pulled a hand back to run a finger along the edge of his white mask.  This simple piece of headwear had accentuated his natural bishounen beauty immensely.  The coat did most of the work, but the mask really brought it home.  With the black designs around the eye sockets, the pools of silver in his head had a heroic fierceness to them.

"And hot." A surprised laugh escaped his throat, Akira's body seizing up from her words.  She offered a hearty giggle to his bashfulness as the boy scratched the back of his head.  Though he found himself ensnared by her grip as her arms returned to around his neck.  It was getting harder and harder to stave off the desire growing in his chest.  Their feelings were mutually known and made concrete.  Now it was time to seal the deal.  Akira sighed softly, relaxing his face to compose himself.  He wanted to give it his all here.  Be the suave Phantom Thief he was and take her heart, offering his in return.  The boy inched closer with a smug smirk.

"So I'm sexy, huh?" She giggled and leaned forward, their noses touching.

"I technically said "hot", but sexy works too."

"Synonyms," he purred.  Akira raised his hand to cup her cheek, running the back of it against the soft pale skin.  Ann shivered from the touch of his red leather gloves on her face.  They felt quite arousing as the hairs on her neck stood up.  A greatly stimulating feeling.  Akira reached back and took her hand in his.  Gently did he run his thumb across the pink gloves.  Droplets clung to the material, occasionally trickling down the sides with the slightest motion.  With another purr, he planted his lips on her hand once more.  The rain, the extravagant outfits, the gesture.  All of it was straight out of the picaresque novels he had picked up reading since becoming a Phantom Thief.  Morgana had insisted that such romantic gestures would win the heart of his most desired.  Turns out he was entirely correct.  The rain was cool and refreshing against Akira's lips, the boy inadvertently licking them while giving Ann a sultry look.  She bit her bottom lip, suppressing a shudder at how attractive it looked.  Especially with the both of them caught in the rain like this.  They were getting soaked, and her hair was turning into a fright.  But she didn't care.  Time and again had she told Shiho she wasn't into these types of romantic escapades.  Now the thought of experiencing all of them with Akira made her feel like flying.  "So Ann… now we know the truth."

"Yeah," she said, gazing at him with a longing dreamy look.  It was hard to process she was here with him right now.  It all seemed like a dream, and she would positively scream if she woke up.  "What happens now?"

"Well..." Akira's thoughts drifted to the others.  Like many things, they both shared a fear of public displays of affection.  They were such intimate close things.  For strangers to pry and watch them hold hands and kiss felt invasive.  Voyeuristic.  Both Ann and Akira greatly valued their privacy, especially since becoming Phantom Thieves.  It was the one thing they could claim was theirs.  Now they wished to share it with one another.  And no one else.  Not even the other Phantom Thieves.  Though their fellow teammates were their absolute best friends, this romantic connection was something much deeper than that bond.  More intimate, sensual.  They would be respectful to their privacy and boundaries, no doubt, but the feeling of them knowing.  Even if they weren't actually, it would always feel like they were being spied on.  And that really fluttered the butterflies in their stomachs.  Akira stopped as a cold realization fell over him.  "Wait." He withdrew slightly, pursing his lips in thought.  Akira held her wrists and returned her arms gently to her.

"What's wrong?" Ann felt her heart skip a beat as Akira's face grew worried.  Was he going to back away?  Her breath hung in her throat with uneasiness.

"What do we do about Morgana?"

"Oh…" Though she never said anything about it, Ann was well aware of Morgana's crush on her.  It was sweet of him with the way he lauded her with praise and attempted to woo her – although at times, he had worn her patience down a bit with his insistence – it was always one-sided.  She felt nothing but friendship for the cat.  But she had never bothered to comment on it.  At least not to his face.  It had always been so inconsequential to her.  Ann rubbed the back of her neck contemplatively.  Never had she felt that potential drama could rear its ugly head into the Phantom Thieves' business.  They were all close friends, but romance had never really occurred to them.  And romance had a way of bringing trouble with it.  She sighed, returning her arms to their desired position around his neck.  Akira nodded and let her cradle his head, smiling as she played with his hair.  "I guess I'll have to tell him."

"A-about us?" Ann bit her bottom lip apprehensively.

"No…" She wanted that privacy with him, even from the others.  It sounded selfish and a touch possessive, but Ann didn't want to steal him away.  Of course not!  She only wished for their relationship to be just that: theirs.  Was that too much to ask?  Ann didn't think so.

"What do you propose?"

"I could… tell him I have a boyfriend, but… no, that wouldn't work." As soon as she said that, everyone in the Phantom Thieves would be trying to figure it out.  Ryuji and Morgana would pester her for a name.  Makoto would follow her around like she did Akira all throughout the school upon suspecting them to be Phantom Thieves.  Having to deal with being followed and watched didn't sit well with the girl.  She just wanted to date a boy in peace, not rob a bank.  She sighed and closed her eyes, tired from thinking.  "Maybe… ugh, what should I do?" Akira tugged on his shirt collar awkwardly.

"Maybe the best solution would be to just tell him?" The uncertainty in his voice did little to calm her nerves.

"But I don't wanna hurt his feelings," Ann said.  Her gaze fell and grew solemn at the thought of breaking the cat's heart.  "He's nice and sweet, but he's not my type of guy.  And, I mean, he's a cat."

"If you wanna pursue this, you gotta be direct," Akira said.  She reluctantly nodded in agreement.  "But he's very insistent that he's really a human and turning back will get you to fall in love with him."

"I already said I'm not interested.  I'm not shallow enough to be suckered in by looks alone." She furrowed her brow and frowned.  "I'm actually kind of insulted he thinks that way."

"I tried to tell him." Akira merely shrugged and sighed.  "He's adamant about this."  None of these solutions provided either of them any sort of satisfaction.

"Perhaps the best solution is to not say anything?" Akira wasn't quite sure of the plan himself, even as he said it aloud to Ann.  And she seemed less sure than he was.

"I… guess?" The act of doing nothing was hardly a solution.  But they were at a crossroads.  Either vaguely tell Morgana Ann has a boyfriend and break his heart while simultaneously watching their backs for their friends spying, tell Morgana Ann isn't interested and break his heart, tell the whole truth about their relationship to the whole group and break Morgana's heart while sacrificing their privacy, or date in secret.  All three of them would suffer setbacks save for in the final solution.  But to do nothing and pretend it solves a problem.  It didn't sit well with Akira.

"Forget about the others for now," he said, that gritty growl rising up in his voice.  And like that, Ann trembled and forgot all about their previous worries.  His sultry steel gaze and the mercury-colored orbs that stared through the white avian mask was hypnotizing.  "Let's talk about us still."

"My favorite subject," she said with a low ardent laugh.  Akira chuckled lowly, teeth showing through the small half smirk on his face.  Slowly did he lean forward, his eyelids falling to an enchanting come-hither look.

"So now the cat's out of the bag." The sound of his voice when he got like this.  A low growl resonating back between his tonsils.  Her thighs squeezed together firmly as she fixated on it.  "Does this mean you'll be my girl?”  Ann inhaled shakily, pulling back one of her hands from his neck to hold to her breast.  Her heart was beating like a drum.  But it was a beat of passion and happiness, not of apprehension and fear.  She did her best to keep cool in front of him, but fireworks shot off inside.  It took all her strength not to scream to the heavens with joy.  But a playful smirk found its way upon her lips.

Firmly did she pull him closer, tightening the gap between them.  Only a hair's length stood between both teenagers.  With a smirk did she lean towards his ear and whisper this. 

“ _Only if you’ll be my man_."

And with that, what little gap remained between the two closed immediately upon lip contact.  Their entire bodies felt like they were engulfed in a great heat.  Even the rain above picked up in pace, almost hosing them down.  The water was cold upon their skin, and they'd be shivering all night when they returned home.  But right now, all they could feel was the warmth of their shy blushes and the intensity of the passion they had for each other.  Ann melted against Akira's lips, so soft and tasting of coffee.  Delicious mocha and soft foam.  And a sweetness like strawberries.  On his, she tasted of coconut.  A smoothness to the perfect suppleness that graced him with its presence.  Firmly did he plant his hand on the back of her head, deepening the kiss.  In turn, she tightened her grip around his neck.  Slow and deliberate.  Savoring one another as though they would disappear the moment they stopped.  A silly notion, but neither one wanted to risk it.  A shudder hung in Akira's throat as his mouth hung open.  He pulled back a hair's length to catch his breath, the pure emotion and passion proving to be almost overwhelming.  Ann had other plans and pulled him back into it.  He wasn't done with her just yet.  And he wouldn't complain in the slightest.  Their gentle but firm onslaught against one another continued, small smacks audible to them.  And them alone; just how they preferred it.  This time, Ann was the one to break the kiss.  Gingerly did the two drift away, only an inch of space between their noses.

"W-wow," she uttered, heart nearly pounding in her throat.

"That's…" Akira paused, panting for breath.  His body screamed from the heat rolling over him.  It was so intense, he could be tanning in his clothes for all he knew.  "That's one way to put it…" Just barely did he breathe out his jest, earning a tired but enthusiastic giggle from Ann.  "That was amazing.  My first kiss…"

"Mine too…" Never in a million years could either of them had imagined their first kiss would be them as Phantom Thieves in a mysterious metaphysical reality filled with shadowy beings.  Or even just between them.  Months ago, they had met as strangers in the rain.  A smile she graced him with.  He giving her a dumbstruck stare, bewitched by beauty and grace.  He had thought nothing of it, at first.  Merely puppy love brought on from a desire to feel belongingness.  He smirked to himself, not ever having suspected it would've ended up like this.  Ann snickered at her inner thoughts coming forth.  "I never thought I'd be kissing the criminal from Shujin." A hearty chuckle resonated in the alleyway from Akira.  She beamed at him, kissing the tip of his nose.  "You're all wet."

"So are you."  The girl giggled bashfully as he planted a kiss on her nose playfully.

"Hee-hee, let's get outta here." Ann held onto the guardrail of the fire escape to undo her whip.  Akira below was ringing out his trenchcoat, heavy from all the rain it had absorbed.  As Ann fiddled with the whip, her binding had come undone, and she plummeted towards the ground with a surprised shout.  Without wasting a beat did Akira catch her in his arms.  She wrapped herself around him out of fear.  The shock from the surprise plummet shook her a bit.  Her legs trembled as he held her bridal style.

"You practiced, huh."

"Shut up!" She pouted cutely and averted her blue eyes, but she still had her arms wrapped around his neck.  He chuckled and pulled her closer, running a finger and thumb against her chin.  The girl bit her chin and leaned forward, planting her lips against his where they belonged.  "Thank you, Akira.  You're my hero." He gazed at her with a sultry sly stare, that winning catlike half smirk on his face.

"Anything for you… my Panther." She shuddered audibly, mouth agape from the way he purred those words.  Ann trembled in his grip, only increasing the smug sense of satisfaction on his face.  Fortunately for him, his smug looks were incredibly sexy.

"Carry me back, my Joker…" True to his word, he strode boldly back with her to the Mementos entrance.  He feared no shadow or apparition hiding in the corners or alleyways.  Their mutual love combined burned through the dark of the Metaverse.

No shadow dared to touch them.


	36. I Am Thou - Thou Art I

_9/01/17 – Thursday_

It was official.

Ann Takamaki and Akira Kurusu were a thing.  In secret but still a thing.  Boyfriend and girlfriend.  Neither of them could get much sleep that night on account of the sheer rush of passion that clutched their hearts.  A euphoria that ceased to quit, even as they returned to school.  Second term already upon them.  Akira took a small comfort in its return as the monotony would allow him to remain busy when the Phantom Thieves had downtime and would give him an alibi in the event someone came snooping around.  Though, it would come at the cost of his time with Ann.  They would have less time and opportunities to explore their relationship as lovers, and school proved far too risky with all the prying eyes of their friends and fellow classmates.  Fate seemed to grant him a stroke of luck, as next Wednesday would be the school trip to Hawaii.  The others seemed quite excited, although Ann and Akira were a touch apprehensive at the thought of no Phantom Thievery at work.  Tokyo without them to protect it seemed rather vulnerable.

The school day passed by regularly, a slow burn as the teachers had not left them with much work on their first day back.  A generous notion as both of them would’ve struggled to focus.  Back and forth throughout the school day did they message one another with proclamations of love and adoration.  Mushy and almost nauseatingly cute.  Akira was saying things he could never have imagined himself uttering.  What he wouldn’t have given to be able to say them aloud right then and there.  Ann was reveling in all this silent affection, her lips trembling as she bit back the bashful and joyous coos he was kicking up inside her.  But the best was yet to come when school ended.  And they got to meet Mika yet again.  Both of them were in for quite the surprise.

“And don’t pull a stunt like that again, okay?” the agency employee lectured.  All while Mika stood before him and pouted with as much pity she could muster.  In typical fashion, the guys were immense pushovers.  Suckers for any girl that they fantasized about getting inside the pants of.  “Ah, Ann-chan.  Good to see you.  We’d like to apologize.”

“What’s going on here?”  And thus the agency made it known.  Mika had been using underhanded trickery to establish her presence in the workforce.  By posing as managerial staff and lying to them about shoot location changes.  The models wouldn’t arrive for the correct shoot which resulted in Mika staking her claim.  As though Akira couldn’t despise Mika even more.  But he kept himself composed for Ann’s sake.  He hadn’t forgotten his promise.  But she was really good at twisting the knife with her phoned in apology.

“What I did was terrible.  I caused so much trouble for everyone…  But I’m gonna start working even harder from now on, I promise…”  Akira felt like barfing.  The agency rep was eating up her crocodile tears like candy.  He shuffled off to prepare the upcoming shoot with his metaphorical tail between his legs.  What a pushover.

“You really did something that lame?” Ann pressed.  Any anger she might have felt was replaced with utter contempt.  How desperate could one person be?

“What are you calling lame?” Mika spat.  “This industry’s overflowing with models.  Without an in, your career will never even get off the ground.  Chances don’t come to those who wait.  You have to make your own luck if you want to succeed.”

Akira let out a silent sigh.  Another bully claiming victim like clockwork.  Mika would’ve made a great villain to steal the heart from.  Too bad she was just petty instead of absurdly corrupt and evil.

“You really are something…” the blonde commented.  Mika turned her nose up at Ann’s contempt.  She felt too good to be looked down upon by some high schooler.

“It’s your own fault for getting the boot.  If you can’t crawl your way back up, you may as well go home.  And either way, it’s not like I’m not talented.  I just needed my shot, and now I’m selling like crazy.”  The excuses just kept flowing.  For someone with as big an ego as her, Mika really did need to justify a lot to some mere teenagers.  Akira could taste the insecurity in the wind.

“You talk big, but they still found out about your fake emails.”  The older girl scoffed at Ann’s rebuke.

“Sure, but all I had to do was offer a teensy apology.  It would’ve been dumb to try and hide it from them.  Desperate guys eating up my little act so easily.  It’s kinda pathetic, really.  Anyway, they can’t sack me now.  I’m gonna get even more popular, even if it means being detested for my actions.”

It was such a circus act to make sense of.  Headstrong, doing what it took to secure her foothold, not caring what others thought of her, honing her skills.  Ann should’ve been angry.  She should’ve been upset at all the underhanded trickery Mika had pulled off to get what she wished.  And yet she found herself giggling.  Tickled pink by such a display.

“Wow, you really are just like the villains I used to admire when I was a kid!  Beautiful, strong… and wicked.  You’re really smart to be able to pull something like this off.  You may have done some despicable things, but I gotta respect your resolve and dedication.”  Akira was positively dumbstruck.  Even Mika herself was put off by Ann’s cheeriness.  This was amusing to her.  All the things Mika had done and Ann could only laugh.  “Honestly, I just can’t bring myself to hate you.

“Well, I don’t have any trouble hating you,” she rebuked.  The blonde’s giggles and smiling face had her eyes twitching with disdain.  The confidence and cheer were eating her alive.  Mocking her.  Where was the outrage and ire from before?  Mika could take some joy in that, in seeing her rival squirm.  But this?  What was to gain?

“Sorry, Mika…”  The blonde turned and locked eyes with her secret lover.  That fierce determination and dedication he found comfort and resolve in stared back at him through those blue pools.  Assuring him she knew what she was doing.  And that he wasn’t to interfere no matter what.  This was her fight.  “Your hard work is only gonna get you to second place.  I’m going to be the number one model.  You might be popular right now, but I’ll take that spot from you fair and square.”

Mika was seconds away from bursting into laughter.  Was she for real?  This little holier-than-thou act had her eyes nearly rolling out of her head.  But if there was one thing she lived for, it was a challenge.

“All right then.”  A snake-like grin wormed its way across her face.  “I won’t pull any more tricks.  I’ll beat you with beauty… fair and square.”

“Sounds good to me!”

And thus, the gauntlet had been thrown down.  It all went by so quickly, Akira had developed whiplash.  He couldn’t even bring himself to react at the parting wink Ann had delivered him before going to change.  Here Mika was, openly admitting to being a lying, egotistical, insecure, underhanded shrew.  And Ann wasn’t angry.  Were it not for Ann keeping her cool, Akira certainly would've unleashed a tirade of vicious insults against her person.  He’d have dragged her down off that ivory tower by her hair.  How Ann could be so calm and collected was beyond him. 

"I just don't get her sometimes," he said aloud to himself.  But he held his tongue and watched the woman of his dreams strut her stuff for the camera.  Ann was all dressed up in a gorgeous summer outfit that turned the heads of man and woman alike.  A blue-grey dress with a black leather jacket worn over it, a belt adorning her waist, and sleek black leggings that held her closely.  Akira envied those leggings at times.  The outfit was sleek and stylish, far outclassing Mika's dress.  But the outfit alone was nothing compared to the crown jewel: Ann.  Her grace and beauty were unmatched, with Mika side-eyeing her disdainfully as she hogged the spotlight.  Akira could see jealousy in her eyes, a notion that brought him smug satisfaction.  The shoot ran its course, and the two of them conversed while Ann's managers talked amongst themselves.

"Man, this is so fun!" Ann said with a happy giggle.  "Today has been really great so far!" Akira couldn't fight the smile on his face even if he wanted to.  Her enthusiasm was infectious, causing his heart to flutter in his chest.  It took all his energy to not coo and shower her with affection.  But God did he want to, more than anything.  Ann bit her bottom lip and fiddled with her foot shyly.  "So… how was I?" Akira gave her a soft dreamy smile, the love he felt enveloping him like a warm blanket.  A soft wondrous feeling that made him feel all cuddly inside.

"You really gave it your all," he said, that low grit seeping into his voice.  Ann pursed her lips with a smile when it graced her ears.  "You were the belle of the ball.  The apple of my eye." Her face exploded into a blush, hand held to her mouth to suppress the overjoyed giggles threatening to leak out as he built on the compliments more and more.  "I couldn't take my eyes off you, even if I wanted to.  I just…" He grew silent before letting out a sigh, holding a hand to his cheek as he gave her a sleepy smile.  "God.  You're so… beautiful.  In every way." He shook his head, grinning bashfully to himself.  Now his cheeks were as red as hers.  "I wish I could articulate it better."

"Well, start thinking of ways to do it, you nerd.”  The blonde giggled and poked the tip of his nose.  Ann stuck her tongue out playfully at him, earning an excitable cackle from the boy.

"You seemed to hit them with full force today, Ann.  Even greater than you normally do."

"Well, yeah!" she said with a nod.  "I had to work extra hard with you watching, Akira!" She clutched her arm and looked out towards the cityscape.  The sun was growing low in the sky, bathing the buildings and the river in a pool of orange.  Sunsets had always been appealing to her, but they brought her an extra feeling of warm comfort in her chest knowing that she was watching it alongside him.  "I know I said I want to be the number one model, but I'm okay with that not happening just yet.  For now, I just want to keep improving, one step at a time.  Then someday down the line, I'll be able to look at myself with pride.  Hopefully, people will see that confidence and draw strength from it." She pointed to the sky, a hand on her hip and a beaming smile on her face.  "I'm gonna be a ray of light for the people of this planet." She shelved her hands into her jacket pockets and felt the blush come back in full force as she caught Akira staring at her with an entranced adoring look.  He felt himself tingling all over from her speech.  A selfless caring soul with a heart of gold, too pure for this world.

 _What did I do to deserve such a girl?_  he thought to himself.  He just wanted to scoop her up in his arms, hold her tight, and smother her with kisses.  That kindness – that purity and goodwill that she possessed – made being a Phantom Thief all worth it.  To give someone their life back after it was unjustly ensnared by someone in a position of power, exploiting and choking the life from them.  And to see them rise from the ashes and strive forward with their head held high, goodness in their heart even in the face of so much pain and torment.  Kamoshida couldn’t stifle that light.  Neither could Mika.  Anyone who dared doubt her strength was a fool. 

"A ray of light…" he repeated.  She took center stage in his eyes, the rest of the world feeling like background noise.  Static.  She nodded graciously.

"Just like you and Shiho are for me…"

"I'll be with you, Ann.  Every step of the way.”  Since confessing his feelings, she had only grown more beautiful in his eyes.  His admiration for her strengths and charm had quadrupled overnight.  He had always been told that the first love is the one that always sweeps you off your feet the hardest.  Well, he had been swept up and was now floating in the stratosphere.  And he didn't ever want to come down.  “As long as you’ll have me.”

"Akira…" Gingerly she took his hand in hers, running her thumb against his soft skin.  It tickled ever so slightly under her touch.  One thing Ann always liked were hands.  Something about them drew her in.  Hands told a story and brought her a sort of comfort when looking at them, and Akira had great hands.  Soft skin but also possessed a firm grip, meaning he could hold her tightly and gently.  Just the way she liked it.  Her eyes scanned the area around them through her peripheral.  No one to be seen.  She planted a soft kiss against his knuckles.  "You're my light." A simple statement but one that brought up absolute giggles of joy in his chest.  No one had ever said such a thing to him before.  To be cared for and wanted by someone who brought him mutual joy, to light up someone's world just by being there.  It was almost too much to handle.

"And you're mine," he softly purred.  That grit had taken over his voice now, earning an audible shudder from the girl.  He lifted her hand and planted soft kisses along her skin.  "You are my light and my stars and my sun and my moon.  The wind beneath my wings, the ground upon which I stand that takes me higher."  Ann thought she might cry then and there from the sheer passion in his voice.

"Alright, break time's over!  Ann-chan, you're gonna be the main focus for this session!"  Reluctantly did she withdraw her hand to look back towards her managers.  As much as she wanted to take center stage for the photo shoot, it would require sacrificing spending time with Akira.  She turned back to him with a conflicted look.

"Go ahead," he said with an understanding smile.  "Knock 'em dead, babe.  I can wait." The two embraced warmly, Akira taking care not to mess up her hair.

"Hey, let's hang out a little more once the shoot ends, okay?" Akira nodded and watched as his girl went to work.  The cameramen were all over her as she struck a myriad of poses, captivating their hearts and their eyes.  But only one in attendance was hers, and he stood to the sidelines, letting her soak in the glory she deserved and had rightfully earned.

* * *

 

With only a couple of hours left before it would grow dark, Ann took advantage of the setting sun to take her boyfriend on a Ferris wheel ride.  A cliché notion if there ever was one, but she was in the mood for clichés.  Especially ones she could share with a special person.  Though upon entering the car and being wheeled to the top, she began to feel quite sheepish.  Being in such a confined space with Akira had her growing quite flustered.

"W-wow, we got on here really quickly." She fiddled nervously with her ponytail while Akira nonchalantly sat back and watched her.  Her mind had been active all day with all sorts of dates and ideas she had for the both of them.  Though it had never really occurred to her that she hadn't been on a real date.  The girl found herself at a loss as she struggled to recall what couples did in the movies and romance manga.  Akira merely gazed longingly at her, just happy to be in her presence.

"Nervous?" His soft silver eyes helped damper the apprehension in her chest.  A shy smile did she reward him with, leaning on his shoulder.

"Not anymore." The boy rested his head upon hers and closed his eyes.  This was heaven on Earth for him.  Ann, however, felt her mind receding into the past.  It was still so difficult to believe.  After everything she had undergone, here she was.  With a goal, a future, and a man.  "It's so weird to think that before I met you, I could never imagine this happening."

"You would've found someone," Akira said, nuzzling her head.

"If I did, he wouldn't be as cute or caring as you." He chuckled lowly, kissing her forehead.

"You give me too much credit."

"I don't think you give yourself enough." Akira placed his arm around her, drawing her closer.  The blonde wrapped hers in turn around his torso.  A comforting embrace between the two love-struck teenagers high above the Japanese skyline, bathed in an orange glow.  "I never thought I could have this.  I always thought Kamoshida would have me under his thumb for the rest of my life." Her eyes rose to meet his, adoration shimmering in the deep blue pools.  "You changed all that."

"We changed it," he said, cupping her cheek.  Akira leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers.  "Together.  There's no way we could've defeated Kamoshida without you." He opened his eyes and smirked at her wryly.  "Now who's not giving themselves enough credit?" She giggled and buried herself into the small of his neck.

"You're so kind.  And humble."

"Guess that's why we work off each other so well, huh?" She squeezed herself against him warmly.  "Ann, people like you are what make being a Phantom Thief worth it."

"Oh, stop," she said, leaning into him further to hide her blush.  His lavishing of compliments and praise upon her never failed to make her a gooey mess of emotion.  And he loved it.

"Nah." With a cheeky smile did he toy with her ponytails, twirling the hair around his finger.

"Back when I met Shiho, when she saved me, I realized that personal relationships are something to be treasured.  For a while, it seemed like I had forgotten that." The months before Akira wandered into her life came back to her mind.  Kamoshida's grip over all of them had nearly drowned their spirits.  Ann wanted desperately to escape it all, to flee the confines of this world in any way she could.  In a way, she could relate to Shiho's decision to jump.  But she could never go to such a length herself.  Perhaps she was not as broken emotionally as Shiho, or perhaps she was too afraid.  "I wanted to get out of this place and be done with everything." The girl leaned forward and kissed his jawline gingerly.  "Then I met you." Now Akira was the blushing mess, biting down on his lip to fight the jubilant smile trying to escape.  "Because of you, I found a way to become strong."

"You were always strong, Ann," he purred.  "You just needed an opportunity."

"And you gave me that opportunity." She climbed onto his lap and hugged his neck.  "Take the damn compliment, silly!" Their noses touched as they giggled childishly together.  "That's why I'm not going to run away anymore.  I'll face myself head on.  This time, it's my turn to help someone."

"You have helped someone, Ann. Plenty of people."

"That's different," she insisted.  "I was a Phantom Thief.  I want to do it in more ways than just that.  I want to help them on this reality too, as just me." Akira nodded with understanding.  Though their work had changed and even saved lives, not every issue on this side could be solved with such endeavors.  The power of their Personas provided such possibilities within the Metaverse, but outside of it, they were just normal high school students confined to the laws of reality.  He smiled as she once more impressed him with her resolve to grow.  "But I'm still kinda worried.  It's a lot of pressure to just be me, but thinking of you cheering me on makes me feel easy.  Do you think you could help me, Akira?" He chuckled and gently patted her head.

"You have to ask?" he answered, kissing her forehead.  "Of course, I will.  Anything for you."

"And you can lean on me too, if you need it."

"Of course," he said with a nod.  "Although it's hard to lean on you when you're on my lap." Ann giggled and returned to her spot at his side, head upon his shoulder once more.

"I feel like we finally see each other eye to eye, Akira," she voiced with a satisfied nod.  "I'm so glad I met you." He lowered his eyes longingly at her, running a finger along her cheek and leaned in.  His whispers were low but tingled the hairs on her neck with his confession of how much he appreciated her.  It was charmingly peculiar to whisper such a feeling when it was only the both of them in the Ferris wheel.  But it added an allure to the situation, as though he were sharing a secret kept even from the wind and rain.  "Promise me that you'll stay by my side, okay?"

"They'll have to pry me off," he assured her, earning an amused snicker.

"You're such a nerd."

"Yeah," Akira replied, sporting a smug smirk.  "But I'm your nerd."

"Damn right."  Selfishly did she lean in to take a kiss for herself.  Those pale cheeks of hers were glowing from the blush she sported, which did not go unnoticed from her lover.  By God did she captivate him so.

"Thank you for enjoying our Ferris wheel experience.  The gondola will arrive at the platform shortly."

"H-huh?" Ann opened her eyes, mere inches away from Akira's lips.  The warmth that permeated over her from the blush and love nearly went up in smoke.  "It's over already?  We went all the way around, but I didn't see any scenery." The romantic rendezvous atop the Ferris wheel had not panned out this way in her head.  She had imagined the both of them making out for a while as the warmth of the sun enveloped them, gazing down at the cityscape that was just starting to stir with neon lights.  "All I saw was you…"  Her chest fluttered, and a bashful blush sprang forth and spread over her face.  Akira gulped back a coo that threatened to slip out, and if he let it, he would dissolve into a giggling blushing mesh.  Instead, he did what he knew best: played it cool.

"That's all you need to see, to be honest."  She eyes him wryly and nudged his ribs, the giggles slipping out against his will.

"Someone's getting full of himself."  Ann folded her arms and imitated the smug look he gave her mockingly, earning a tickled cackle from the boy.

"The only thing I'm full of is love.  For you."

"PFFFFFFFT!"  She held her chest and snickered at him.  "Laaaaame."

"Whatever," he said, side-eyeing her teasingly.  "You know you love the affection." She pursed her lips, smiling as she avoided his silver eyes.  Ann watched the horizon begin to rise up while they slowly approached ground level.  Their outing had proven to be magical in its simplicity.  A romantic secret tryst they had all to themselves, to share with no one else.  But Ann wanted something more.  The moment.  That one picaresque moment lovers had in every movie, show, and manga she had exposed herself to.  Yet she felt an odd sense of nervousness as she attempted to ask him.

"Um, before we get off… sh-should we at least do one thing?  You know… that couples do?" It felt positively embarrassing to stumble over her words before him the way she did.  She shouldn't be so nervous around her boyfriend.  They had kissed before, in a much more erotic situation than this.  But she had never been in a relationship before, and they were in public.  Unexplored waters were being mutually tread between them.

"Just one?"  Her cheeks flushed furiously at the sound of his voice, gracing her ears with a playful purr.  Akira was quite good at playing the smooth operator.  It was one of the many things so alluring about him to her.  Even when he gave in and showed his nervousness, the way he played the charismatic charmer always made her forget.  Ann's flustered state of being always brought Akira great amusement.  He got a thrill out of toying with her like this.  Part of his catlike nature.  She was positively adorable all bashful.  But Ann leaned forward, gazing deeply with desire into his eyes.  Silver and blue met, swirling together into a shimmering ocean of light.  With soft breaths did she mutter her concerns about how to act and what to do during it.  It would have to be a quick meeting their lips stole.  Soon, they would be back upon the ground, and the eyes of the public would surround them.  Though, as he met hers and they both melted under one another's touch, perhaps being caught would've been worth it.  So what if the world saw?  In their heads, they resolved to let them look.  In their heads, they threw their anxiety to the wind and let people gawk on as they held and smooched.  But as the doors opened, the two broke their kiss and returned to reality.  Longingly did they eye one another, neither having wanted it to end.  But they valued their privacy, and their love would have to remain secret.

The two lovestruck teenagers walked side by side and proceeded to walk home, eyeing the crowds through their peripheral until people became scattered and distant.  Then their fingers locked and their eyes met, a confident sly look between them.

No one had a clue still.  Though inconvenient to keep their relationship obscured from others, it made it all the more enticing and romantic.  Kept hidden from the world, two daring teenagers operating as rogue vigilantes.  Their little secret to share.  Guarded closely like a dragon atop a hoard of gold and jewels.  Akira imagined himself as the dragon and his lady the princess.  Though, if she wished to reverse their roles, by no means would he complain.  Quite the opposite, as a matter of fact.

“Well, well, well.  What have we here?”  The two teenagers were forcibly ripped from their little romantic escape by the familiar voice of an unwelcome guest.  Mika happening upon them had sucked all the goodwill they had been fostering.  “I knew I saw you over here.  So this guy here really is your boyfriend after all?”

So much for secrecy.  It was too late to unlock their hands now.  All they could do was stand in the headlights.  Ann glanced back and forth between Mika and Akira for some sort of eureka moment of realization.  In hindsight, perhaps Akira should’ve been more distant whenever he attended a shoot.  Or attended less of them.  But it would’ve been hard to turn Ann down.  He wasn’t even sure he could have.

“Don’t you have anything better to do than harass us?” he huffed in irritation.  How she had managed to fly under his radar was beyond him.  Her fragile ego alone he could smell a mile away. 

“I wonder what the reps will say about you not being single…”  Mika coyly tapped her chin with a solitary finger, languishing in their silence as her words set in.  It wasn’t exactly popular or approved for models to be in relationships.  Single models were more desirable and marketable in the industry, a mentality having been carried over from the idol industry.  Something Akira hadn’t considered when he finally worked up the courage to ask Ann out.  Now he felt great apprehension at the thought that he might cost Ann her career before it could even truly begin.  “What’s the matter?  Nothing to say?  You’re supposed to be her boyfriend, after all.  Not even gonna stand up for her?  What kind of man are you?”  As he opened his mouth to retort, he was cut off by none other than Ann.  She shot him a look, and Akira recognized it all too well.  That fire had been lit once more.  He languished in silence as he felt the catlike smirk begin to form.  Knowing full and well what was on the horizon.

“Mika… don’t be cranky simply because _you’re_ single and undesirable.”

“ _Excuse me?_ ”  Mika looked like she had been shot.  All while Ann still retained that calm smile on her face.  Though a touch of smugness could be felt in her words.  “Who do you think you are talking to me like that, you little brat?  I’ve worked harder than anyone else in this business to get where I am, and-“

“I’m well aware.  You’ve done what it took to get what you want and look out for your own self-interests.  Crafty and pushing yourself to the limit to retain your spot.  I admire your hard work like I said earlier.  But I also kinda have to pity you.”

“ _Pity?_ ” she forced herself to repeat.  The word made her want to gag.

“I don’t think you’re a bad person.  I’ve seen bad people.  You have a goal and want to better yourself.  We’re not so different, really.  But look at where you are now.  Sure, you’re in the top spot and have the adoration of the agency.  But you have no friends and no one to share your success with.  You’ll be all alone, left to just be bitter towards anyone else because of your jealousy and insecurity.  And that’s just really sad, to be honest.  What’s the point in having fame and fortune if you have nobody to share it with?  A friend or a close loved one?  I’ll fully admit that I’m not at your skill level.  You’ve worked a lot harder than me and earned your place, even if you pulled a few nasty tricks to do so.  But it’s not worth pushing everyone away.  Maybe one day you can change.  Be a nicer person and work to make yourself better because you love your friends, not because you’re angry and bitter.  But I’m not gonna fight with you anymore.  You can drag yourself down if you want.  Go ahead and tell the reps.  See if I care.  In the meantime, _I_ have a date.  With my man.”

Twice today had she rendered him speechless.  Ann had gone positively ham with this speech, no holds barred.  Akira could hardly believe this was the same girl he had met all those months ago.  Neither could Mika as she stammered and stumbled all over herself.  Trying to find a way to get back at her.  To show her up, make her squirm just like before.

“W-well, maybe I will!  See you try to find any gigs with everyone knowing you have a boyfriend.”  But Ann just walked right past her, clutching her boyfriend’s hand with pride.  All she did in response was wish Mika a nice day and kept right on walking.  Not once looking bad.  Akira wasn’t as stalwart and looked over his shoulder to see the woman as irate as can be.  “Hey, don’t you walk away from me!  I’m talking to you, Ann Takamaki!  You hear me?!”

“Damn.  You really lit her up, didn’t you?”  Ann beamed bashfully at Akira’s words.  Mika’s ramblings had become mere background static to the both of them, having left her way behind.

“I learned from the best, after all.”  Akira couldn’t fight the giggles that rose up in his chest.  She knew just how to turn him into a gooey amorous mess.  “Thanks for letting me handle Mika.  I know it must’ve been hard to bite your tongue.”

“You have no idea.”  What he would’ve given to tear her a new one right then and there.  Drag her back and forth for every single thing she had done to Ann and everyone else.  But it wouldn’t have been as satisfying as what he witnessed.  To see his girl glow.  “I really respect what you said back there.  Not letting yourself be bitter and instead trying to be more constructive.  That takes a lot of maturity.  I’m really proud of you, Ann…”

The blonde thought she might pass out right then and there from his words.  She had thought about what she had said to Mika for the longest time.  It was something that needed to be said.  But Ann had no idea how she would’ve pulled it off.  But when she dragged Akira into their rivalry, she knew it was time.  Despite how effortlessly and aloofly her words flowed out, she had been quite nervous in speaking her mind.  She had to prove her strength to Akira.  Not just as his teammate and best friend, but his lover now too.

“You don’t know how much that means to me.”

“You worried at all about what Mika might say?”  The blonde merely delivered a flippant scoff.

“She won’t.  We made a promise to beat one another fair and square.”

“You think she’ll keep it?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

She nodded.  That was all the assurance Akira needed.  Ann believed in Mika more than Akira did, but he couldn’t find faults in her words.  It was a rather noble thing for her to do.  Wish Mika a chance at recovery and growing as an individual.  To find happiness, to not drag herself down to her level of bitterness.  He wouldn’t have done the same.  And he didn’t trust Mika even a single bit.  Were they a less confident people, she could’ve extorted them.  Maybe even driven them apart out of paranoia to keep Ann’s career safe.  But they stood their ground.  Ann had thrown the gauntlet down before her.  All he could do now was trust in Ann’s judgment that Mika wouldn’t be that type of person.  That she wouldn’t forsake her word out of pettiness.

And sure enough, she didn’t.


	37. What It Means to Be a Thief

_9/02/17 – Friday_

The train raced along to its destination, a sunny September Friday gracing its passengers.  The heat was starting to relent its fury upon them.  As Akira stood with his satchel in hand, all that he heard was constant mentioning of the Phantom Thieves.  No doubt Ryuji would be going on and on about the hype surrounding them at the meeting he organized for after school today.

"The age group with the most belief in the Phantom Thieves seems to be… teenagers!" an anchorman displayed on the train monitor said.  "We've even received messages about how the Phantom Thieves are all students talk about these days."

"Do you know about them?"  Akira leaned his head ever so slightly to the side to eavesdrop on the two businessmen he perceived through his peripheral.

"They're the only thing my daughter speaks to me about."  The man speaking looked significantly older and a bad rounder than the man speaking to him.  "She's been glued to this… Phan-Site thing.  I thought it was just an ordinary website."

"Lately they've added a polling feature to ask who you'd like to see have a change of heart.  Given people's heightened expectations, it's been receiving a lot of votes."

"Huh."  The older business pondered his chin as he mulled over his younger cohort's words.  "Maybe I should go vote for our company president.  "Change his heart so he'll raise our salaries!"  Sounds pretty good, doesn't it?"  From within his satchel did Morgana purr with amusement.  All the people praising and speculating about them thrilled his little feline heart.

"We're the talk of the town," he said, voice muffled through the fabric.  "The Phantom Thieves have the public's support.  No one dares doubt our justice.  Isn't it great?"  Akira said nothing, eyes staring through the window as the world before him was a blur.  He felt a hole begin to open in his chest.  He felt so tired now, despite his good night's rest.  The whole time had it been brewing along the horizon.  Right beneath his nose.  He should’ve anticipated it.

" _This is wrong…_ " he muttered to himself.

* * *

 

Akira and the Shujin students arrived at their meeting spot outside the subway.  Yusuke waved them over while Futaba did nothing, merely typing away on her laptop.  Another mundane day in paradise.  Principal Kobayakawa had gotten into some hot water after a tabloid story honed its focus on him.  Better late than never, Akira surmised.  The principal had made himself scarce around Shujin after word got out.  What he wouldn’t have given to see him squirm.

"There you guys are," she said, not even bothering to look up from her screen.

"Did you come here by yourself?" Ann asked.

"I went to get her since I got out of school early," Yusuke said.  Futaba delivered a disdainful squint through her peripheral, paired with a scoff.

"What a patronizing Inari!”  By no means was she a helpless child.  She didn't need to be babysat by the lanky artist.  Though had Akira come to retrieve her, she wouldn't have complained.

"Well then, let's get talkin'," Ryuji said with a grin.  Akira already knew what was in store by judging the energetic look upon his face.  "Whadda we do now?  Should we go after another big target?"  Akira rubbed his chin, debating on whether or not to voice what was on his mind.  The emptiness and apprehension in his chest had refused to leave all day.  What little schoolwork they had been saddled with he had poured himself into to halt his wandering mind.  With idle time came reflection, and the reflection made him grow more and more uncomfortable with what was happening around them.  The fanaticism.

"That's important too, but what about that villain in the cognitive world?" Yusuke asked.  The greater mystery at large still lingered tauntingly before them. 

"It's almost certain that this person exists," Makoto nodded, brow furrowed with a serious look.  "What's more, they're inducing mental shutdowns.  We certainly can't turn a blind eye."

"Yeah," Ryuji said with a tired sigh.  "But we can't find any clues."  Akira leaned on the railing by the window and stared out at the street.  Dozens of civilians wandered along the sidewalks, looking like ants from this high up.  His already troubled mind grew more clouded.  They had no leads to pursue in regards to this mysterious masked thief running about the Metaverse under their nose.  And with their eventual departure to Hawaii along the horizon, their progress would be set back even further.  What little there was.  "But you know how we're totes popular right now?  Everyone at school's talkin' about us, and not a day goes by when you don't hear about it on TV either!" The blond placed his hands on his hips, chest sticking out proudly.  "We totally made it big, doncha think?"

"True," Ann said with a smile.  "The rankings on the Phantom Aficionado Website have been crazy too." The Phan-Site.  Akira couldn’t help but frown at the fruits born of Mishima’s hard work.  The more he thought about it, the less comfortable he was with it around.

"You mean this?" Futaba asked as she opened the Phan-Site.  The lot of them save Akira gathered around her screen and watched the black and red page.  Mishima had done a great job designing it.  With his skill, he could turn a serious profit for companies online.  To the right was the poll Akira had heard about on the train.  Dozens of names were listed being voted on, each one of them trading spaces in the blink of an eye.

"Huh?  What the hell!? First place keeps changing by the second!" Ryuji noted with great enthusiasm.

"People are voting around the clock, after all," Futaba noted.  She had taken on the role of unofficial site monitor, taking care of the things Mishima lacked the skill to do.  It helped tick away the monotony of waiting for Akira and the others to exit school.

" _Hmm…_ "

"If we go after these guys, I'm sure we'll score some big cash at least once!" Ryuji turned towards their leader excitedly.  "What would you use money like that for, Akira?"

"I don't like hypotheticals," he said dismissively.  The shaggy boy was leaning against the guardrail on his arms, fingers steepled.  His brow was furrowed deeply, silver eyes staring out at the orange abyss that was the sky.  Ann eyed him with concern.  Akira was never this detached from a conversation before.  He had been like this all day, even during lunch.  As she tried to strike up a conversation with him, he handwaved her away as he poured himself into his schoolwork.

"Ah, come on," Ryuji said.  "Have some fun." Morgana leaped from his satchel and gathered in the center.

"We could perhaps go on an extravagant shopping spree," the cat said.  The magic words. 

"Ooh, yeah!" Ann declared, beaming.  "Like, enjoying food across the world!?"

"For you, Lady Ann, I'll have Akira buy the most expensive goods," he purred.

"We'll make the hotel buffet look like a joke!" Ryuji said, pumping his fist energetically.  Yusuke held a hand to his stomach, a warm glowing smile on his face as he thought about filling himself to the brim with delectable morsels.

"Are you fine with that, Futaba?" Makoto asked, looking down at her spectacled friend.  "Even though it's related to what happened to your mother?"

"It's not okay!" Futaba said, shaking her head.  "I'm definitely gonna punch that guy!"

"The culprit forcing mental shutdowns.  If you think about it, there's no bigger threat than that!  If we can change his heart and get a confession outta him, we'll be on top of the world for real." The blond rubbed his chin in thought as his eyes lit up.  A vision of them on live television, flashing lights from dozens of cameras taking their photographs in his mind.  They were superstars.  "Should we reveal our identities then?  I bet chicks are gonna be all over us!" A low sigh escaped Akira's throat the more he said.

"Whoa, whoa!" Ann said apprehensively.  "You want us to show our faces!?" The thought of the whole world turning to them, unmasked and exposed, made her stomach feel uneasy.  Though, most of Japan did seem to be supportive of their endeavors.  The Phantom Thieves were local heroes that uplifted and inspired the many.  Because of them, many abusive and corrupt individuals were locked away and exposed.  "I guess that might be okay?"

"No," Akira stated, shaking his head.  "This is a bad idea."

"If the true culprit confesses, the existence of the Metaverse will become known," Yusuke said.  "There would be no need for us to remain in hiding in such a questionable manner."

"Hey, hold on," Makoto stated with a stern look.  "We're not doing this to stand out, you know!" Morgana leapt onto the railing and sat next to her.

"Being "unknown" is the allure of being a Phantom Thief," the cat stated.

"But considering the hype now, it's gonna be one hell of a huge deal if we pull it off!"

"No, Ryuji, that's not-"

"Come on, Akira.  Think about it!" Ryuji wrapped his arm around Akira's neck and playfully nudged his ribs with his fist.  He pinched his brow and let out a weary sigh.  Akira felt himself growing more uneasy with everything.  No matter what was said, nothing was getting through Ryuji's thick skull.  As great a couple of friends they were, his stubbornness proved to be frustrating at times.  And with the stakes he was raising their situation to, it was wearing rather thin.  "The Phantom Thieves living the easy life from now on."

"Ryuji-"

"Surrounded by money and women."

"If you would just listen, I-"

"The top celebrities of the world-"

" _That's not what any of this is about!_ " The others looked at him with genuine surprise.  He had declared it much harsher than he had intended.  Ryuji took a step back, holding a hand up apprehensively.

"Whoa, man.  Take it easy, bro." Akira sighed and pinched his brow, feeling the tension fade as the darkness of his closed eyes calmed him.  As he raised his head to face them, he was met with expecting looks of concern.  Ann's, in particular, was the most prominent.  He pursed his lips and nodded.

"You're right," he admitted calmly.  "I'm sorry, Ryuji.  I didn't mean to snap." Ryuji shelved his hands in his pockets, finally quiet and off the high he was under from his fantasies.  “I just…”

"Akira, you've been rather quiet throughout this conversation," Makoto said.  "Is something wrong-"

"I need a moment." Akira swiftly turned and walked away from the group.  The lot of them stood flabbergasted at his sudden departure.  Makoto furrowed her brow in worry.

"Where did that come from?" Yusuke asked.

"He's been rather distant all day," Morgana noted, ears folded.  "He hasn't been as talkative with me today."

"Me either," Ann said glumly.  She twirled her twintail around her finger, wishing it was Akira's hand at work.  "All he's done today was schoolwork.  Like, I've never seen him work as hard on our class assignments as he did today.

"W-well, at least he's doing work, right?" Makoto joked uneasily.  Ryuji leaned against the guardrail and stared down the hallway.  Akira was nowhere to be seen.  The blond was now positively deflated.

"Heh heh," Morgana chuckled awkwardly.  "Maybe you could learn a thing or two from Akira, huh, Ryuji?"

"Not now, Mona," he responded with a sigh.  The cat limply shrugged, his attempt to lighten the mood falling flat.  Akira's natural charisma had not seemed to rub off on him too well.

"So, what should we do…?" Futaba asked.  They all turned to Makoto for guidance, but even their student council president seemed aimless.  Ann's heart ached for Akira out of loneliness and concern for what was troubling him.

"Maybe I should talk to him," she said.  Their eyes fell onto her, and a sense of stage fright rose upon her neck.

"Hmm…" Yusuke pondered his chin with a solitary finger.  "Perhaps.  Your feminine charms do seem to possess great sway with great." A small smirk made its way back onto Ryuji's face.

"You speakin' from experience?" Yusuke side-eyed him but couldn't help but smile.  The solemn tension did seem to have lessened amongst them.  Ryuji was quick to bounce back emotionally.  A tough one with a heart of gold and a head of concrete, it seemed.

"Yusuke is right," Morgana said, flicking his tail.  "If anyone can get through to our leader, it's Lady Ann." The cat cooed as she scratched his chin and whined when she ceased.

"I'll be back with Akira, hopefully." The blonde trudged head-on with great determination.  Nothing would trouble her man if she could help it.  Down the corridor, she walked and turned the corner into an open space of tables, vendor stalls, and halls leading to the trains.  A few scattered groups meandered about, but the population was ultimately light.  Sitting at a table by himself was Akira, munching on a pretzel dipped in cheese.  The salty toasted bread and cheese combination was heavenly in the boy's mouth.  Since childhood had he adored these kinds of pretzels, and this train station happened to possess his favorite pretzel chain.  Soft but also firm.  A fluffy taste and texture that didn't fall apart in his mouth right away.  The perfect combination.  Whenever he could, he would treat himself to a pretzel.  And he felt he needed one right about now.  Eating helped him forget his troubles.

Ann tried to force herself to approach him, but her legs seemed frozen.  The back of her heels felt positively heavy, as though her feet were locked to the ground.  An apprehensive knot formed in her chest.  Nervousness.  She was nervous to approach him.  But why?  He was her boyfriend, after all.  They had made a commitment of passion to one another, to support and be there whenever one needed the other.  But he had been so unlike himself today.  Distant and detached.  He sat there so alone and forlorn.  A heavy weight resting upon his shoulders.  She missed the affectionate warm touch that had become a great source of comfort for her in the past month.  But something was troubling him, and she had no desire to make it worse.  Their promise within Mementos returned to her head.  If something was bothering them, they would vent and discuss.  With a stern exhale, she gathered the strength and approached his table.

"Hey." Akira looked up and saw her.  A calm but nervous smile on her face.  The smile that had been missing from his face all day returned, albeit subdued.

"Hey, babe," he said calmly.  Her heart sped up a hair from his words.  Such a simple statement of affection gave her quite the rush.  He sighed and shook his head, smiling sadly.  "I'm sorry about back there.  Just…" The boy sighed again, rubbing his brow.  "Had a lot on my mind today."

"We're gonna talk about it, okay?" In any other context, she would've asked if he wished to discuss it.  And for a brief second, she second-guessed herself on if she should have.  But he had given his word that they would air any grievances they had and help resolve their problems together.  His word meant more than anyone else's to her, and she was determined to make him keep it. 

This was not lost in Akira, as the same thing came to his mind.  Normally, he would've dismissed his problems and kept them to himself.  His troubles were no one else's to try and fix.  But he valued his word above all else about himself.  Plus, after that scene in front of the others, he couldn't just up and pretend it didn't happen.  The boy gave her a slow acknowledging nod.

"Take a seat." She smiled and sat across from him, a warm blush forming on her cheeks when he took her hand.  A soft little kiss was planted on her hand, earning a schoolgirl giggle from his lover.  Akira sighed and leaned his forehead onto her cool skin.  "It's been troubling me all morning, you see.  All this talk of Phantom Thieves.  The Phan-Site.  Ryuji's wildest fantasies.  It's just…" Another sigh escaped him.  "I think all this fame is making people lose sight of what's important." She gave him a perplexed stare as she tried to figure out his stance on the matter.  "Like what Makoto said.  This isn't to stand out.  It's to help people.  I think Ryuji's letting this get to his head.  Now, I'm not saying he doesn't care about helping people.  I would never question that after Kamoshida, but he takes every opportunity to talk about how everyone should worship us as heroes.  That's not what this was about.  That was never what this was about." Ann pursed her lips in thought, a slow deliberate nod bobbing her head back and forth.

"You're worried about it getting to our heads is what you mean," she stated.

"Sort of," Akira said.  "Like, I don't doubt you guys.  There's no one I would trust more to be on this team.  Especially you, Ann.  But all these people constantly praising us.  The fixation on fame and money.  It's not healthy.  Don't you agree?" He looked up to receive an understanding nod from her.

"I see what you mean somewhat.  "Power corrupts" and stuff like that, and we shouldn't lose sight of what's important.  But don't you think we're allowed to be proud of ourselves?  That we should want to be acknowledged for our good deeds?" Akira nodded and rubbed his cheeks with his fingers and thumb.

"Everyone wants recognition for something they've done.  It's only natural that people want to be appreciated.  But you shouldn't demand or feel like you're owed it.  We chose to be Phantom Thieves.  No one asked us to.  We're the way we are because no one else can wield the power of the Persona, and that makes us the most qualified.  We do the right thing as Phantom Thieves because it's the right thing to do, not because we want a pat on the back or a fat cash payout, you know?" Ann sat in silence, bottom lip pursed as she mulled over his words.  He spoke with such conviction, in that way that only a strong leader could.  "Ryuji doesn't seem to understand the consequences of it all.  We're vigilantes.  Technically, what we're doing is illegal.  If we unmask ourselves, we go to jail.  Criminals.  Anonymity is our greatest weapon.  It allows us to hide in plain sight.  Without it, our friends and family are in danger." Ann felt a twinge of uneasiness spike in her chest as her thoughts drifted to Mishima.  If the government pushed hard for capturing them, he'd be the first to fall, being the one who organized the Phan-Site.  The last thing she wanted was for someone to get into trouble because of their actions.  "And that website's bugging me too." Akira huffed gruffly as his mind turned back to thoughts of the website, to the men conversing on the train.  To a lot of the students in their class and in the halls.  There were also stores and kiosks selling "official" Phantom Thieves merchandise.  As though they were a commodity to be profited off.  "Sometimes, I wish he never made that thing." Guilt rose in his chest at how ungrateful his words sounded.  Mishima had put a lot of work and heart into that website, and he only viewed it as a burden.  Though its existence had allowed them to resolve much smaller situations within Mementos, the fans and the polls troubled him significantly.  "I don't like this following we have.  This… Phandom." He grimaced and shook his head in disgust.  Their supporters donning an internet label might have been charming to others, but Akira found it infantilizing.  "We're not some anime or television show to be worshipped.  We're people spearheading a serious organization of vigilantes dedicated to justice." He scoffed at the word again, particularly the pun that had just made itself apparent in his mind.  "I hate that word."

"Well… I mean, they're just showing their support for us, right?  That's not necessarily a bad thing." Akira nodded in agreement.  If there's one thing he admired about Ann, it was that she challenged him.  By no means a mere doting blonde to fawn over him.  She was smart, smarter than she gave herself credit for.

"And that's true," he admitted.  "Their empathy isn't lost on me, but it feels…" He sighed once more, nursing his brow as he struggled to form an explanation.  "Okay, so how about this?  Like, the debacle with Kamoshida was a big personal thing that affected a lot of people at Shujin.  We stopped him from torturing any more kids.  We saved lives, and the locals have expressed gratitude.  But you have a ton of other people on the outside that have never heard of this or were directly affected by it, right?  To them, it was just another day.  Same with stopping Kaneshiro and Madarame.  A lot of people rooting for weren't at all touched by the events here.  The only thing that came close was Medjed." He stopped himself once again to sigh.  In his head, he swore at himself to stop sighing, annoyed at his self-interruptions.  "I dunno.  Maybe I'm being silly or I'm just overthinking it.  It just feels a bit impersonal when those that weren't involved in some way become so invested in us to the point where we have fans.  It feels more like they hop on it because it's trendy and popular rather than because they genuinely care for justice.  Like, I've seen Phantom Thieves merchandise being sold, and it just feels dishonest for them to take advantage of our fight for justice to profit off it.  You get me?" Ann nodded and proceeded to ruffle his shaggy head of hair.  Akira gave a cheeky smirk in response.

"I think you're overthinking it, to be honest," she said.  "I can sort of understand where you're coming from, though.  Like, I understand your issue with merchandise and people treating all this like it's fun.  But if people support you, shouldn't you be happy with that?  Use that to keep you motivated and moving forward?" Akira leaned back in his chair and nodded, lips pursed in contemplation.

"You may be right, Ann."

"As usual," the blonde replied, cheekily sticking her tongue out at him.  Akira mockingly stuck his back, earning a giggle from his love.

"Another thing that bugs me a lot is that whole voting poll thing," he continued.  Ann straightened up and listened intently.  "I think it sends a bad message by having such a thing.  That we judge people via popularity contest." Ann chewed on her bottom lip as she considered his words.  In that context, it did seem rather shifty, prone to lynch mob mentality.

"I suppose, but those people wouldn't be voted so highly if they weren't somewhat guilty, right?" she reasoned.  "Like, corrupt politicians and others."

"Yeah, but where do we draw the line?  It starts off with corrupt leaders, and then it might shift to a celebrity people feel should give away all their money and not keep any for themselves despite working hard for it.  Charity is important, but you can't force people to do it.  Unless they're actively abusing someone like Kamoshida, Kaneshiro, or Madarame were, the Phantom Thieves shouldn't get involved.  And then there's the feedback we get from our fans on the forums.  Pretty much all of it is mindless fanboyism.  Little actual constructive criticism and anyone that doesn't conform gets harassed and shouted down.  I don't want people to just praise something without thinking because it's popular and others like it.  Offer us something concrete.  Ways to improve our methodology or philosophy, you know."

"I know what you mean." Ann gingerly took his hand in hers.  The soft coolness of her skin was therapeutic to the boy.  "You've thought about this a lot, haven't you?  Not just today." He nodded.

"I don't think Ryuji really sees that.  He's just fixated on the hero part.  He's got a good heart and a lot of conviction, but his mind really hasn't considered all these angles." The girl giggled to herself.

"Sounds like typical Ryuji." Akira chuckled dryly at her little jest.  "I feel like you need to share your thoughts with the team, not just me.  We're all in this together.  The Phantom Thieves need to be on the same page, even if their philosophies differ.  I mean, look at Futaba.  She might have her own goals, but she's still got our backs.  And I think you can get through to Ryuji.  Even if you apologized, snapping and keeping your thoughts to yourself doesn't help." Akira gave a sleepy smile and slowly nodded.

"You're a fucking genius, Ann."

"I know," she said with a shrug and a teasing smile.  Akira playfully flicked the tip of her nose, and the blonde covered her mouth while she laughed.

"I admit that's not the best habit.  After my arrest all those months ago, I trained myself to keep my thoughts to myself.  Keep my head down and mind my own business."

"Thank goodness you didn't," Ann said, leaning in closer.  "You wouldn't have saved Shujin."

"And I never would've met you," he purred in response.  The two shared a brief deep kiss before reluctantly breaking it, necks growing hot as they remembered their place in public.  Both teenagers skittishly surveyed the area.  Nobody was looking, and they recognized no one from their schools.  They shared a sigh of relief, another close call.  Ann rose from her seat and took Akira's hand.

"Let's go, you nerd."

"Lead the way."

As the both of them returned, a feeling of relief washed over the others at witnessing the calm smile and demeanor of their leader.  Akira apologized once more to Ryuji and let his voice be heard, with their little group having a lengthy conversation about the ethics and principles of what it means to be a Phantom Thief.  Akira had made a lot of headway in his discussion, and they all offered valid criticisms and counterpoints, even Ryuji at times.  After a while, they all came to an agreeable conclusion on pride and humility before going their separate ways.  The lot of them had grown a little more mature that day.

And Akira and Ann had grown a bit closer.

* * *

 

_9/03/17 – Saturday_

The days counting down towards the Hawaii trip were narrowing faster than expected.  It hadn’t fully set in for Akira yet that they’d be gone.  Futaba was given the illustrious task of playing babysitter for Morgana while Akira was away.  The boy had gone into extensive detail into how to care for him and listed several nearby vets that could help if Morgana grew ill.  Much to his chagrin.  The orange-haired girl only half listened in on what Akira was trying to tell her, instead hyper-fixated on sifting through all the data Makoto had managed to pull from her sister’s computer.  All while the others discussed what their trip would consist of.

“Aww, look at _this_ one!”  The lot of them were reading the stack of brochures Ryuji had pilfered from school.  Being out of the country for a few days was the perfect opportunity to lay low.  A good alibi and would give them a chance to unwind.  “Gigantic sea-turtle sightseein’ on some beach.”

“Come on, food’s more important than some turtle,” Ann dismissed while eyeball deep in another brochure.  “You really don’t find steak this big and thick in Japan.”  As expected with teenagers, it always looped around back to food.

“I mean there’s always turtle soup,” Akira commented.  The two blonds gagged at his suggestion, earning an amused chuckle out of the boy.  It was hard for the trip to hold his attention with the hefty amount of information Futaba now had on hand.  Straight from Prosecutor Niijima’s computer.  Anything could be a tip on finding out about this mysterious black masked intruder and the mental shutdowns.  Futaba’s mom, the connection between Madarame and Kaneshiro.  There had to be one, Akira surmised.  They saw the same person so how could there not? 

“Also… mahi-mahi?  Is that some kind of fish?  Think it’s good?”  At the mention of exotic seafood did Akira find himself tuning in.  If there was one major sect of food Akira had an unabashed love for, it was seafood.  What he wouldn’t give to try his hand at cooking some.  Beef, chicken, and even venison he could turn out like no one’s business.  But fish was something he rarely got to work with.  He could just imagine it, seared to a golden brown in a skillet with sea salt, garlic pepper, asparagus, lemons, butter, olive oil.  In his little black book were dozens of recipes, not just coffee brews.  Maybe he could find some time to cook some.  With Ann as his newly christened girlfriend, he had a greater motivation to cook again.

“It seems that it’s the season for schools all around.  We’re going on our school trip as well.”

“Yeah, where you guys goin’?”

“I believe it’s Los Angeles.”

“That doesn’t suit you at all, Yusuke!” Ann said between giggles.  “I bet you wanted to go somewhere like Nikko or Nara.”

“Anywhere is acceptable,” the artist reasoned.  “Natural mineral pigments used for Japanese art was also originally imported.”

“Hawaii and Los Angeles, huh?”  They were both places Ryuji felt he could get lost in and enjoy the tourist life.  Food and women for miles.  It was hard to pick where he’d rather go more.  “Which would you wanna go to, Akira?”

“Leblanc,” he jested, his gaze having settled back onto the computer.  A half-sarcastic answer.  Though it seemed to have flown right over Ryuji’s head.

“…What country’s that?”  His confusion was so earnest that Akira had nearly lost it right then and there.

“Our place, Ryuji.”  Futaba’s eyes didn’t leave the screen for even a second.  The realization that he had been played hit the blond like a truck.

“Oh, goddammit!  That’s not a real answer!”

“Come on, Akira.”  Ann playfully nudged his hip with her head, winking at him.  “Why do you gotta be so hesitant to go?  Are you scared of airplanes or something?”  He scoffed with amusement at her teasing insinuation.

“Just still having to get used to leaving this place for a few days is all.”

“Hey man, you wanted us to lay low.  Stay out of the public eye and stuff.  Can’t get any farther than Hawaii.  Just relax, bro.  We earned this.”  Perhaps Ryuji was right.  They had undergone so much to get to this point.  There wasn’t anything wrong with wanting to treat yourself, if only for a little while.  “Though I gotta admit that Los Angeles is hard to pass up on.  I’d fit right in there.”

“You?” Ann asked with a quirked eyebrow.

“Totally.  I mean, don’t I seem like an LA guy?  Like, a total gangsta?”  Akira nearly spat everywhere from trying to suppress the snickers slipping through his lips.

“That makes no sense at all,” Yusuke stated.  Once more, Ryuji was sandbagged.

“Hawaii’s more of a resort place than LA, so I’d rather go there,” Ann chimed in.  Not wholly unexpected.  She was the type of girl who just wanted to relax and get away from it all on vacation.  Shop til she dropped, indulge in some delicious seaside food, soak in the sun, and ogle cute boys in their bathing suits.  Though there would be only one boy she’d have her eye on this time…

“You guys all in Hawaii and Yusuke in LA.  So we won’t be seeing each other for a while…”  Akira wasn’t the only one troubled about their departure.  Although Morgana’s was for different reasons altogether.  The cat had been sulking for a while now about the prospect of being left behind.  Not Akira’s choice but there wasn’t any way to smuggle a cat onto an airplane crowded with students and teachers.  And they didn’t need any heat on them now, of all times.

“Don’t look so down, Morgana,” Ann said with a cheery smile.  “We’ll make sure to buy a souvenir for you.”

“Ooh, here comes some interesting data…”  All attention shifted immediately away from Morgana and onto Futaba.  The computer was lined wall to wall with text boxes of black and green.  “This is just from a quick glance, but it says “perpetrated” and “connected.”  Hmm…”  Makoto narrowed her eyes and glared at the computer screen.  Things were a lot more complicated than previously imagined.

“It means that mental shutdowns aren’t coincidence – that this is a “case” with a culprit behind it.”

“Actually, it’s not just about people having shutdowns.  Looks like she’s inferring that the psychotic breakdown incidents are connected to the same case.”  Akira felt the hairs on his neck stand on edge.  He remembered hearing on the news that the subway crash had been caused by a mental shutdown.  And there was the assassination of Futaba’s mother.  How far back does this Metaverse business go?

“Go, Makoto’s sis!”  Ryuji was living for this revelation.  They were slowly dragging the facts out of the dark, which only made the inevitable takedown of the perpetrators all the sweeter.

“How long do you think it’ll take to analyze it?” Makoto pressed urgently.  The sooner she could keep up with her sister, the better.

“There’s a lot so it’s not happening overnight.  But I’ll manage by the time you guys get back.  I demand souvenirs from Hawaii and LA for my reward.”  So now they had an endgame.  A further point to jump off from instead of just flying blind.  Futaba was more capable than Akira had anticipated.  With somebody watching their back at home, he felt a lot more confident about this trip.

“I don’t really get all this, but you’re as amazing as always, Futaba!”  Morgana felt his gut twist as he was subjected to hearing Ann dote on about how talented Futaba was.  Ever since she joined the team and supplanted him as navigator, she had been steeped with praise.  The cat didn’t understand much in the way of technology so their approval of her talents was lost upon him.

“Hey, we’re the Phantom Thieves, so it’s not that big a deal.  I mean, I can turn into a car and stuff too…”

“C’mon, don’t try and compete with her,” Ryuji jested with a grin.  “She’s got computers and thumbs.  You’re totally outclassed.”  The cat vocalized his indignations at the blond, but he was sandbagged once again.  They were all too engrossed in what revelation Futaba’s datamining could uncover.

“You’re fine the way you are, Morgana.  Like, you’re cheeky cute?”  Morgana felt his eye twitch from her words.  What sounded like glass shattering echoed in his ears.  He had always viewed himself as some dashing hero that Ann just couldn’t see the appeal in yet.  But to designate him as just…

“Cute?  Lady Ann, I…”

“Welp, we’ll continue this when we get back from the trip!”  With nothing to tide them over in the meantime, the Hawaii trip sounded as appealing as ever.  “I can’t wait to see how much the Phantom Thieves’ popularity has increased by then!”  The cat merely sighed, talked over by Ryuji once again. 

“We should head out before Sojiro gets back.  Come on, Morgana.”  Akira carefully lifted the cat and placed him in his satchel.  Morgana didn’t even put up a fight.  They all slipped out through the front door and dispersed.  It was rather late in the day anyhow.  Though nobody took notice that Ann had slipped away with Akira.  An opportunity he took advantage of.  “Say, Ann…”

“Yes?” she asked coyly, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“How about tomorrow you come over to Leblanc?  I’ll cook you up something special.”  Her blue eyes lit up at the prospect of finally being able to taste his cooking.  All the meals he had described had haunted her taste buds with their allure.  She could barely contain her excitement at accepting his offer.  Morgana too sensed an opportunity for a new experience.

Something completely different…


	38. Telltale Heart

_9/04/17 – Sunday_

Ann lounged about on her bed within the confines of her lovingly furnished room.  The girl held the phone to her ear and spoke to Shiho diligently as the girls recounted their days.

"Mom and Dad still keep spoiling me," Shiho said.  "Buying me expensive clothes and jewelry, taking me out to dinner wherever they can." The girl sighed on the other end.  "Anything they can do to try and move past the Kamoshida incident." Ann twirled the end of her pigtail thoughtfully over her friend's words.

"It's the only way they know how to cope, I suppose," Ann replied.  "They feel guilty."

"I know," Shiho huffed glumly.  "It hurts to see them like this, though.  It wasn't their fault what happened, but I just can't seem to get it through their heads."

"They're your parents, Shiho.  They'll blame themselves for what happened no matter what.  That's what good parents do.  They worry about their kids."

"Their gifts and outings are wonderful, but all I really wanna do is just spend time with them.  It doesn't have to be anything fancy.  I just…" There was a pause on the other line, with Ann able to hear to shaky exhale.  "They just look so sad when their focus isn't on me.  They don't think I notice, but I do." Ann's heart ached for Shiho and the turmoil her family was going through.  Immediately, her thoughts turned inward to blame herself once more for not allowing Kamoshida to have his way with her.  But Akira's and Shiho's words echoed in her mind.  They wouldn't want her to bare the blame for what happened.

"Maybe you could…" The blonde's mind wandered around in search of a solution.  Anything to alleviate her best friend's troubles.  But Kamoshida's actions and Principal Kobayakawa's enabling it had created wounds that will never truly heal.  Though she hated to admit it, there was no fixing this.  Ann sighed in defeat, blue eyes gazing glumly down towards the sheets.  "I don't know."

"I'm not asking you to try and fix it for me," Shiho said.  "Don't trouble yourself over it.  You're doing all you can."

"But I wanna do more, Shiho!"

"Ann, all I want is someone to listen to me.  Listen to my problems, even if they can't fix them." Ann suppressed an annoyed huff.  Not at her but rather at herself.  The uselessness she felt in light of Shiho's situation.  What she wouldn't give to be able to cure Shiho and her family of their melancholy like the Phantom Thieves did with Futaba.  But no such palace existed, as Ann had checked personally.  This was all she could do, and it frustrated her to no end.  But her meager contribution seemed to suffice for Shiho.  This was for her alleviation, not her own.  Ann rubbed her brow with a sigh.

"Anyway, how's school been?" Perhaps a suitable subject change would soothe the tension, and it seemed to work as Shiho's tone picked up immediately.

"Oh, it's wonderful here," the girl replied.  "Not as grand in scale as Shujin, but that's why I admire it.  It's a welcome change of scenery.  And everyone here is so nice."

"Does anyone know about Shujin?"

"They know about Kamoshida but not about me specifically.  Although I think the teachers do because they're much nicer to me than the others."

"Maybe it's because you're new."

"I hope so.  I don't want any special treatment.  All the students treat me like a regular person.  They do ask a lot of questions about Shujin though."

"If any boys up there give you trouble, I'll be over in a heartbeat to kick some ass." Shiho let out an ecstatic giggle, prompting Ann to laugh in return.

"Now that I would love to see," she said.  "But enough about me.  How are things back at Shujin?"

"Nice and quiet," Ann responded.  "School's still a drag as usual, but we get to go to Hawaii soon."

"Ooh," Shiho said with admiration.  "Nice.  We're going to Los Angeles for our school trip."

"Oh, hey!  Yusuke's going there for his.  Say hi for me if you see him."

"Isn’t he the artist?  The one that asked to draw you nude?"

"Shiho!" Her cheeks burned a bit as her friend cackled.  She could feel the embarrassment seething from the blonde through the phone.  Ann pinched the bridge of her nose.  "I should've never told you that."

"Hawaii looks so beautiful on TV and in all the magazines.  It would be such a romantic spot to spend time with you know who~" Ann's cheeks flushed even harder from the teasing tone in Shiho's voice.  She had been so wrapped up in seeing the sights and all the food that she hadn't considered the amorous aspect of it all.  An exotic land far away from the familiar city of Tokyo, she and her boyfriend on a beach in their bathing suits.  Ann hoped the two of them could steal away from the rest of their class and have a moment all to themselves.

"Wh-who would that be?" Ann asked, feigning ignorance.

"You know exactly who I mean, Ann Takamaki," Shiho teased.  "Akira!  Come on, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to ask him out!  You two all alone on the beach in swimsuits in a foreign country.”  Shiho let a dreamy sigh slip past her lips.  What an opportunity for memories.  “It's obvious you like him.  He's been really nice to me.  And you, from what I've heard.  We literally cannot go a single night without you bringing him up once.  Go for it, girl!" Ann held a hand to her mouth, pursing her lips as she smiled at the thought of Akira.  And at the thought of Shiho's ignorance to their relationship.

"Umm…" she said between shaky laughs.  "I-it's funny you should say that…"

"You didn't." Ann bit down on her bottom lip, her smile widening and an excited giggle rising in her chest.  "Ann Takamaki, you did not!"

"I did," she confessed.  "We're dating now." Shiho let out an excited squeal from the other end, causing the giggles to escape from the blonde.

"Finally!  Ann got herself a man, and the mysterious transfer student, of all people.  Ann dating the criminal.  Ooh, I never knew you had a thing for bad boys."

"Pfffffft!" Akira was a lot of things, but a bad boy was not one of them.  Shiho knew this good and well, but she was absolutely living for the opportunity to tease Ann further.  "You've gotta be kidding me."

“You gotta tell me everything!  When did you guys officially start?”

“Wednesday.”  Had it really been that short a time?  It felt like they had been together much longer.  Given all they had experienced.

“Have you guys kissed yet?”  Ann’s face went beet red as she bit down on her bottom lip.  The blonde couldn’t force herself to say it out loud.  Her flustered silence forced Shiho into another enthusiastic squeal, which elicited bashful giggles out of Ann in response.  "Ann getting that PG-13 liplock!” 

“Shut up!” Ann stammered in response, covering her reddened face.  Shiho’s fangirling giggles continued for a good while.  The happiest she had been in months. 

“Real talk, Ann.  I'm so happy for you.  I hope the both of you guys have a great time in Hawaii."

"Me too," Ann beamed with a giggle.  “I wish you could be there with us to hang out.”

"And be your third wheel?  Not a chance, this is the time to get your man."

"I figured you’d want to inspect him.  See if he’s up to code.  And if you find any guys over there in LA, they gotta get my approval first."

"Pssh!  Of course." Ann had rather high standards when it came to men, especially concerning Shiho.  Not just any Joe Schmoe on the streets would do for her best friend.  He had to be someone resourceful and caring as well as charming and capable.  Someone who would never hurt her but also treat her as an equal, not someone to be coddled.  Like Akira.  Speaking of her beloved, Ann's eyes darted to the clock on her end table.  It was about that time.

"Speaking of men, it's time I get ready to head over to Leblanc.”  The blonde rested the phone down on the table while she set to work applying her makeup.  A light coat for tonight.  She normally didn’t turn to using makeup outside of her job.  Akira had always described her as a natural beauty.  But he was cooking just for her tonight, and she needed to look better than her best. 

"Akira has a special evening planned out?" Shiho asked, the giddiness in her voice palpable.

"Actually, yeah," the blonde confessed.  "He wanted to make breakfast for me.  French toast, eggs, bacon."

"Breakfast?  Ann, it's like eight at night."

"He likes breakfast at night.  He's weird like that." Ann and Shiho giggled to themselves as they gossiped like middle school girls.

"You sure know how to pick 'em, Ann."

"Hey, he's making me breakfast without being asked so who's laughing now?"

"Mmm, I could actually go for some breakfast right now, to be honest.  I'm really jealous.

"Haha," Ann remarked teasingly.

* * *

 

"Ah!  Goddammit!" A stray droplet of grease had leapt off the pan and singed Akira's arm.  Foolishly had he decided to sport a short-sleeved t-shirt instead of a long one.  Now, he was paying the price for it.  Ever so gingerly did he withdraw his arm to inspect the damage. No visible markings, just a mere sting.

"Are you seriously going to cook the whole slab?" Morgana asked, lounging on the countertop.

"Goddamn straight," Akira remarked before snapping his fingers.  "And I told you before.  Off the counter." The cat grumbled to himself and climbed onto a barstool, watching his human companion operate two pans at once.  One was cooking up the French toast, dipped in his special blend of milk, two eggs, cinnamon, sugar, powdered sugar, and vanilla.  Each side being flipped at quick intervals to keep them from burning.  The other pan was sizzling with bacon, six pieces frying in the hot metal. Three-quarters of the slab rested on a plate covered by a paper towel, absorbing all the grease to reduce the strain of cleaning.  Cautiously would he flip the pieces with a fork.

"Remember that Lady Ann doesn't like hers too crispy," Morgana stated.

"I know what she wants," Akira said with a satisfied smirk.  "I'm the master at reading women."  A romantic evening of the two of them – and Morgana – sharing a home cooked meal in a dimly lit coffee shop.  It sounded positively picaresque to Ann.  The aesthetic, the romantic gesture, the free food.  Though it was a decision Sojiro wasn’t entirely thrilled to have sprung on him so out of the blue.  But when Akira bought all the ingredients himself with his hard-earned money, he relented.  His only demand was some leftover bacon as payment.  It felt so good to be cooking again.  Even better when there was someone else to feed.  And who better than his girlfriend?  Though their courtship would be hindered slightly by the presence of the cat.  They would need to remain composed, as difficult as that would be.  "Whatever bacon we don't eat, you can have, Morgana.  Just leave some for Sojiro, alright?" As the last piece was removed from the skillet, Akira cracked an egg and gently dropped it into the bacon grease to fry.  He used a metal spoon to ladle the grease on top of the yolk, accelerating the cooking time.  "Sunnyside up.  My favorite-augh, dammit!" He withdrew and nursed his wrist, a tiny splatter nipping at his skin.

"Uh huh," Morgana said apathetically.  He slumped on the barstool and stared out the window with a melancholic demeanor.  Akira eyed him worriedly from his peripheral.

"You still concerned about the trip?" He lifted the finished piece of French toast off the pan and onto the plate with the others in the microwave.  Keeping it inside helped contain the heat.  He wanted it fresh for his darling dear.  "I told you.  Futaba will take care of you while we’re gone.  I gave her some money to buy you some fatty tuna.  I'll be back on the twelfth."

"But that’s so far away," Morgana said solemnly.  "You and… Lady Ann…"  His pride had been dealt a serious blow yesterday.  Though he hated to admit it, her skills far surpassed his, even with his ability to transform into a car.  The Phantom Thieves had been his idea, and now he had been replaced as both strategic organizer and navigator.  Even more insulting was Ann's innocent comment.  " _Cute…_ "  It felt positively humiliating under the circumstances.  She was supposed to see him as a dashing tragic rogue trapped within an anthropomorphic feline body.  A heroic handsome swashbuckler with a heart of gold.  Not cute.  Such a simple description made him feel like nothing.  Like a mere cat.  After everything he had done, it felt unbelievable to be viewed in such a simplistic manner.  The words of a month’s old conversation between him and Akira late at night came back to haunt him.

_If you insist on doing this, Morgana, just be yourself.  Don't force it, and be direct.  Let her know how you feel._

He also remembered his flustered response, something to save face about his uncertainty.

_Don't be ridiculous!  People chase after me when it comes to love!_

It had been the truth.  Or rather, it used to have been.  After his failed attempt to woo Ann resulted in staining a vintage dress, he had backed away significantly out of fear.  But the feelings he had for her never died, the fire of passion in his chest only having grown stronger from being stifled for so long.  And soon she would be off in a foreign country, lounging on the beach in a swimsuit.  Surrounded by men in swimsuits of their own.  His eyes widened in shock and fear at the implications of it all.

"Akira!" he cried.  The boy turned to face him after placing another egg yolk onto the skillet.  "Do you think Lady Ann will find love while overseas?" He stared in silence at the cat, mouth slightly ajar.

"Morgana, what the hell are you talking about?" he asked flatly.

"Come on, Akira.  Have I taught you nothing?  Think about it.  Lady Ann in a foreign country on a tropical island, soaking up the sun and cool salt water of the Pacific.  Her gorgeous slender body being kissed by the sun as dozens of testosterone-driven men try and vie for her affection." He tugged on his ears frantically.  "Someone might steal her away from me!" Akira had turned back to the stove, placing another finished piece of French toast into the microwave.

"We're still on this, I see," he said, shaking his head disapprovingly.  "Morgana, Ann isn't shallow enough to fall for some dude on the beach because he's a beefcake.  Plus, if that were true, it would've happened the last time we were at the beach."

"But a tropical getaway is such a romantic scenario.  Anything could happen!"

"Don't you think you're being slightly irrational?" Akira asked.

"Five days is a long time," the cat noted.  "What if I lose my chance?" Akira peered at him over his shoulder.

"Chance to what?"

"To win her heart!" Akira shook his head, flipping the bread slices onto their opposite sides.  In one ear, out the other had his words gone.  It was tempting to just reveal the truth right then and there to him.  Perhaps that would get the cat to drop it and leave Ann alone.  But Morgana was already in a dreary enough emotional state as is. 

"Look, just don't try anything stupid during dinner, alright?  This is supposed to be me and Ann enjoying some late-night breakfast." The cat narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the young chef.

"How come you invited Lady Ann and no one else?" A cold sweat descended down Akira's neck just then.  By itself, it was nothing unusual.  Two friends eating some breakfast food.  But Morgana's paranoia and the nature of their relationship put the boy on edge.

"Both Ryuji and Futaba eat like a couple of goddamn horses," he said.  "I would like to have some food for myself." A half-truth.  Though they did eat tremendously, it had not been the reason why they weren't invited.  Guilt began to set its way into his chest for not inviting the others.  It felt like Ann was getting special treatment.  Which she technically was.  She was his girl, after all.  A knock on the door drew Morgana's attention off him.  None other than Ann stood there, beaming sweetly and waving.  "Come on in." With a wave of his hand did Ann enter, the bell jingling as she closed the door.  "You don't have to knock, you know."

"I just want your permission to enter," she said, watching him work behind the counter.  The apron he sported was a cute touch.

"It's a public coffee shop, Ann," Akira said with a playful smirk.  The blonde sniffed the air and the smell of freshly prepared food riding on it.

"Smells good.  You almost done?"

"Bacon and French toast are finished.  Just two more eggs, and we'll be ready to eat."

"Good.  I'm starving!" Ann took a seat at the barstool in front of Akira, leaning on her hands as he diligently worked under her watchful eye.  His heart quivered with anticipation at the thought of her trying his food.  Never had he been so excited about cooking before.  Two cold cups of orange juice sat at the bar, awaiting them.

"Um… L-Lady Ann." The blonde tilted her head towards the cat in the barstool opposite her.  She reached down and scratched his chin as she normally did.  A gesture that once brought joy and warmth to Morgana now felt cold and wrong.  "I… I need to confess something."

"What is it?" The cat gulped nervously before her.  The bravado he predominantly thrust forward around her had withered into nothingness.  His words about letting women come to him taunted him from the past.  This couldn't happen to him, of all people.  Not when they were so close to solving the Mementos mystery and returning him to human.  He just needed more time, another chance.  She would for sure see him as the cunning gentleman deserving of her adoration.  The cat looked to Akira, tending to his eggs without a care in the world.  He had always been a composed smooth operator.  How Morgana envied his natural aloofness, especially right now.  With a deep huff, he strung his words together and began to speak.

"Lady Ann, ever since I laid eyes upon you, I've been enraptured.  It may have been Kamoshida's cognition of you I saw first, but it opened my eyes!" Ann blinked at him in stunned confusion.  "Your beauty and grace are unparalleled, your strength fiery and uncompromising!  You're the most beautiful girl in the entire world, and it's been tearing me apart that you don't see the real me!  The dashing hero worthy of your hand.  I might look like a cat, but if you just give me a chance and more time, I can be your man!  The human you deserve to have court you!  I can be everything to you and more!  Just give me the chance I deserve!" An awkward silence hung in the air.  Akira had turned the stove off and was glancing at Ann, who had turned to him for answers.  The boy shook his head in exasperation.  In one ear…

"Morgana, what are you trying to say?" The cat pulled at his ears in frustration.  His face was already burning hot underneath his fur.

"Do I seriously have to spell it out for you?" he asked.  "I love you, Lady Ann!" Ann's eyes widened in surprise, her cheeks flushing from the awkwardness she felt.  A fine heat had built upon Akira's neck as he turned back towards the stove.  The anxiety foretold what would happen next, and he dreaded it.  Though, neither of them felt as anxious as Morgana did.  He had laid everything on the line, and now was the moment of truth.  She had to accept him now… didn't she?  "So, what do you say?  Lady Ann, will you be my girl?"

"Ohh…" Ann held a hand to her face as her cheeks burned greatly.  The mortification she felt on both of their behalves was palpable.  Morgana looked up at her with expecting shimmering blue eyes.  A pleading desperate look in them, a desire that burned hotter than the blush on her skin.  Ann looked towards Akira, who merely tugged on his shirt collar.  "Morgana…" She took a deep breath to gather her thoughts, prepping herself for the uneasy rejection.  "You're really sweet and nice and kind and funny.  All sorts of things.  Any girl would be lucky to have you."

"I don't want just any girl," he said, tail wagging with anticipation.  "I want you.  You're like no one else in the world, Lady Ann.  I can be the gallant knight you deserve.  The one you need.  And you're the girl that I need." She sighed and chewed on her bottom lip.

"Well, that girl you want… will just have to be someone else." Morgana's heart sank into his furry body, the sheer weight of it feeling as though he would sink into the earth and pull Leblanc with him.  "You're a sweet cat-" Akira made a vicious swiping motion with his hand across his neck, wincing painfully.  Ann pursed her lips and reevaluated her statement.  "You're a sweet  _guy_.  But I'm just not interested.  You're my friend, but that's all you'll be.  Just my friend." The cat's mind raced feverishly in an attempt to salvage this uncomfortable situation.  To turn it around and make her see the error of her ways.  That he deserves her.

"Wait, Lady Ann!  If it's because of my feline exterior, then we can fix that!  We're so close to returning me to my body!  Just give me time, please!  I can prove I'm the guy you need!"

"Morgana, it's not just looks," she said, rubbing her brow.  "It doesn't matter whether you're actually human.  I'm not interested in you romantically.  I'm sorry, but you'll only ever be a friend to me." Morgana could hear the sound of splintering glass as his heart shattered onto the floor.  He couldn't bring himself to believe his ears.  After everything, there was no way this could be happening to him.

"But… but why?  What did I do wrong?  Lady Ann, I can change into whatever you want me to be.  I can be the man for you if you just give me one chance." He sounded positively devastated.  Akira's heart ached for his dear friend, but it was a lesson he had to learn.  Now, he seemed poised to dig himself deeper into despair.

"No, I don't want you to change yourself for me," Ann said, pinching her brow.  "You'd just be pretending to be someone else, and that's just fake.  You're better than that, Morgana.  Just be yourself."

"But I'm not the man you want.  What good is being myself if I can't have you?" It just grew more and more painful by the minute for everyone involved.  Akira had heard from television that the first love was always the one that hurt the most.  Well, Morgana was hurting severely.

"Morgana…" Ann reached out to pet him, but he sharply withdrew, leaping onto the floor.

"What kind of man do you like, Lady Ann?" he bargained.  This couldn't be the end for him.  A Phantom Thief mustn't go out like this.  Not with a whimper but a bang.  "I can be that man, I swear!"

"Morgana, please.  Stop begging.  Why can't you just accept this?"

"There has to be something I can do.  Something I can do to win you!"

"I am not a prize to be won!" Ann huffed indignantly.  Morgana ducked down, ears folded cautiously.  "I'm sorry that you're heartbroken.  I truly am, but you need to respect my decision, okay?  Stop trying to barter or beg because it won't work.  Please stop."

"But… Lady Ann…"

"Morgana." The cat turned to see Akira looking at him over the counter.  "No means no. Listen to her." He stood there in utter silence.  Any sort of excuse or plea stagnated and withered away.  “Now please, can we just drop this and accept Ann’s word?  If you can’t do that for me, can you please head upstairs and let us eat in peace?”  Slowly, the cat's head drooped to the floor.  He stared down at his paws in utter defeat.  A soft sigh escaped him as he retreated up the stairs.  Never in all his life had he felt this low, this directionless.  The bed in Akira's room would offer no sleep for the cat this night.  Akira and Ann exchanged glum looks, both leaning against the counter.  "That could've gone better." Ann sighed and leaned forward on her palm.

"God, I feel terrible," she said solemnly.

"Me too," Akira replied, placing the finished eggs onto the plate with the other two.  “I should’ve tried harder to get through to him.  He’s just so damn stubborn about it though.”

"You think we should've told him about us?" Akira shook his head.

"Would've just made things worse." It was Akira's turn to sigh, rubbing his eyes behind his glasses.  "This is not how I wanted the night to go."  She rested her cheek glumly against his shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." He reached for her hand and cradled it.  "You made your choice.  He couldn't come to terms with that."

"I know.  It just doesn't make things better."

"You still hungry?" Ann folded her arms and leaned back in her seat.  Her melancholic pout was actually quite adorable.  He leaned in and smiled.  "We got all this food.  Let's take our minds off this." She didn't feel much like eating anymore.  Morgana's resistance and her own confession had upset her too much to properly enjoy a good meal.  The feelings were worsened with the guilt of Akira working so hard to prepare it.  "Come on." Akira's words snapped her out of the miasma of negativity in her mind as he tilted her head up to face him.  He tilted her head up to face him, cradling her cheek against his thumb.  "Where's my happy girl?" Despite her resistance, a smile made its way onto her face.  Her raven-haired boyfriend stared longingly into the pools of blue looking back at him.  The clearness of them felt as though he'd be transported to another world.

"Eating does help calm my nerves," she said.  "And it would be a shame not to eat after you worked so hard."

"Excellent." Akira retrieved the plate of French toast from the microwave.  "How many pieces, babe?"

"Three, please." He nodded and the transferred the three pieces to her plate, lathering them in butter, syrup, a blend of powdered sugar and vanilla, and some strawberries.  He applied the ingredients to his pile of toast and placed it in front of the seat next to her.  Ann stared at the mountain of French toast on his plate.  "Six pieces?"

"I eat a lot." The next plate to reach the counter was the one loaded with bacon.

"That's a lot of bacon…" An entire slab's worth of the choicest cut.  Handpicked by Akira himself from the store.

"Goddamn straight," he said, dining on one of the succulent pieces of meat.  "Mmm, mmm, mmm. A touch of crisp but ultimately tender.  Just how you like it."

"You shouldn't have," Ann said with a giggle.

"Why do Americans have such an obsession with bacon?" Akira asked he went to retrieve the eggs.

"Because it's good, obviously."

"I'm not disputing that," he said with a chuckle.  "But why Americans specifically?" He placed two eggs on her plate, and two on his.  "Cooked to perfection and topped with ground black pepper and sea salt.  A little bit of lemon drizzled over them for a citrusy sweetness to offset the salt and spice.  Little custom thing I do, throwing in some lemon here and there." Ann's eyes lit up as she surveyed all the food.  It was way more than she could eat herself, but luckily her boyfriend was a living garbage disposal.  She had heard of his legendary completion of the Big Bang Burger challenge.  How he put it away and remained as skinny as he was, she'd never know.

"This is all really sweet," she said, beaming at him.  Her man cooking a late-night breakfast dinner in a coffee shop.  He just kept finding new ways to outdo himself.  Akira sliced a piece of her toast and held it to her mouth, feeding her.  Such a cute gesture elicited happy giggles from the girl.  "Mmm, sooo good!"

"You like?" Akira asked eagerly.

"This is the best French toast I've ever had!" The boy sighed with relief as pride coursed through his body.  "I had no idea you could cook so well!"

"I tried my hand at it after Sojiro showed me how to brew coffee.  After all, I'm feeding myself here, and you can't just eat boiled ramen over and over." Ann gingerly sliced into her egg and dined on the delicious cooked yolk.

"Delicious," she complimented.  "My dad prefers his yolk to be a little runny.  I'm funny about how my food is cooked, though."

"I took great care to make sure the eggs were done." He inspected his handiwork.  As expected, cooked and seasoned to perfection.  "Same with the bacon.  Don't want any underdone pieces." Ann dined on a strip and marveled at the taste.

"A slight crunch, but overall tender.  My favorite.  Dad prefers his bacon crispy." She turned her nose up at the thought.  "It's like eating charcoal."

"That's how Sojiro is with his bacon.  Runny eggs, too." Ann leaned on his shoulder while he nibbled a piece of his toast.

"Thank you so much, Akira," she said softly, gazing at him with a sleepy longing look.  "You're the best boyfriend I've ever had." He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Ann, I'm the only boyfriend you've ever had." She snickered and leaned into him before he fed her a piece of his toast.  "I got a couple other recipes I wanna try for you.  There's one that's ramen boiled in some sliced vegetables and a seasoned chicken breast." The blonde found herself growing hungrier as he went on and on.  A Phantom Thief and a master chef.  It's like he grew more and more perfect with each passing day.  But her expression then soured as her mind drifted back to Morgana.  Her pain had not gone unnoticed by Akira, who wrapped an arm around her comfortingly.

"I didn't know how hard this all would've affected him," she said glumly.  He nodded as she leaned into him for warmth.

"Whether you were single or not is irrelevant," Akira reasoned.  "It still would've hurt him the same regardless." She sighed and nuzzled the small of his neck.

"I wish there was something we could do for him, you know.  Maybe find him a girlfriend when he becomes human.  Or find him a lady cat if he really is a cat." Akira contemplated Morgana's rather unique situation.  If he was merely just a cat, then there was really nothing they could do for him.  A regular cat wouldn't do for him.  Morgana would need a woman to talk and engage with him, treat him like a person.  All they could do now was plunge deeper into Mementos when they had the time and solve this mystery.

"We're doing all we can.  But there are some things only he can do for himself." Ann nibbled absently on a strip of bacon, earning a small smile from her lover.  "Perhaps this was the right time for this.  In a few days, we'll be off to Hawaii and take a break from each other.  Morgana can come to terms with it in our absence."

"I'm just worried about him is all," Ann said.  "He's never been away from us this long before.  I don't want him to get lonely." A heavy sigh escaped Akira's lips.

"Yeah, I know what you mean.  I'm worried about him too.  But he'll have Futaba, and I gave her money to treat him to fatty tuna once while we're gone.  And they'll be doing recon work around town to keep an eye on any Metaverse activity.  It'll keep them busy.  Plus, he's gonna have to learn eventually how to be without you."

"It doesn't make any of this easier," she replied despondently.  Akira nodded, squeezing her against him.  A notion that she responded with in turn.

"Things will be okay.  He just needs time.  Trust me." In typical fashion, Akira's words gave her hope.  Nothing could be changed now.  Her feelings were made known to Morgana, and it had broken his heart completely.  Now all that could be done was let him heal.  Some comfort could be gained in that Akira shared her pain.  "At least we're looking forward to the Hawaii trip more now, right?"

"I guess," she smiled sadly.  "It'll be a nice distraction from Mementos and… this."

"We should find a way to spend some time, just the two of us." A small giggle escaped the girl as she fantasized the both of them on the Waikiki beach.  Two young teenagers in swimsuits, lounging on the sand privately underneath their friends' noses.  Secret lovers.  Her heart soared at the fact that she was living this fantasy.

"Shiho was saying the same thing." Akira turned abruptly towards her, blinking in surprise.

"You told her?" Ann inhaled sharply at her inadvertent reveal.  She bit down on her bottom lip apprehensively.  So much for keeping it a secret.

"Is that… bad?" Akira chewed on the inside of his cheek as he thought it over.

"…Nah." A sigh of relief escaped the girl.  "Shiho's your best friend.  I wouldn't want you to keep secrets from her.  Plus, I trust her.  She'll respect our privacy.  Not to mention she lives far enough away that there's no chance it'll be revealed accidentally to the others." Ann wrapped her arms around his chest and held him tight.

"Akira, you're the fucking best, you know that?" He smirked with satisfaction as he petted her hair.

"Yeah, I've been told that before." Pursing her lips into a smile, she nudged his ribs with her elbow.

"Ass," she muttered, trying not to laugh.

* * *

 

_9/05/17 – Monday_

The Phantom Thieves spent their lazy Monday after school doing nothing of note, in typical fashion.  The school was uneventful in typical fashion, with everyone far too focused on the trip Wednesday to care about their studies.  Except for Makoto, of course.  They had been graced with nice weather and decided to lounge about in town, frequenting the picnic tables in Central Street.  A spur of the moment decision, but time was of the essence as the school trip was fast approaching.  The lot of them had grown quite hungry, and they began purchasing delectable morsels to dine upon.  Futaba had brought her staple food, consisting of her staple food that earned envy and desire from those around her.  Yusuke gingerly sniffed the fumes wafting off in his direction.

"It's strange.  No matter how many times I sample it, I cannot get over the intoxicating aroma," the artist commented.  Futaba withdrew defensively around her meal.

"Hands off, Inari." Akira sat at the end of the table, patiently awaiting his girlfriend.  Ann and Makoto were running a bit behind, and he was eager to give her what he had prepared earlier.  Morgana lounged limply along the side of the bench, not so much as a flick to his tail.  Ryuji returned with a box of chicken and fries, an ecstatic grin on his face from the meal he had garnered.

"Yo, Mona," the blond boy said, smirking at the cat.  Teasingly did he lift the Styrofoam lid.  "You want some delicious fried chicken?" Not that he had any intention of giving the cat any.  Ryuji just wanted to taunt their feline companion.

"Not hungry." Ryuji blinked in surprise at the curt reply.  Yusuke and Futaba drew their attention towards Morgana as well.  It was dramatically uncharacteristic of him to turn down a meal, regardless of what meat it was.  A twinge of concern shot up in the blond's chest.

"Are you sure?" he asked.  "I mean, I don't mind." The cat was not swayed by the sincerity in his voice, instead turning his back and remaining silent.  Futaba leaned towards Morgana searchingly.

"Is Kitty sick?" she asked.

 _Lovesick_ , Akira thought to himself before clearing his throat.  "Morgana's having some personal issues right now…" Yusuke pondered his chin carefully.

"Ah.  Concerned about our departure Wednesday, no doubt." He ruffled Morgana's fur, much to his chagrin.  "Fear not, Morgana.  It will only be a week, and Futaba will take care of you."

"Less than a week, technically.  Think of it like a vacation," Ryuji said.  "A break from bein' Phantom Thieves."

"We just had a break," the cat grumbled.

"That's not the whole story, but…" Akira stared down at his feline friend apprehensively before letting out a sigh.  "I shouldn't say anything.  It's probably best not to talk about it-"

"Why bother?" The question caught the shaggy-haired spectacled boy off-guard.  "Not like there's a point in keeping it a secret." The cat rose to his paws and sat on the bench.  "I confessed my feelings of true love to Lady Ann." Yusuke's brow twitched, a feeling of apprehension of what Morgana would say next.  Judging by his tone, it could only have been one outcome.

"Ohh…" Ryuji said.  Morgana sighed exhaustedly, just feeling completely and utterly defeated.

"I'm guessing she didn't like you back?" Futaba asked.  The cat shot her an annoyed look.

"How did you figure that out?" he snapped.  "Surprised you didn't already know considering you know everything.  Surprised you didn't know before I knew." Futaba withdrew a bit, scooting away.  Ryuji frowned at the cat.

"Dude, she was just askin' a question," he commented.  "Don't have to be a dick about it." Morgana merely scoffed.

"I'm sorry," Futaba said.  By no means did she intentionally mean to offend her feline friend or did wish to see him sullen and heartbroken.

"You have my sympathies," Yusuke said solemnly.  "I can't imagine unrequited love is easy to deal with, but I applaud your attempt.  That took courage, no doubt."

"Not like it matters.  She doesn't like me back.  I just… why not?" The cat's voice shook slightly, and Akira felt a twinge of fear spear his heart at the thought of Morgana breaking down in public.  "Why not me?"

"Well…" Futaba said, scratching her head.  "Maybe it's because you're a ca-" Her eyes switched to Akira, who was frantically swiping at his neck with a fearful look in his eye.  The last thing he wanted was to push Morgana further into depression.  "Ca-ca-cuh-"

"Cool!" Ryuji interrupted.  "Y-yeah, you're too cool!  Ann is intimidated by how cool you are." He smiled nervously, looking to Akira who had a bewildered squint on his face.  Once again, Ryuji had proved he was not even remotely skilled in the art of deceit.

"Even for you, that was pretty dumb, Ryuji," Morgana said, flopping onto his side.  "Why dance around it?  I already know the answer.  I'm just…" A sigh of bitter admission escaped his lips.  "I'm just a cat to her." Akira sighed and placed his hands on his hips, shaking his head remorsefully.  He had known the rejection would hit Morgana hard, but it still hadn't prepared him for the brunt of it.

"Hey, come on," he said reassuringly.  "It's not the end of the world."

"Easy for you to say," the feline dismissed.  "You're going on vacation Wednesday and get to have fun in the sun.  I'm just stuck here." The guilt began to really sink in now.  Akira had originally surmised that their break would give them time to heal.  Now, it seemed just to be salt thrown into the wound.

"Well… you'll have Futaba with you.  That'll be good, right?" Akira had to give Ryuji credit on how hard he was trying to lift Morgana's spirits, but his graciousness was lost on the embittered feline.

"Tck," Morgana scoffed.  "Great.  Maybe she can tell me more about how useless I am.  She'll have to pick up your slack.  Maybe in Hawaii, you can find someone to replace me as the getaway car to make me even more of a waste." Ryuji rubbed his neck sheepishly.  His jests from yesterday seemed to have cut deeper than he imagined.

"Ahh, come on," the blond said, ruffling the cat's hair.  "You don't take that stuff seriously, do you?  I'm just funnin' with ya.  Everyone else makes fun of me, and I don't take it personally.  It's all jokes, y'know?  You make fun of me, and I roast you back.  That's our thing, right?" Morgana said nothing, offering only a disheartened sigh before flipping over onto his other side away from them.  Akira felt a frown rise up on his face.  Since meeting had the both of them possessed a rivalry of sorts, filled with banter back and forth.  Never once had Ryuji complained.  Now with Morgana feeling so sullen, suddenly the banter was uncalled for.  Were he less sympathetic, he would lecture his friend on his blatant hypocrisy.  Right now, he just didn't possess the willpower.  The others looked to him expectantly.

"This is most unusual," Yusuke murmured lowly.  "Nothing we try seems to reach him."

"Kitty's very stubborn," Futaba noted.

"Is there no way we can take Morgana with us?" the artist asked.

"To America?" Akira asked before shaking his head.  "No chance.  Airport security is tight going there.  If they caught us with Morgana, we'd be detained for God knows how long.  And I do  _not_  need that on my record too."

"It's true," Futaba stated.  "Since the 1990s, the TSA has become increasingly strict and paranoid in their endeavors to make airline travel safe from terrorist attacks.  Although, their methods are rarely effective, having never actually prevented an attack before.  Plus, their network security really sucks.  I hacked into it last night like it was nothing." The three boys eyed the spectacled redhead uncomfortably as she beamed with apparent pride.

"…You know, it just occurred to me that Futaba is probably on a watch list somewhere," Akira said, now suddenly feeling like he was being watched himself.  "We can never take her anywhere."

"Eh," she dismissed.  "I don't need to go to the U.S. anyways.  Their video games suck.  Who wants to spend sixty dollars on generic military shooters?"

"Yeah, not like here in Japan where our favorite franchises just become pachinko machines," Akira jested, smirking slightly as he felt the girl seethe under his gaze.

" _Don't remind me of that_ ," she hissed.  Yusuke stood with a blank and lost expression upon his face, ogling the two spectacled teens.

"Video games," he stated simply.  "I… understand about those…" Futaba snickered at how much an old man he resembled when it came to the modern world, causing Yusuke to turn his nose up at her in disdain.

"Inari is so uncultured." An offended gasp escaped through Yusuke's larynx, his eye twitching manically.

"How dare you-"

"Hey, can we get back to the task at hand, please?" Akira interrupted, craning his neck in Morgana's direction.  The two set aside their feud and diverted attention to their feline friend.  None of them had any real experience with love or relationships, Futaba and Yusuke lacking social skills in general.  Plus, with Morgana's unique condition, it was a strenuous sea to navigate.  Yusuke sighed with great sobriety.

"I'm afraid I can provide no aid under these circumstances," the artist admitted.

"Ditto," Futaba stated.  Ryuji huffed through his teeth while scratching the back of his head before he too relented.

"Yeah, I got nothin' too." His eyes darted to Akira's searchingly.  "What about you, boss man?  Anything at all?" Akira merely shrugged.

"Nothing I haven't already said." His response did little to inspire any of them, their eyes falling upon their forlorn feline friend.  His white-tipped tail dangled limply over the edge without so much as a twitch.  A heavy sigh made its way through Akira.  "But I suppose it's worth repeating.  They say repetition is supposed to help, right?"

"Couldn't hurt to try," Yusuke commented.  With a nod, he gently ran his fingers along Morgana's neck and scratched it.  He didn't respond but didn't swat him away either.  So, he was at least listening.

"These things… happen, Morgana," he started.  The cat sighed in anticipation of his response.  "It's just something you have to accept.  It stings, but you just have to move on.  You know?" As expected, Morgana said nothing.  He knew it was a far cry to expect him to listen to reason.

"…That's it?" Akira looked back at Ryuji, tapping his foot and hands on his hips.  "You're just gonna tell him to give up?"

"She said no.  That's the end of it."

"Come on, man!  Girls play hard to get when it comes to guys so as not to look desperate or easy." Akira suppressed a look of contempt from forming on his face.  It seemed as though he was the only one amongst them with any sort of understanding of women, and he and Ann had been together for less than a week.  "Besides, it doesn't look good when a man gives up.  Girls like determination and confidence.  All that stuff, you know?"

"But… he's a cat." Akira hated to keep harping on such a sensitive issue, but Ann was by no means interested.  The species difference was an incredibly large thing to overlook, and Morgana just couldn't grasp that.  Apparently, neither could Ryuji.

"We just gotta turn him back to a human is all," the blond said.

"But-" Akira interrupted himself with a sigh, rubbing his brow in exasperation.  He had lost count how many times he had undergone this conversation.  "Ann has established she's not interested in him, whether he's human or cat."

"She just hasn't seen him yet.  How can she know if she hasn't seen him?" Akira gave up and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.  It was already enough of a labor to convince Morgana.  He couldn't handle dealing with Ryuji now as well.

"Hey, guys!" Akira swiftly turned to see Ann approaching, a sweet smile upon her face in typical fashion.  He turned back to the others and quietly shushed them down.

"Let's drop it for now." He rose from his seat to find Ann embracing him, a notion he graciously returned.  "Took you long enough," he teased.  She stuck her tongue out at him playfully before greeting the others.

"Hi, Morgana!" Ann said sweetly.  The cat merely let out a sad sigh, only responding with a flick of his ear.  Her smile faltered, glancing to Akira with concern.  Ryuji, Yusuke, and Futaba met her gaze with a similar forlorn look.

"They know, Ann." Her eyes widened a sliver with fear at his words.  "About…"

"About me." Ann looked down to Morgana, who still hadn't lifted himself up from his spot.  "Morgana the cat.  That's all I am." Her heart twitched with sorrow at his words.  The girl felt a heat rise up on her neck from their personal affairs now on display for the group.

"Morgana, I'm really sorry to see you so heartbroken, but I had to be honest," she said.  Akira tugged on his shirt collar, now feeling the same heat building on his neck.  Things were growing increasingly more awkward, and they all felt it.  The cat sighed and leapt off the table.

"I'll just go," he said, not waiting for a response as he trotted down an alley.  Her presence was too much for Morgana to handle right now.  His pride wouldn't allow him to stay.  Ann felt her feelings hurt at his abrupt and aloof departure.  Akira placed a comforting hand upon her shoulder, sharing her sentiment.  It hurt both of them to see Morgana in such turmoil.  But it was nothing they could feasibly fix.

"Should we go after him?" she asked.  Akira merely shook his head.

"Some time alone will do him good.  For now, let's eat.  Alright?" Ann sighed and nodded reluctantly.  Her shaggy-haired boyfriend surveyed the area behind her curiously.  "Where's Makoto?"

"She's running a bit behind," Ann said.  "She'll make it, though." Ryuji blinked in realization and swiftly began to wolf down his chicken.  The presence of the poultry had utterly eluded him as his focus shifted to Morgana's romantic crisis.  Coincidentally, so did table manners, it seemed.  Yusuke turned his nose up at the apparent lack of dining etiquette.

"How barbaric," the artist scoffed before leaving to purchase himself some noodles.  Ann snickered, a hand to her mouth.  Her blue eyes fell upon Akira.

"I'll get us food," Ann said, retrieving her purse.  "What do you wanna eat?"

"No need." Akira reached into his satchel and removed a bento box.  "Check it out." He handed it to Ann, and she gingerly lifted the lid to peek inside.  Within was freshly prepared ramen, littered with chicken, shrimp, green onions, mushrooms, pineapple, and eggs.  Seasoned with soy sauce, lemon juice, and various spices that smelled like utter heaven.  In the space next to it was fried rice, decorated with small vegetables and egg mixed in the grains, marinated in soy.  "It's nothing noteworthy, but it's a free meal."

"Ooh," Ann commented, cradling the box.  "Looks really good."

"Made it all for you, Ann." He beamed proudly and nodded.  "Figured it would be the best way to hone my skills.  Plus, you get to eat on my dime.  Can't beat that, right?" It had been a spur of the moment decision.  Rushing home after school to prepare the meal had been a laborious task, especially with the small time window.  But had been totally worth it.  Ann giggled at how proud he was of his handiwork.  Between the late-night breakfast and the bento boxes, she felt she'd grow spoiled by all these free meals.

"Aww, thanks, Akira.  That's so sweet, but what about you?" Truth be told, the boy had not even considered anything for himself.  He had been utterly lost in meticulously cooking the meal to the closest he could achieve to perfection.

"Eh, not a big deal," Akira said.  "I can grab food for myself-"

"Nonsense." She grabbed his sleeve and gently lowered him down to the table.  "We'll share." Akira chuckled and relented.  He had made the box for her sole enjoyment, but a meal prepared is always better shared.  Ann dined upon the contents of the box while Akira sat across and watched her dine.  "Mmm, this is really good, Akira!" The myriad of flavors that hit her tongue was incredibly stimulating.  Salty, sweet, and spicy all intermingled, each perfectly counterbalanced.  A soft sigh of relief escaped his chest.  Cooking was a practice he frequently enjoyed, and he was quite sensitive to making an enjoyable meal.  Anything he believed or was told was lacking would be something he would take hard.  "Where'd you learn how to cook this?"

"Saw it online," the boy said, leaning upon his hand with a confident smirk.  "Modified the recipe at my own discretion."

"Was it expensive to make?"

"Nah.  It's all relatively cheap ingredients that you let cook on medium-high for about half an hour.  Mostly to get the chicken nice and brown.  The last thing I want is salmonella." Ann savored the piece of pineapple she was chewing on and gazed in adoration at him.

"You've got this down to a science, huh?" Akira rubbed his neck and chuckled, a bashful smile on his face.  It always tickled him pink to hear his work be praised.

"Well, I mean, it's nothing special, but I like to toot my own horn and say I did fairly well." Ever so humble.  Something Ann always appreciated about him.  Confident but not a braggart.  Humble but not self-deprecating or dismissive.  Yusuke returned and sat down across from Ryuji with his noodles.  The blond craned his neck and sniffed the fumes wafting from the bowl.

"Eh.  Not bad," he commented.  Yusuke eyed him searchingly for clues as to the nature of his comment.  Ryuji tapped the side of his nostril with his finger and smirked.  "I got a nose for things when it comes to ramen.  That corner store stuff might be cheap, but it doesn't compare to the high-quality stuff in Ogikubo." Yusuke nodded curiously while he dined on his noodles.  His friend's rambling actually served to strengthen his appetite.

"It's just ramen," Futaba dismissed, earning an offended look from the blond.  Never had he felt more insulted in his life than in that moment.

"It's not  _just_  ramen!" he insisted with a passion that caught Yusuke off-guard.  "A lot of effort goes into making sure it has the right flavor and texture.  Shit's very important."

"Texture?" Futaba repeated.  "It's noodles!  You boil them in water and-"

"No, no," Yusuke interrupted, holding a finger up to silence her.  "He has a point." The artist leaned forward intently, hanging on Ryuji's every word.  "I had no idea you were so passionate for the culinary arts." The blond beamed and lounged back, hands behind his head.

"Ramen's a big deal for me, dude.  Since I was a little tyke, I was always eatin' and learnin' about it."

"Truly fascinating." Yusuke steepled his fingers and gazed upon him with a newfound appreciation.  "Perhaps I had underestimated you, Ryuji."

"Damn right you did," he said with a wink, pointing at the artist and proceeded to click his thumb.  "I treated Akira personally to the best ramen in town out in Ogikubo.  Play your cards right, and maybe I'll take you under my wing.  Akira knows me as a regular ramen connoisseur, don't you, bud?" The blond awaited an answer from his best friend, instead only receiving a laugh from Ann. Ryuji looked back to see Ann and Akira laughing to themselves.  Both completely oblivious to their conversation.

"Okay, my turn." She lifted a fork with pineapple impaled upon the metal prongs over to his mouth.  Akira opened his mouth and nibbled on the fruit.  Akira smirked and attempted to take the fork for himself, but Ann was quick to pull it out of reach.  "Nu-uh.  I'm feeding _you_." After consuming the hunk of berry, he took the fork and fed her a piece of shrimp speared alongside a mushroom, both soaked in soy.  Ryuji sat and gawked at the both of them, taking turns feeding one another and giggling.  He had never seen either one of them act in such a way before.  From Ann, he expected.  But not Akira, of all people.  Their composed smooth leader was acting so giddy all of a sudden.  Yusuke and Futaba seemed to share his bewilderment, as they sat and observed the two in silence.  After a while, the two finished their shared meal, with Akira making sure Ann got the last bite.  Both of them still oblivious to their friends, rather lost in each other.  Ryuji leaned over towards the other two and whispered lowly.

"Dude, are you guys seein' this?"

"Most peculiar," Yusuke noted, pondering his chin.  Ryuji kicked at his seat from under the table.

"Come on, dude!" he hissed lowly.  "Don't draw attention."

"You're one to talk," the artist retorted.  "Declaring our status as Phantom Thieves to the heavens every other day and whatnot."

"That was like maybe two times, okay?" As the blond opened his mouth to retort some more, he was distracted by Ann and Akira rising from the table.

"Hey, guys, me and Ann are gonna head out, okay?  Got something we wanna take care of before we gotta leave tomorrow."

"That cool with you?" The three exchanged perplexed looks, unsure of who should respond.

"Uh… yeah, that's cool," Ryuji spoke up.  "We'll tell Makoto you said hi." Ann beamed at him and swung her purse over her shoulder.

"Thanks, Ryuji," she said with a smile.  "You're a peach." Akira tucked the bento box away in his satchel and walked through the crowd of people with Ann in tow.  Ryuji's mouth hung slightly agape in pure confusion as he turned to Yusuke and Futaba, still as lost as they were.

"I'm a peach?" he repeated.  "What does that even mean?  And why did they leave?"

"They were whispering to each other about something," Futaba said, narrowing her eyes at their figures disappearing in the crowd.  "Before they left." Yusuke and Ryuji leaned in curiously.

"Well, spit it out!" Ryuji insisted.  "What did they say?"

"I couldn't make it out.  Couldn't hear it over your bickering."

"Damn."

"Regardless, their mannerisms were quite odd," Yusuke stated.  "I've never seen them behave in such a way before.  The way they interacted was quite…" Ryuji sat in silence, listening to his artistic friend before growing impatient.  He drummed on the table with his fingers and nodded his head expectantly.

"Quite what?"

"You know.  Romantic." The blond was taken aback by the unexpected choice of words.

"R-romantic?" he repeated.  "Hold up.  Ann and Akira are just friends.  That would just be weird to date your friends."

"Friends these days get that close to each other?" Futaba asked.  Ryuji awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

"I… guess?" Truth be told, he found himself at a loss for any tangible explanation for what they just witnessed.  It was true that Ann and Akira were good friends, but such behavior didn't fit into the typical friendship dichotomy.  "They can't be datin' because if they were, Akira would've told me first since we're bros.  And bros don't keep secrets.  Part of the code.  Plus…" Ryuji grinned and pressed a thumb to himself.  "I know how to read women.  If Ann was into Akira, I would've known a looooong time ago." Futaba and Yusuke stared at Ryuji with a flat unimpressed look, both of them cocking an eyebrow in unison.

"…Doubtful," Yusuke stated plainly.

"Highly doubtful," Futaba assured.  The blond deflated in front of the two, in total disbelief that their rivalry had subsided to unite just to roast him in such a fashion.  A true act of betrayal, if he ever knew one.

* * *

 

Akira began locking up the store after Sojiro's departure.  By this time Thursday, they would be looking out over the blue ocean in their hotel rooms.  He had never been to another country before.  Saw no need to travel as Japan had everything he could possibly have wanted.  Then again, money and being a teenager were the major obstacles that kept him from traveling.  Now, he was getting to travel on the school's dime.  His mind was abuzz with what he could do there.  Akira hadn't given it much thought like the others, fixated on Ann's happiness and Morgana's dilemma.  He had accumulated enough money to eat like a king the whole time in Hawaii, but expensive and exotic seafood would by no means be enough to tide him over.  The clear and cool waters of the beach would be a welcome invitation, but how different they were in comparison to Japanese beaches he couldn't say.  It would give him an opportunity to see Ann in a bikini again.  A chance he would relish.

After lunch, he and Ann had departed for Inokashira Park and relaxed among the trees, the soft breeze, and the warmth of the sun.  A romantic evening with just the two of them.  One last intimate moment in Japan before their week-long second vacation was underway.  Akira's mind was still troubled by the thought of the Phantom Thieves' absence.  Even with Ann's calming words, the uncertainty still lingered at the back of his mind.  Though things had remained quiet after Medjed was quickly deposed, Akira couldn't shake the notion that something was off.  Both of the mysteries of Futaba's mother's involvement with the Metaverse and this mysterious vigilante operating alone were nowhere near solved.  The boy felt something uneasy brewing on the horizon.  The vibration of his phone quickly drew his thoughts away from the premonition he was having.

**_[Ann: I'm so excited for tomorrow!]_ **

His worries dissipated as he imagined Ann's beaming face and typed his reply.  He huffed with amusement through his nose at himself.

**_[Akira: It'll be a lot of fun.  Let's make the most of it with everyone.  We'll never know when we can go back.]_ **

Perhaps he was being too paranoid, the Phantom Thief life getting to his head.  The vacation would present him an opportunity to relax, and getting away from responsibility for a while would do him some good.

**_[Ann: I know you're probably still stressing about the Phantom Thieves, but don't lose sleep over it, okay?  We deserve to relax too.  Just have fun.]_ **

Akira let out a content sigh and smiled at the phone.  He couldn't pull one over her, it seemed.  Sharper than the whip she donned.

**_[Akira: I'll be fine, you nerd.  Don't worry about me. :P What you up to?]_ **

**_[Ann: About to hit the shower.  Can't wait to test out the hotel jacuzzies.]_ **

**_[Akira: Make sure to wash behind your ears.]_ **

An ellipsis appeared under his response as he awaited Ann's response.

**_[Ann: Might not be able to reach.  Maybe you should join me. ;)]_ **

Akira stopped and felt his cheeks redden.  He chewed on his bottom lip as he attempted to concoct a response.  It wasn't often that Ann managed to dupe him, but when she did, he was beyond lost.  Though after receiving such a promiscuous response, it was hard to blame him.  Tentatively did he begin typing his reply, thumb hovering over the send button as he carefully contemplated what he was doing.  Akira ultimately decided to take the plunge and hit send.

**_[Akira: Maybe I should.  Could get all those hard to reach places.  /;)]_ **

There was no reply from Ann for almost a minute, instilling a great fear in Akira.  A knot had tied itself in his chest and obstructed his breathing.  Had he overstepped his bounds?  His response didn't seem any more out there than hers.  Finally, the ellipsis popped up, which somehow managed to make him feel even more anxious.

**_[Ann: Maybe I'd like that.  ;3]_ **

The blush on his cheeks rose, accompanied by a heat building on his neck.  Akira let out a relieved sigh and chuckled to himself.  He had worked himself up in more ways than one.  Ann liked to tease, but he had never imagined she would escalate to this level.  A catlike playful smirk emerged onto his reddened face.

**_[Akira: Start behind the ears and then work my way down between your legs.  ;P]_ **

**_[Ann: Mmmmmm, you're a naughty boy, Akira.  ;3]_ **

**_[Akira: So bad.  I deserve a spanking.  ;p]_ **

**_[Ann: Don't tempt me. ;)]_ **

Akira wiped his brow and huffed, the sexual tension between the two had grown overwhelming.  He sat at the counter and sipped the cool water he poured himself.  Their lewd banter had generated a great thirst in more ways than one.  The boy squeezed his thighs together, the hardon in his pants difficult to ignore.  It was firmer than he had ever felt before, almost painful.  He grunted and reached down, groping at his crotch.  The boy couldn't remember the last time he had felt this aroused.  Stress and anxiety from his run in with the police back home had depleted his sex drive to nearly nothing.  Not since April had he done the deed.  Too focused on school and the Phantom Thieves.  Now, it had hit him full force, and it was agonizing.  He let out a pained shudder, chewing on his bottom lip and rubbing his thighs together.  Ann had an incredible effect on him, having never been harder in his life.  And he needed relief fast.  His eyes fell upon the bathroom door.  With Sojiro gone and Morgana asleep, no one would interrupt him.  But going at it in a public coffee shop seemed just wrong.  He may have possessed a lecherous side, but he was by no means a pervert.  Even so, he felt his inhibitions growing lower and lower by the second.  Akira argued with himself the whole way over to the bathroom but had no intention of stopping at this point.  In this state, he wouldn't even need porn to help.  The bathroom door creaked open.

"Akira?" He gritted his teeth and winced as he heard Morgana's high-pitched voice upstairs.  The boy held his breath and remained perfectly still.  Perhaps if he remained quiet, Morgana would go back to sleep.  The pitter patter of little feet descending down the stairs told him this wouldn't be a reality.  His blue eyes poked around the corner at him with an expecting look.  "Come on.  Let's go to bed." The boy sighed through his gritted teeth and reluctantly climbed the stairs.  Of all the nights for his sex drive to reactivate, it had to be this one.  At least walking got the blood flowing elsewhere.  Akira reluctantly changed into his pajamas and climbed into bed.  Morgana lounged limply at the foot of the bed, dangling a paw over the edge.  A forlorn look rested on the feline's face accompanied by a sad sigh.  Akira looked glumly down at the heartbroken cat with deepest condolences.

"Morgana, I'm not gonna pretend to know how you feel," he started, placing his glasses upon the nightstand.  "I just wish there was something I could do."

"Unless you can convince Lady Ann, there's nothing you can do for me," Morgana replied.  Akira solemnly sighed and rested his hands behind his head atop the pillow.

"Come on, Morgana," Akira continued.  "You can't fall apart because of some girl."

"She's not just "some girl", Akira.  This is Lady Ann we're talking about.  There's no one else in the whole wide world like her." Akira gave him a slowly deliberate nod of acknowledgment.

"Well, you got a point," he muttered aside to himself.  A sad shuddering sigh escaped Morgana's throat.

"I just wish she could see me for who I really am.  I can be the man she needs.  All I need to do is become human again, and she'll see." Akira rubbed his eyes with his finger and thumb.

"Morgana, we've been over this, man," he replied, as sensitively as he could.  "Ann doesn't like you romantically, and that's just something you have to accept."

"But…" The feline looked out at his paws.  The furry black and white appendages with pink little toe beans staring back at him.  Before, he had found them somewhat endearing, especially in the way they drew Ann's attention.  Now, they seemed to mock him, a cruel joke.  "Don't I deserve a chance?  Isn't it fair to give me a chance?" Akira sighed and sat up, leaning his head into his hand as he continued rubbing his eyes.

"You gotta think about what the other person wants.  A relationship is two people mutually agreeing to be together because they share a romantic connection.  You can't just demand someone else feel that for your own gratification.  That's just selfish."

"But I'm a really nice guy.  I can make her happy if she just gives me a chance."

"I'm sure you are, Morgana.  You're a good friend, and I'd bet money that you'd be the kind of guy someone would fall in love it.  But it's just not Ann.  She's not interested, and that's just something you have to accept."

"I just need to become human is all," Morgana muttered softly.  "Then I can be what she wants.  She'll see… right?" Akira sighed and turned over on his side.  At this point, he was just repeating himself.  Morgana was either too blinded by love or too stubborn to listen properly.  All he could do now was hope he would figure it out himself.  If not, then this mess would surely spell trouble for the Phantom Thieves down the line.  And that was not something Akira wanted nor would allow to happen.


	39. The Vacation Episode

_9/07/17 – Wednesday_

"I'm so sleepy…" Ann cooed between yawns.  It was rather late for a flight, the city of Tokyo shrouded in darkness.  The blonde tended to her groggy eyes.  Whoever had the bright idea to fly to Hawaii this late at night for a school trip was an absolute lunatic.  But here they all were, ready for a few days with no Shujin in sight.

"It'll take over six hours to get there, so why not sleep on the plane?" Makoto noted.  With Principal Kobayakawa and many others under investigation for looking the other way during Kamoshida's haunting of Shujin, the trip was relatively short staffed of teachers to chaperone.  As such, Makoto and other third-years were called to act in their stead.  Akira was glad to see Makoto join them, as it meant more familiar friendly faces on the trip.

"I'll do that…" Ann mumbled with barely a sense of coherence.  Akira felt a small smile rise on his face as he stared out the window into the dark miasma of night.  He chided himself for eavesdropping on their conversation.  But the blonde was just so cute when she was sleep deprived.

"Oh!  It's almost time to check in."

"Phew, looks like it's gonna take off on time.  I feel like a lot of flights headed to America tend to run late or get cancelled."  Akira sighed with relief.  The last thing he wished was to be stuck anywhere for too long.  And airports were always the first offenders.  But thankfully, his worries were averted.  Soon, he would be on the plane with his friends and classmates to sunny Hawaii.  Far away from Tokyo, its troubles and responsibilities.  Responsibilities and troubles…

"I'm gonna go over the scheduling and attendance with Ms. Kawakami.  Could you gather Akira for me?"

"Sure.  Hey, Akira..."

Soon, they would be thousands of miles from the familiar city.  Away from the people that trusted them to keep Tokyo safe.  They would be gone six whole days, not returning until late Monday night.  A lot could happen in that time.  Another Kamoshida or Madarame could rise up right from under their noses.  Another Medjed.  And that mystery vigilante was still out there somewhere.  So many opportunities to be exploited in the Phantom Thieves' absence.  Someone could get hurt.  Even killed.  Akira felt his stomach twisting itself into knots yet again.  This trip was sounding more and more like a bad idea the deeper he went.

"Akira?" Feeling the tugging on his sleeve jerked him back to the present.  He turned and saw Ann delivering him a curious look.  Those calm shimmering blue eyes of hers dissolved the tension surmounting in his chest.  "You okay?" The boy huffed and administered a smirk.

"I'll be fine.  Just thinking about some stuff."

"Like what?"  Ann took her place at his side and leaned upon his shoulder.  He watched her close her eyes and get comfortable, a soft smile on his face.  The blonde would fall asleep right there were she able.  Cozied up against him.  Thankfully, the other students were too preoccupied with themselves or other things to take much notice of them.

"Ah, you know," he started.  "Phantom Thief stuff and all that."  Her eyes opened, and she tilted her head up to face him.

"You're worried, aren’t you?" He huffed through his nose and gave a dry smirk.

"Nothing gets past you."  Gingerly did she wrap her arms around his waist, hugging it against her frame.

"I've been thinking about it too," she said.  "About what could happen while we're gone."  Akira leaned his cheek against the top of her head.

"Don't stress yourself out about it.  That's my job."

"Psh!"  She gently nudged his ribs and forced a surprised giggle out.  She made it her mission to never forget that weak spot of his.  Seeing him giggle was absolutely adorable.  "You wish.  We're on the same team, which means what concerns you concerns me.  Plus, you're my boyfriend now.  I'm supposed to worry about you.  Did you at least get some sleep last night?"

"Yes, I did, actually.  For once, stress didn’t keep me up all night," Akira stated proudly.  It was just as big a surprise to him as it was to Ann.  Debating with Morgana was a surefire way to tucker him out.

"Good.”  She leaned further up against his arm and gazed at him with such longing.  "We're gonna have fun on this trip, okay?  We get to shed off responsibility and just be teenagers for a week.  You can't spend all your life worrying about being a Phantom Thief."  Akira nodded in agreement.  As usual, she was right.  Though her words didn't cause the anxiety within to subside completely.

"I know, I know," he admitted.  "But I'm also worried about Morgana."  Ann sighed and nuzzled his arm for comfort.

"How is he?  Still not talking?”

The days leading up to their departure came and went like any other.  Their little group was preoccupied with packing for the trip, with Ann having Akira aid her in selecting outfits for their time in Hawaii.  Though considering they would probably be spending most of their time on the beach, he wasn't sure why it mattered all that much.  Ann took her penchant for fashion and décor very seriously, a notion that Akira both accepted and respected.  He played the part of the good boyfriend and helped critique her outfits, earning praise and affection from her.  It was a tedious process, but it was all worth it to see her smile and fawn over him.  Morgana – however – had fared less better.  He had confined himself to Akira's room and refused to go anywhere.  To not have him squatting in his desk at school for once was rather jarring.  He was at least eating, thankfully.  But he didn't speak much or was unreceptive to any of Akira's attempts at conversation.

"All he said today was that we need to get back to work when we return.  No warning about being careful while overseas or joking about Ryuji doing something stupid.  Not even a "have fun."  All business.”  Akira worried that Morgana was becoming obsessed.  By no means would it be ethical to start pursuing random targets for glory or their own satisfaction.  People like Kamoshida, Madarame, and Kaneshiro were not ordinary men.  And people like that were hard to come by, even harder to expose.  The two remained silent for a while, just gazing out at the cityscape enveloped in darkness.  "I don't wanna bring the mood down during our stay, but this is really getting to me."

"Well…" Ann chewed on her bottom lip carefully as she contemplated his dilemma.  Desperately did she want to make him happy and provide peace of mind.  As his friend, teammate, and lover.  A task easier said than done, as Akira was a great ball of anxiety.  "I mean, you said it yourself, right?  This trip will be good for both of us.  We'll have time apart from each other." Akira huffed with slight agitation.  His own words did little to soothe his troubled mind.  Spending their entire trip worrying about Morgana and Tokyo was at the bottom of his most enjoyable overseas activities list.  All he could do was to hope for the best.

"Fine," he admitted, a soft smile on his face.

"Good." Ann beamed and hugged his arm firmly, possessively.  Her beauty and happiness were beyond therapeutic to him.  However, another issue was quick to present itself as swiftly as he began to relax.

"You know, on this trip, we'll be surrounded by all our other classmates.  So, we'll have to be careful with how we act." Ann froze and glanced at him through her peripheral.  It hadn't occurred to her that so many prying eyes from Shujin would be surrounding them at nearly all times.  Which meant she had to restrain herself from hugging and kissing him more than usual.  A notion she was not looking forward to in the slightest.  Her hairs stood up on the back of her neck as she remembered the class behind them.  The girl reluctantly withdrew herself from Akira's arm, looking around awkwardly.  No one seemed at all aware of their actions, and both of them wished to keep it that way.  The blonde let a glum sigh escape.  "Hey…" Akira tilted her chin to look him in the eye.  "Come on.  Don't let that get you down."

"I really wanted to spend time with you.  A romantic getaway in another country.  Just the two of us."

"We'll have our moment," he reassured her.  "No matter what, I'll make time for you.  You can count on it." Her soft pale cheeks flushed red from his comforting words.  With baited breath was she already awaiting their moment.  There were so many possibilities in Hawaii for the both of them but limited days to do so.  "For now, we'll just have to play it cool and behave ourselves.  Especially you." She squinted at him with a curious playful look.

"Me?  What did I do?"

"You know exactly what you did," Akira teased with a mischievous smirk.  "Inviting me to join you in the shower.  Behave, Ann Takamaki." She bit her bottom lip and averted his gaze, a fierce blush on her face.  It hadn't been intended to be more than a joke.  Something she just thought was funny.  But once it had been sent, apprehension began to set in.  Worry that she had crossed the line.  Though when he had returned her comment with an amorous response of his own, things took a different turn.  Her young impressionable mind began to drift to the exact scenario she had painted.  Her in the shower, pale skin shimmering under the lights from the water.  And Akira coming in with his toned wonderful body.  The thought of his wet chest made her want to rake her fingernails against it.  Hear and feel him shudder under her touch.  In between her legs had she felt something not experienced in a long time. Kamoshida and his advances had all but killed her sex drive.  And Akira had reignited it like a phoenix from the ashes.

"Are you complaining?" she teased in return with a wink.  Akira lowered his gaze and leaned in closer.

"Never," was his soft gritty purr.  A shudder had escaped Ann in typical fashion whenever he spoke with that husky grit.  It was so unfair of him, and she loved it.

"Ann?" Swiftly did the two teenagers put distance between one another as Makoto's voice snapped them back to reality.  The third-year clutched a clipboard in her hand with various items checked off.  "Have you seen Ryuji?  I can't find him anywhere." Ann and Akira sighed silently together with great relief.  Their team remained still as clueless as ever about their relationship.  Though, it did seem Ryuji appeared to be absent from the crowd of faceless students.  That familiar short and shaggy blond hair stood out immensely, but not a yellow hair could be spotted.

"Did he come in here with you?" Ann asked.

"I thought he was already here," Akira responded.  The three of them soon garnered their reply as Ryuji nearly tripped over himself as he rounded a corner.  He skidded to a half before them and doubled over in exhaustion.  Strapped onto his back was a large blue pack with a red stripe.  The boy could barely speak between his ragged pants.

"S-sorry," he gasped, leaning on his knees.  "I wasn't expectin' to make a mad dash like this…" Ann frowned and folded her arms, looking at her blond counterpart with a degree of contempt.  More than usual.

"Coming late even on a day like this?" she questioned.  Even for a professional procrastinator like Ryuji, this was a new low.

"Did you get lost on your way here or something?" Akira jokingly asked.

"I was too excited for the trip to sleep so I stayed up all night playin' video games.  I ended up sleepin' in by mistake and woke up like twenty minutes ago." The raven-haired spectacled boy did a double take at his blond friend.

"Wha-wah-how?" he stammered.  "How do you manage in life, Ryuji?" Ryuji sheepishly scratched the back of his head, avoiding eye contact.

"I dunno." Akira and Ann sighed, with the former shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose while the latter merely rolled her eyes at him.

"Your sleep schedule is gonna be fucked, dude," Akira said.  Makoto adjusted the harnesses holding Ryuji's pack in place.

"That's all you're bringing?" she asked with great concern.  Ryuji had no other suitcases on his person while everyone else had at least two suitcases and one backpack.

"It's only four nights, right?  Ain't it enough?" Ann glanced from Ryuji to Akira, the latter knowing exactly what she was thinking.  No doubt Ryuji had thrown in whatever warm weather clothing he had lying around into the pack, not even bother to fold any of them.  Ann turned her nose up at the thought of his wrinkled garments and the inability to iron them.  Akira merely sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Too late to figure that out now," he said.  "You'll make it work, I'm sure." Ryuji grinned while Ann side-eyed her boyfriend for enabling him.

"Well, I guess so…" Makoto noted with uncertainty.  The blond was the most untactful and uncoordinated one among them.  But they loved him all the same.

"Hey, guys." Mishima shuffled up to the group and looked at them expectantly.  "They want us to gather near the boarding gate soon."

"Finally," Akira sighed, gripping the handle on his briefcase.  As he began to follow Mishima, he was halted by Ann taking hold of his sleeve.

"Wait a minute.  Why don't we take a group shot before we take off?"

"Ooh, sounds good!" Ryuji said, stepping beside Akira.  "You be our cameraman, okay?" He smiled at the notion.  Akira liked to believe he had a keen eye for photography.  Plus, he did like selfies with the friends.  Ann in particular.  It never failed to amuse him how such a simple act as self-photography delighted Ann in such a way.  She loved taking pictures, whether of herself or anything else.  Though, her phone had swiftly filled up with pictures of her and Akira.

"Think I can fit us all in…" Akira held his phone out before them.  He wanted a few selfies of the group for his own.

"Where am I supposed to look?" Makoto asked.  But Akira had already taken the photograph.

"Lemme see, lemme see!" Ryuji said with childlike excitement.  Akira smiled with amusement at seeing Ann in the background make bunny ears with her fingers behind him.  A playful beaming smile on her sweet face.  Ryuji sported a goofy grin on his in the back.

"Make sure to send it to me, okay?" Ann asked.  Akira nodded and forwarded it accordingly.  He knew she would add it to the collection, though he wondered what file she'd organize it under.  Ann took pride in organizing her selfies by category.  There were Shiho photos, family photos, and plenty of him.  He had brought himself to follow her example, albeit after some prompting.  Akira's phone vibrated in his hand as a text message made it to his inbox.  From Futaba, of all people.

**_[Futaba: Ryuji, you've got crap in your eyes…]_ **

"What?" Ryuji asked, looking over Akira's shoulder.  On instinct, the blond rubbed his eyes and found traces of rheum in the corners.  He stared at it in amazement as he wiped it on his shirt, earning a disgusted look from Ann. "Holy shit, she's right." Akira stared down at his smartphone in bewilderment.

"How could you tell, Futaba?" Ann asked.  More to herself than the others, but she wouldn't turn down a possible explanation.  A few seconds afterward, another text appeared in Akira's DMs.

**_[Futaba: You surprised?  I snuck an app on Akira's phone.  I can see all I want through his camera!  You're looking now, right, Akira?  Mwehehe.  You can't underestimate the original Medjed.]_ **

The others looked at Akira's phone uneasily before turning their gazes to one another.

"Talk about a nasty trick," Ryuji said.

"I am so glad she's not an enemy of ours," Makoto said, fiddling with her hair.  Akira said nothing, gazing at Ann with apprehension.  She was thinking the exact same thing he was, feeling it also.  At first, the boy had been annoyed by Futaba's violation of his privacy.  But his irritation turned to slight fear as he remembered all the selfies he and Ann had taken.  No one else held such a monopoly of memory on Akira's phone.  Ann's visage dominated the photo album within his smartphone's memory.  His mind began to wander at the possibilities of what else Futaba had done.  Could she read his texts too?  If so, their relationship was in danger of being exposed.  Ms. Kawakami came to hurry any stragglers along, with Ann and Akira hurrying along.  The young lovers were discouraged at the notion that they would be at different seats.  Not like it mattered, considering they were on a plane with their entire class.  So, any intimate actions were strictly forbidden.  The two teenage dreamers reluctantly parted ways and took their spots on the other sides of the plane.  Whenever they could, they would steal longing glances at one another while Ryuji and Makoto were preoccupied.  The six-hour plane ride felt like an eternity.

* * *

 

_9/09/17 – Friday_

Far across the sea in the sleepy district of Shibuya was Futaba typing on her keyboard, Morgana perched anxiously on her desk to watch the computer.  Streams of code and DOS boxes dotted the screen as the girl's fingers flew all over the place.  She was positively entranced by all the data floating before her.  Her mouth hung slightly agape as she sifted over it, a soft absent-minded gasp escaping.  It then promptly closed, forming into a smirk.

"Found it," she stated.  "One after another too."  Morgana leaned over and narrowed his blue eyes to read the data.

"What did you find?" The cat could not make heads or tails of what it was he was reading.  Had he not known the source, he'd have suspected it for mere nonsense.  Futaba waved her hand to silence him.

"Still working.  Can't tell you."  She was in her zone now, fixated heavily on deciphering it all.  Morgana had never seen fingers fly so fast.  It was mind-blowing.  The cat stared down at his little white paws, at the pink toe beans looking right back at him.  No fingers, no hands.  Nothing even remotely human or helpful to her.  He felt like absolute dead weight.

"She can handle this without me," he moped to himself.  Futaba continued muttering to herself, oblivious to his plight.  They all had their parts to play, each equipped with versatile powers and abilities.  Makoto was the strategist, Futaba the analyst.  The others could do what he did in spades, with more range.  Then there was Akira, jack-of-all-trades.  Their master locksmith, weapons expert, field medic, and owner of a dozen Persona.  His pantheon of magic far outstretched any of theirs.  He even possessed spells and abilities way out of Morgana's league.  They all sported a plethora of powers and abilities that equipped the lot of them with way more range than he could.  Mementos was all he had.  The one place where he was not trapped in some tiny furry form, where he had real power.  And now they overshadowed him.  "All I'm good for is driving them around Mementos." Reduced from Mementos expert and master strategist to the mere getaway car.  Never had he expected he'd fall from grace like this.  "I'm basically useless."

"Kitty!  Your mumbling's distracting me," Futaba said.  Outside noise tended to rip her focus away from whatever task was at hand.  One of the reasons why she always sported headphones.  "If you got something to say, just spit it out." Morgana's ears folded, his heart twitching with guilt at being such an apparent burden.  He hated this form.  Constantly being small and unable to help himself, so utterly dependent.

"It's nothing," the cat pouted.  He turned his head away and debated whether or not to just go to sleep.  Futaba squinted at him curiously before reaching out to scratch his furry cheeks.

"What were you saying?"  Morgana knew he was no cat because he absolutely hated being petted and scratched like this.  The only two he allowed to pet him were Ann and Akira, only lightly tolerating the latter.  All this touching and feeling, it felt like a great violation of his personal space.

"Lemme go!" Futaba merely smiled and played with her feline friend.

"You feel so nice," she said, the hairs tickling her skin.

"I am not!" It burned him so to be babied in such a fashion.  He was a heroic member of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, not some common house animal to be fawned over.

"So smooth and silky.  It's kinda hard to believe fur this soft belongs to a human." A jolt of lightning shot through Morgana's heart at her words.  He narrowed his eyes as she withdrew to her computer, finished petting his face.  He had tolerated Ryuji's teasing for far too long, and he would not let Futaba do the same.  It was time to put his paw down.

"Don't make me say it again!" he stated.  "I'm a human!"  Futaba merely nodded as she went back to typing, not picking up on the annoyance in his words.

"Couldn't you just be assuming that?" she asked.  "I had the wrong assumptions about my mom for the longest time."  A chill ran down his furry spine at her statement.  All these doubts were beginning to tear him apart.

"That's not the same!" Morgana snapped.  "I understand myself better than anyone."

"That's true."  She wasn't even remotely phased by his outrage.  Or even really paying attention.  That data consumed her completely, and all he served as was a mere distraction.  Futaba meant no ill will in her words, only speaking what was on her mind.  A tad blunt for most people's tastes.  Morgana sighed and skulked over to the bed and surveyed the newspaper clippings pinned to the wall.  Futaba did her best to accompany his needs.  She fed and gave him water regularly, as ordered.  But she was not much of a conversationalist.  Though, she could at least hear him, unlike Sojiro.  Morgana missed the late-night conversation he and Akira had in bed.  Akira challenged him intellectually, and he served as a trustable confidant for his personal issues.  Though, his advice in the wake of Ann's rejection did nothing to stave off the pain he felt.  He could imagine Ann along the beach, soaking in the sun and being gawked at by so many men.  Men that weren't cordial or respectful like he was.  Morgana's ears folded, and he sunk into the mattress, a paw limply dangling off the side.

 _Why can't she see me for who I really am?_ he thought to himself.  An unfair hand had been dealt to him by life according to his ego.  His confidence and gentlemanly visage had been shattered.  Now he struggled to pick up the pieces.  He couldn't be just a cat.  There had to be some hidden truth to what had happened to him.  What changed him from human to feline.  His melancholy state cannot be the end-all-be-all.  If it was, what was the point?  To continue life as some four-legged beast eating milk and kibble out of bowls like some lesser intelligent lifeform?  To be owned someone who claimed to be his equal?  Such thoughts dug a deep pit in his chest, an empty bleakness that sucked out his natural enthusiasm.   _No way.  That can't be it!_ He was more than just some mere animal.  He believed it with all his heart.  He  _was_  human, no argument.  And he would reclaim his former glory after they uncovered this shadowy vigilante operating under their noses, even if he had to do it alone.

He had to.  For his sake.  To the show the world he was not useless.

To show Ann.

* * *

 

Akira stood before the sliding glass door, looking out into the darkness.  It had been another eventful day in the sun with Ryuji, Makoto, Ann, and a surprise visit from Yusuke.  Their friend's plane rerouting from Los Angeles to here proved a welcome change of pace.  The familiarity of their little group eased Akira's heart.  They wandered the beach, went shopping, dined upon the local cuisine, and took many photos together.  With Makoto as their chaperone, they had more leeway than the other groups.  Though the third-year felt a touch guilty about the special treatment she exerted over her friends.  Like all good things, it came to an end.  And Akira found himself in his room, though his thoughts were not reflecting over the day's events.  Rather, his thoughts had turned to Morgana back home.  Futaba was taking great care of his physical needs, no doubt.  Akira trusted her.  But he worried how his feline friend was adjusting to their absence.  One thing he missed was the talks the two had at night before falling asleep.  Mishima was pleasant to talk to, but he didn't offer much in the way of variety when it came to talking.  It was nothing but Phantom Thieves and the Phan-site.

"There are even more posts now," Mishima stated, looking down at his phone.  "Oh, wow!" Akira did his best to suppress the exasperated sigh threatening to escape.  As tedious as it grew sometimes, he admired Mishima's dedication and love for what he did.  And the last thing he wanted to do was suppress his feelings of enjoyment, make him feel weird or ashamed for liking something.  Like his so-called friends and parents did back home.  Whatever consisted of a home back there.

"Let's hear it," Akira stated.  "What you got?"

"The president of a company called Okumura Foods is rising very quickly up the ranks!" Akira nodded as he sat down on the bed, leaning into his steepled hands with deep focus.  "It's rumored that Okumura Foods exploits their employees.  Stuff like underpaying staff to reduce labor costs.  That's how they have so many stores." It seemed as though their next target was found.  Corporate greed and abuse were things two things that greatly agitated Akira.  How the rich can avoid the law and exploit the innocent and lower class in such an aloof fashion with no regards to humanity.  Treating their employees like plastic toys to be thrown around and then disposed of when broken by their own doing.  Akira couldn't wait to get back to Tokyo now.  But he didn't find himself dwelling on it long as a knock on the door drew the attention of both boys.  Mishima got up to open the door, revealing their visitor to be none other than Ryuji.

"Yo," he said, letting himself in.  Mishima looked to Akira for some clarification, but his roommate was just as lost as he was.

"Why are you here?" Mishima asked.  Akira narrowed his eyes suspiciously at his blond friend.

"I swear to God, if you're here for food-"

"Just hear me out!" Ryuji protested defensively.  "The guy I'm roomin' with went and brought his girlfriend back to the room!  I felt totally awkward stayin' in there with 'em."  Akira let out an amused chuckle that resonated from deep within his chest.

"Haha, you got kicked out of your own room!" he laughed.  "What a dummy." Mishima found himself snickering as well at their guest's plight.  Ryuji glowered lowly from Akira's jests.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," Ryuji said, taking a seat on the bed.  "I'm just gonna sleep here tonight." Akira and Mishima's laughter immediately subsided, and the both of them did a perplexed double take.

"Now-wha-hold on," Akira said, holding a finger up.  "You can't just drop your baggage on me like this."

"You're gonna sleep here?" Mishima repeated.  "Even though there are only two beds?" Ryuji's gaze fell, the blond eyeing his feet.  It was blatantly obvious the boy had not planned this through so thoroughly.  The frail shaggy boy turned to face his equally shaggy spectacled companion.  "What should we do about this?"  Now Akira felt caught between a rock and a hard place.  It wasn't necessarily fair to Mishima to burden him with this responsibility.  But Ryuji was his friend as well.

"Well…" He scratched the back of his head as he deeply mulled the situation over.  "I mean, I don't just wanna leave him to the wolves, you know?" He then looked back to the blond expectantly.  "But you gotta understand this is a lot to put on Mishima here."  The three boys looked towards the door from the sudden knocking.

"Another guest?" Mishima asked.

"Thank God.  A distraction." Akira took it upon himself to answer the door this time.  He did not at all suspect who would be waiting on the other side.  Though he was not at all complaining once he saw her.

"Takamaki?" Ann waved sheepishly at Mishima.  Akira let her slip inside, the blonde surprise by the presence of Ryuji as well.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Same to you," Ryuji retorted.  Ann sighed and took a seat on Akira's bed.

"The girl I was sharing a room with took off to her boyfriend's room."  Akira and Mishima glanced over to Ryuji, looking just as surprised as they were.

"I know that feelin'," he stated.

"The lore has gotten deeper," Akira stated.

"And she took the key!  I stepped outside for just a second, and the autolock kicked in!  I can't get back in my room!"

"Damn," Akira said slowly, prompting Ann to look over at him.

"Sorry about not texting you about it first.  It was a real spur of the moment thing..."

"It's fine," her boyfriend said with a nod.  Ann sighed contently, a small smile on her lips.  Akira proved once again to her why he was such a great friend and an even excellent lover.

"You're lookin' at stuff online even over here?"  The two looked over to Mishima who seemed to be glued to his phone at all times.

"Ever since the Medjed case, many people from overseas have been accessing the website.  Isn't it crazy?  The Phantom Thieves are finally making their worldwide debut!" Mishima trembled with excitement.  He cradled his phone and looked to them searchingly.  "What should I do about overseas requests?"  Ann inhaled sharply and seized up, glancing over to Akira.

"Uh, I-I don't think we're the ones you should ask about that…"

"They took down Medjed!" he continued.  "I wonder who they'll bring justice to next.  Whoever they are…"  He winked slyly at Akira, who merely raised an eyebrow at him.  Mishima possessed the subtlety of a brick to the back of the head.  "It's not just Japan anymore.  The whole world's waiting to see the Phantom Thieves' next move!" Akira leaned on his hand and nursed his brow as a heavy sigh escaped him.

 _Really putting the pressure on there,_ he thought to himself.

"That reminds me.  What time is it?"  Ryuji had no answers for her save heavy yawns.

"So sleepy…" He rolled his neck around to reduce the stiffness he felt.  "I'm feelin' pretty pooped.  You think this could be that jet lag thing?"

“Or it could be because you fucked up your sleep schedule,” Akira stated.  Maybe Morgana should stay with him for a while.  Order him around to go to bed for a chance.

"Like you’re one to talk, Akira.”  The blonde giggled at his expense, her amusement eventually descending into a heavy yawn.  “It'll be too much hassle for me to go anywhere else.  I'll just sleep in here tonight."  Ann fiddled with her twintails awkwardly.  It hadn't set in just how weird it felt to be the only girl among three boys in a hotel room.  The only other girl she knew was Makoto, and the third-year was staying completely on the other side of the building.  From the surprise on the boys' faces on account of her statement, she could tell they felt the same things she did.

"Wait, what?" Ryuji asked.  "I-I dun-I dunno if that's such a good idea." Akira pursed his lips and glanced over at his blond friend.  He had wanted to spend time with Ann the whole trip, but this was not what he wanted.  The both of them staying in the same room had been his fantasy over the past couple days.  Neither Mishima or Ryuji were supposed to be part of it.

"Well… maybe we should let her shack up.  Just for tonight."  Both boys looked to him in surprise.  He had to play his hand carefully so as not to give away his affection for her.  It would be a simple solution to tell Ryuji to knock on the door, force his roommate to send his girl back, and give Ann a proper place to stay.  But she could instead be here.  With him.  And the two other boys, but him specifically.

"I dunno…" Mishima said uneasily.  "Don't you think it's a little… awkward?  We're guys.  She's a… girl."

"Stop the goddamn presses," Akira joked dryly, hoping to add some levity to the situation.

"Don't worry," Ann said, beaming.  "I trust you guys." Though Ryuji was a good guy who respected boundaries and Mishima was meek, her phrase specifically was meant for Akira.  Having looked right at him as she said it.

"What does that mean?" Akira asked curiously.  Ann rubbed the back of her neck, glancing aside awkwardly.

"Well, like Mishima said.  You're guys.  I'm a girl…"  Akira leaned back in his seat, an uncomfortable look on his face.

"I don't like those implications."  He huffed and shook his head.  "Well, I guess that's it.  She stays.  Unless you guys have any serious objections?"  Mishima began to continue the discussion, though it took one flutter from Ann's eyelashes to sway him.  Akira smirked at her and rolled his eyes.  She was too devious for her own good.

"Y-yeah, I don't have a problem with that," he said with a tinge of pink to his cheeks.  Ryuji shook his head disdainfully.

"I saw that one comin'…"

"We should figure out sleeping arrangements, though," Mishima stated, glancing between Ann and Ryuji.  "There are only two beds.  Even if someone sleeps on the sofa…"

"One of us is gonna have to sleep on the floor," Ryuji finished.  The thought sent shivers up their spines.  No one wanted to sleep on the hotel floor, regardless of how well managed the rooms were.  Ryuji rose to his feet and sized the three of them up.  "So who's that gonna be?" The blond spotted a deck of playing cards on the table beside Akira and began explaining his plan to play for the spot on the bed.  Even as Mishima began discussing his natural affinity for cards, Akira had already decided Ann would take his bed.  After all, what kind of boyfriend would he be had he put her on the floor?

True to his word, Mishima won the first hand and took his bed.  Ann managed to win the right to sleep on Akira's bed, the way he had wanted it to be.  Akira was no master gambler, and it was only by a complete stroke of luck had he gotten the couch.  Ryuji grumbled miserably on the floor as Mishima hit the lights save for a single lamp.  Akira sprawled out comfortably on the couch, unable to sleep because of the solitary light.  He needed absolute darkness to sleep comfortably.  A single sliver would keep him up.  With sleepy eyes did he gaze lovingly upon his girl Ann, comfortably curled up in bed.  She texted away on her cell phone, probably to Shiho no doubt.  His phone vibrating stole his attention away, though he quickly switched it back to her when he saw who had sent it.

**_[Ann: Haha, the bed is mine. :P]_ **

Akira smirked as their eyes met, exchanging playful winks.  Their phones were the only way they could fawn over one another while the boys were present.  The shaggy-haired boy swiftly sent her his reply.

**_[Akira: I would've given it to you anyway, you nerd.  You're my girlfriend, I wouldn't make you sleep on the floor.]_ **

**_[Ann: Awww, you're so sweet, Akira.  ;*]_ **

**_[Akira: Yeah, yeah.  B^)]_ **

**_[Ann: This bed is a bit cold, though.  I wish you were in it with me to keep it warm. ;)]_ **

Akira's mouth hung agape, a greatly amused smile on his face as he looked over to Ann.  It took all of her strength not to burst out laughing at his comical expression.

**_[Akira: I thought we were gonna behave on this trip. :P]_ **

"I'm all the way in Hawaii, and I'm stuck sleepin' on the floor," Ryuji grumbled.  Akira chuckled softly to himself from his spot on the sofa.  "Hey, where'd Mishima go?"

"He's in the bathroom," Ann answered.

"Ain't he been in there a while?" Akira glanced over to the bathroom door curiously.  It had been a bit longer than expected, he had to admit.  Then again, Akira took quite a long time in the bathroom sometimes as well.  But that was usually for when his stomach was acting up.  Or if a certain mood had struck him.  He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.  If Mishima was doing what he expected, he hoped he at least cleaned up afterward.

"The school trip," Ann muttered to herself but audible enough for them to hear.  Akira detected a somberness in her voice that set him off.  "Shiho was really looking forward to this…" His heart sank.  He could imagine the both of them rooming together, having the absolute time of their lives.  Though, it would've meant less time with him.  Not that he'd blame her for choosing to spend time with Shiho over him.  After all, she was her friend for way longer than he was.  And he didn't feel himself to be the jealous type.  A shame the storm hadn't rerouted her flight like it did Yusuke's.  It would've been nice to see her again after so long.

"Ann…" Ryuji said softly.  He had known the both of them were close friends, and the gravity of her suicide attempt from the roof was not lost on him.

"Sorry.  I didn't mean to bring the mood down.  But it's already been almost six months since then, hasn't it?  This all feels so strange."

"Time really does fly," Akira mused out loud, hands behind his head.  It was hard to process that so much had happened in so little time.  Life came at him faster and faster with each month.

"Right?" Ryuji agreed.  "Hard to believe the rowdy kids at school are now famous all over the world."  Ann smiled at his enthusiasm shining through the dark of the night.

"Don't you think we still have a lot to learn about each other, though?" The boys looked curiously at her.  Whatever she was getting at was lost on them.  "You know, things like what kind of people we like.  So time to come clean, Ryuji."

"Me?!"  Ann liked to study people.  See what made them tick.  The way they handled certain situations really showcased their character in its most honest form.  Her parents had taught her that.  And who better to use as a test subject than Ryuji?  They had been friends longer than any of the other Phantom Thieves, yet she knew little about what made him tick on a more fundamental level.  "Uhh, well…" The blond began searching within for a well-constructed answer.  A way he can relay his point the best.  "She's… gotta have a good personality.  I'm okay with anyone who's modest and nice."  Akira could see the wheels turning in Ann's head as she prepared to dig deeper.

"What about if two girls with equally good personalities confessed to you at the same time?"

"If they're equally nice?  Then it'd have to be the one with the hotter bod."  Without missing a beat had he delivered his answer.  Ann sat in silence, blinking at him through the darkness.  Not an ounce of hesitation in his words.

"So looks are what's most important to you."  Ryuji cried out in protest before Ann continued.  "Your first answer was superficial.  The second answer was your true beliefs.  Huh…" The blonde sounded a touch judgmental and disappointed.  Though not unsurprising.  He was jumping at the bits for those two girls during the fireworks festival, after all.  "So you really are  _that_  kind of guy…" Akira cackled lowly at his friend's attempts to dissuade her.

"Damn, son," he said between laughs.  "She cut you down to size real quick."

"That ain't fair!" the blond continued.

"What about you, Akira?" Ann asked.  Even through the shadows, he could see that teasing smile on her face.  She was playing games with their heads, to see how much she could rile him up and how much they could hold over Ryuji's head.  "C'mon, spill the beans!  What kind of girl is _your_ type?" Akira withdrew inward to think about her question.  It was an excellent one to be sure, and he had never really thought much about girls and what made them click with him.

"Well, I don't really have a type, per se," he confessed, earning an annoyed look from Ryuji.

"You totally dodged the question."  The blond sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.  Akira was always like this when it came to women.  Keeping his cards close to his vest.  “Describe your ideal woman then.  Any girl in the world.  Your dream girl.”

"Ooh!  Do tell…" Ann said, quelling the excitement in her voice.  This had now become a vanity project for Ann’s ego.  The shaggy-haired youth couldn’t help but chuckle to himself at just how thrilled she was feeling.  Made even better by Ryuji’s completely naiveté.  Akira crafted the response carefully in his head, going over all the things that made her appealing to him.

"Well… I feel that my ideal girl is someone who's kind and supportive of me and other people.  Who tries to maintain positivity even in the face of dread or apprehension.  Someone I can be honest with, about myself and other things.  Someone that I can share hobbies with, even if we don't partake in the same things.  She also had to make clear what she wants out of life and from me.  A best friend I can laugh, cry, and share with.  Someone who'll fight at my side and stand on the edge of the earth with me.  Someone with a goal of her own that I can help achieve with her, and she in turn can help me achieve mine.  We both want to make each other better." Both Ann and Ryuji stared at him in silence.

"Damn…" Ryuji noted.  “You really put a lot of thought in this.”  Ann looked as though she might cry, positively touched by his words.  She wanted to scoop him up and smother him in kisses right then and there, Ryuji be damned.  Right now, it was hard to even imagine a life before him.  "Well, we answered honestly.  It's your turn next!" Ryuji pointed to Ann, ready to learn and tease her for what man she was into.  As he opened his mouth to ask questions, a faint ghostly voice called out.  Muffled through walls.

"S-Someone… My stomach…" It was Mishima's voice, no doubt.  Though he sounded very weak.  Ann sat up upon the bed and eyed the door warily.

"That doesn't sound good."

"Y'know, wasn't he drinkin' the tap water earlier?" Ryuji asked.  "That's like, the one thing you're not supposed to do when you're outta the country." Akira winced as more audible groans emanated from the bathroom.  He garnered some comfort from the fact that he at least wasn't masturbating.

"I'm out of toilet paper…"

"Eugh," Ann said in disgust.  The three teenagers looked amongst themselves curiously.  How awkward it would be to go down to the reception desk in the middle of the night to ask for toilet paper.  And none of them wished to do it of their own accord.

"Well… you heard him, Ann.  Go grab some." Ann shot Ryuji a perplexed look.

"Me?  No way!  You can't ask a girl to go grab stuff like that."

"It's just toilet paper!" Ryuji retorted.  The blonde relented and turned to Akira searchingly.

"Well, what about you?  He's your roommate."

"Oh, hell no," Akira said, shaking his head.  "I'm not going down there this late at night.  You do it."

"Me?  Why me?  This is  _your_  room!"

"And we're letting you stay in here, remember?" Ryuji opened his mouth to protest, but all he managed was some annoyed sputtering.  The blond threw his hands up and rose to meet the door.

"Fine.  I'll grab it." He knocked on the bathroom door and leaned an ear against it.  "I'll be back with some TP, okay, dude?"

"Thank you…" Mishima weakly moaned.

"You guys will let me back in, right?" Ryuji asked.  Akira nodded and watched his friendly promptly exit to retrieve the toilet paper.  The room got quiet, save for the occasional pained groan from Mishima.  Ann and Akira lounged about in the darkness.  Alone.  With a catlike smirk did Akira make his way over to her and lounged upon the floor.  She dangled her arm over the edge, causing him to take her hand and plant soft kisses on her soft skin.

"This isn't really how I envisioned it," he confessed while she leaned on her other hand, gazing longingly down at him.

"Get up here," she said with a giggle.  Akira needed little prompting and climbed into bed alongside her.  Ann nestled herself against him, wrapping her arms around his neck while he cradled her.  With one hand did she go to undo her twintails.  The golden locks fell around her neck in an enrapturing waterfall that captivated Akira.  Ann couldn't help but blush from the look of surprise and admiration on his face.  "Hope you enjoy it because this is one of the few times you'll see this."

"You look really good with your hair down," he purred, running his fingers through the flowing fibers.  Ann giggled and nestled herself deeper into the small of his neck.

"It's a mess to deal with so I normally just keep it up.  But I'm glad you like it like this." Akira said something in that low grit of his, but Ann couldn't decipher it as he planted himself upon her lips.  Soft little smacks hung faintly in the air as the two tenderly kissed in the dark.  Akira's neck, face, and back were encased in a glowing heat, sweat starting to form.  It was hard to breathe when she was all over him.  Ann broke the kiss and turned around, pulling her into him.  Akira leaned his head into her back and gave a content smile as they spooned.  She felt so warm that he needed no blanket.  Though from the immense blush he felt all over his body, he'd probably smother with one.  The two nestled in the darkness in silence for a while before Akira spoke up.

"I wanted this.  So much.  If Ryuji and Mishima weren't here, we could be like this the whole night."

"I'd love that," Ann sighed, leaning into him.  Akira lifted his head up and leaned into the small of her neck, nuzzling her.  His hair was so soft against her skin despite the shaggy coarse look it sported.  Akira's eye twitch as he felt himself stirring underneath the sheets.  With a girl as attractive as Ann, he could hardly be blamed.  Tentatively did he ease his pelvis away from her hips.  The two of them had exchanged rather erotic texts to one another, but Akira still was unsure of where the limits were.  Ann disliked being sexualized by others, and by no means did he wish to creep her out or make her feel uncomfortable.  "Where do you think you're going?" He was surprised to see her take hold of his hip and pull him into her back.  "Why do you think we're spooning?" Akira felt his face light up from the blush he sported, especially when Ann began grinding her shorts into him.  She heard a soft surprised grunt escape him, causing her lips to curl into a mischievous smile.  From what she felt back there, he was just as excited as she was.  The two young teenagers continued grinding against each other.  Akira had wrapped his arms around her waist and deeply ground his stiff member into her bum.  Ann dragged her fingernails against his thighs, biting her lip as she did so.  Heavy huffs through his nose resonated in her ears, his breathing tickling her neck.  Such power over him made her feel like a superhero.  Her Panther outfit suddenly seemed to make more sense.  Their bliss was short-lived as Ryuji knocked on the door.  "Damn!"

"Tell me about it." As Akira rose from the bed, Ann took hold of his wrist and pulled him in for one last kiss.  He took hold of her head and held her, she wrapping her arms around his neck.  For a while, the two of them were lost in the taste of one another upon their lips.  Perhaps Ryuji had gone away, after all.  But the second knock on the door indicated otherwise.  Reluctantly did Akira pull away, holding onto Ann's hand as long as he could before they slipped out of one another's fingers.  It was picaresque romantic, such a dramatic act of holding hands and withdraw.  Straight from the manga and romantic Korean dramas she would watch.  A guilty pleasure it was, but Ann enjoyed every moment of it.  Akira let Ryuji in and delivered his payload to Mishima, who seemed to finally finish his business and emerge unscathed.  The teenagers all went to bed and promptly slept, with Akira nursing his unattended hardon.  The young lovers exchanged goodnight texts before sleep overpowered them.

* * *

 

_9/10/17 – Saturday_

Ann lounged on the bench by the beach, looking over the ocean as it shimmered in the sunlight.  So many people navigated the warm sands.  Many of them accompanied by a significant other.  She patiently tapped her finger on her knee as she waited for her boyfriend to arrive.  Last night had not been enough suitable attention for her.  She needed him all to her herself, for the both of them to steal away in this foreign land.  Today was their last day in paradise, and she had been lucky enough to give everyone else the slip.

"Well, hey there."  Ann turned and saw him walk towards her.  The way he strode with such confidence, almost as though he wasn't actually touching the floor.  But gliding in her direction.  She rose from the bench and embraced him warmly.

"It's finally just the two of us," she said, planting a kiss on his jawline.  Such naturally soft skin and he didn't even need to shave.

"Makoto invited me to walk the beach with her, and Ryuji kept badgering me to help him pick up chicks." Ann snickered and took hold of his arm, hugging it against her frame.

"Did he drag Mishima into it?"

"Oh yeah."

"Poor bastard.  Did you remember to put on sunscreen?" Akira nodded as his eyes began wandering down her body, taking in her enticing frame.  His silver irises glanced up to meet Ann's, who felt her face heat up from his ogling.  "Aren't you staring a little too much?  This isn't the first time you've seen me like this." Akira raised an eyebrow and smirked playfully at the pink blush on her face.  Though it was difficult to decipher much else around him with no glasses, she came in crystal clear.

"What can I say?  I'm entranced.  Enraptured, even."

"Oh, come on…" She folded her arms and glanced away in embarrassment.  He had such a way with words, almost as big a romantic as she was.  Such a side only she was permitted to see.  "But I'm glad to hear you say it, so I guess I can let you off the hook."  Akira surveyed the sands and the people occupying them.  No one he recognized from school, at least.  He looked back to see Ann biting her bottom lip as she eyed his chest.  His skin had a sleek sheen to it from the lotion, reflecting a bit of the sun.  What a man…

"Aren't  _you_  staring a little too much?" he teased, further increasing the redness on her face.  It felt silly to her after last night to be so bashful about her physical attraction to him.  But such intimate feelings and interactions were still uncharted waters to her.

"W-well…" She chewed on the inside of her cheek under his silver gaze.  "You were staring first!"

"Perhaps."  Boldly did he wrap his arm around her, causing her to bashfully cling to him.

"Aren't you worried we'll get caught?"  He lowered his gaze to meet hers and smirked softly.  The amour in the air gave him a high the likes of which he couldn’t describe.  A spring in his step and a touch of cockiness.  He loved it.

"Let's live a little dangerously today."  She bit down on her bottom lip as a smile formed, huffing with amusement through her nose.

"Let's go for a walk," Ann suggested, eyeing the rolling plains of sand that stretched for miles.

"How about a swim instead?" Akira fixated his gaze upon the cool ocean rolling before him.  He missed the feeling of the salt water against his skin, its cool refreshing embrace and the smell and sound of the spray.  Ann let her hair down, prompting a satisfied grin from her secret lover.  Mere seconds after placing their towels and satchels on the sand, the two raced to the ocean, with Ann reaching it first but Akira eclipsing her by diving through the waves.  The way he jettisoned himself through the cool water like a rocket was captivating to watch.  Though when he emerged from underneath the surface, she burst into laughter.  His shaggy hair was draped over his eyes and made him look as though he were sporting a mop.

"You look ridiculous!" she said while clutching her ribs.  Akira slicked his hair back and tucked it behind his ears.  She giggled and pulled herself close to him, arms around her neck as she nuzzled him.  "I hope nobody's watching."

"Without my glasses and with your hair down, they probably won't recognize us," Akira said.  Both as a joke and an attempt at reassurance.  But Akira didn't find himself worrying as much as before.  It was easy to get lost in the crowds of people and thus difficult to notice.  But what truly set his mind at ease was being with her.  After having to remain aloof and secretive for so long, it felt like he had been reborn to be near her.  To hold her close with so much of their skin showing.

"You're an amazing swimmer," Ann commented, prompting Akira to float on his back.

"Thanks.  It's been a while since I pulled out all the stops." He closed his eyes and drift along the surface, looking as content as can be.  The sound of the waves splashing upon the sandy shore, the calls of seagulls in the distance.  It was positively heaven.  He could fall asleep right now from the state of bliss he was in.  Ann gently ran her hand over his flat stomach and bit her bottom lip to suppress the devious giggles from seeing him twitch.

"I can't imagine what it'd be like to see you swim for the school." She cursed Shujin's lack of a swim team.  Although, she hated to admit that she couldn't imagine them letting Akira join because of his criminal record.  Akira kept the smile on his face despite his musing over the same prospects she was.  It seemed those days were well and truly over.  This was the closest he could get to his swim team glory days.  His eyes opened just a sliver to witness Ann watching him.  The sheer sight of her put a smile on his face and made him forget the troubled past.

"I wish I had my goggles," he commented.  "It's a wild ride to see under there."

"Aren't you worried about getting salt in your eyes?" Ann winced and rubbed hers instinctively at the thought.

"Not if you tighten them properly.  The only downside is getting them not to fog up on you."  She took a finger and twirled his hair, letting it dangle down to his brow.

"You look so peaceful." He chuckled and blew the hair back to the top of his head.

"This is the life.  The ocean, the sun, and a beautiful girl to share it with.  Come on.  Lay on your back with me." Ann took her place at his side and laid herself upon the water's surface.

"I'm not gonna sink, am I?"

"Just relax.  Lounge in the water.  Legs out, arms at your side." As she settled upon the surface, the motion of the waves gently rocked her along.  It was incredibly therapeutic to be carried by the gentle rocking of the ocean.  She closed her eyes and shut the world out, listening to the waves crashing upon the shore.  Akira peaked at her through one eye to see her soft content smile.  He reached down and took her hand in his, so that they might float along together.  And for a while, that was what they did.  Half an hour, they spent there, side by side.  Not a word was spoken, none needed to be.  Just taking in the joy of being close to one another with such an intimate tranquil act.  Ann eventually called for the both of them to head ashore and reapply sunscreen.  The blonde was adamant that they avoid sunburn, wanting to preserve the clarity of her skin when they returned to Tokyo.  She also insisted he rub her back to get the spots she couldn't reach.  Akira took full advantage of the opportunity, even teasingly toying with the strings on the back of the bikini.  Though she was quick to make him repent, pouring ice from the cooler down his trunks.  As a peace offering, she even went the extra mile and tended to his chest and stomach with the lotion.  The both of them ended up equally flustered messes with hands smelling of coconut.  Afterward, they took a walk upon the sand to let the lotion dry.  They gazed upon all the beachgoers around them.  Most of them appeared to be either Americans or Japanese.  The locals appeared to be working at nearby establishments to appease those lounging on the shore.  As they strode into the shade of the nearby palm trees, they saw a long-haired man standing next to a food truck with a banner on the back.

"Ooh!  I know that food stand!" Ann took hold of his arm and lead him over to it.  "They sell garlic shrimp there!  I heard it's super delish.  Come on, we should try it!"

"I'm two steps ahead of you." Before she had even finished speaking, Akira already had his wallet in hand.  Garlic was already his favorite vegetable to slice up and cook into anything, whether it be pizza, bread, spaghetti, steak, or ramen.  It was a near all-purpose food.  Throw seafood into the mix, and he was positively determined to try it no matter the price.  "One of the best things about traveling is eating foreign food, right?" She embraced him tightly, blue eyes lighting up with anticipation to eat the delectable morsels.

"All right!  I love that about you!" Ann ordered two plates of garlic shrimp, one for each of them.  Akira played the good boyfriend and paid for their meal.  She insisted on paying him back, but he would hear none of it.  All he wanted to hear was her proclaiming how good the shrimp was.  "Oh my God, it's sooo good!" Akira sucked the flavor off his fingers as he savored the quality of the seafood.  Needless to say, he was quite impressed with what he had.

"Fantastic.  Absolutely fantastic.  And at that price, you can't beat it!" The two of them picked the plates bone clean in no time.  It was an absolute delight and made Akira do some serious evaluation of his cooking skills.

"Think you can try your hand at making this stuff?" Ann asked hopefully.  Akira rubbed his chin as he thought over all he tasted.

"Should be pretty easy.  Gotta look up specific temperatures and how long it cooks for, but it won't be anything I can't do.  All I need is some butter, garlic, black pepper, salt, and lemon.  Maybe something in there to spice the recipe up my way.  Some lime, maybe.  Definitely some diced green onions and pineapple to be sure." Ann sighed contently and listened to him list of various methods of preparation and ingredients he wished to swap in and out.  They both had their things they took pride in, even if the other wasn't as skilled or understanding of it.  She was into fashion and modeling, and he willingly supported it despite the fact he couldn't differentiate between clothing brands.  And he loved the art of cooking whether it be preparation, serving, or eating.  Ann possessed zero culinary skills of her own and would probably burn down her home if she tried.  Supporting Akira's hobby meant more than just a free meal.  It meant seeing him grow and develop, be inspired and regain the confidence and pride that were unjustly stolen.

* * *

 

The day rolled by before they knew it, bathing the sand and sea in an orange glow as the sun began to dip along the horizon.  They ate, sunbathed, and swam in the crystal-clear ocean.  For a while, the two competed making cute little sandcastles.  Akira had managed to win by a landslide against her by making a Morgana snowman.  Or sandman, in this case.  Ann took as many pictures of it and them as she could.  Selfies of the both of them lounging in the sand and posing by the Morgana sandman.  She even managed to snag a few photos of Akira bodysurfing the waves.  He had this childlike wonderment to him as he coasted along the water.  A few times, he had been surprised by a rogue wave significantly stronger than the other and ended up wiping out.  She nearly fell out of her chair laughing at his blunders.  By a stroke of luck had she acquired photographic evidence.  Akira had tried to convince her to bodysurf with him, but she feared accidentally losing her bikini in the surf.  Her boyfriend seemed not to take issue, a notion that she playfully rebuked him for.  A perfect day, all in all, that ended with lounging on a bench shaded by the palm trees.  He had his arm around her, and she rested her head against his neck.  Having stuffed themselves on garlic shrimp and tuckered themselves out from all the swimming, they could fall asleep right there from how comforting the sun's aura was.

"It's beautiful," Ann mused, looking at the yellow blooming across the orange horizon.  "I had such a good time today, Akira.  Thank you so much." He cradled her cheek in one hand, the smell of coconut still lingering on his skin from rubbing her down.  It only served to accentuate the romantic atmosphere present.

"For you, anything," he purred, her cheeks bursting into a flurry of red.  She snickered to ease the anxiousness and tension she felt.

"I told Shiho I wasn't into this cheesy dating stuff.  But now that I've tried it out, it's really not so bad.  I guess it's because I have someone special to do it with." Akira pulled her close and hugged her, causing his blonde lover to snuggle his neck and tickle it with her locks.

"I wonder how Shiho is enjoying Los Angeles," Akira pondered.  Ann's thoughts drifted to her dear friend over in L.A.  She hoped Shiho was having as much fun there as she was here.  That she had someone to keep her company.  Ann slumped against Akira, her smile fading.

"She talked about Yusuke the night you made us breakfast.  I think she would've liked to meet him." The blonde sighed, leaning into him for comfort.  "I miss her."

"I'm sorry," Akira said, holding her close.  He tried his best to offer some sort of condolence or comforting phrase to lift her spirits.  But nothing seemed earnest enough.  He gave her a shoulder to lean on and vent to like they agreed.  No Phantom Thievery could solve this personal dilemma.

"But don't think I didn't like spending time with you.  Especially today."

"It's fine, Ann," he assured her, nodding.  "Shiho's important to you too.  It's okay to want her here with you." She smiled sadly and hugged his arm.  Akira was so understanding and mature for a boy his age.  What she did to be so lucky, Ann couldn't decipher.

"Oh!" She rose up from the bench and dug through their beach bag.  "I almost forgot.  I got something to remember the trip by."

"You got me a gift?" he inquired.  She nodded shyly and removed her parcel.  Her heart raced nervously with anticipation at his reaction.

"It'll help you remember how special today was." In her grip were two little Menehune dolls, holding hands together.  One looked a lot like Ann while the other resembled himself.  His mouth hung agape with a big smile.

"That's goddamn adorable!" Ann sighed with relief as he inspected the dolls.  "They even got my glasses.  Was this custom?" She bit her bottom lip and looked away, a pink rosiness on her cheeks.

"Maybe." Akira laughed and pulled her in, kissing her cheek lovingly while he continued to fawn over it.

"Wow… no one's ever given me anything like this." He cradled the dolls in his hands, pouring over all the little details went into them.  His heart fluttered with utter joy.  Ann beamed and childishly swung her legs.  It tickled her pink how much he was enraptured by her gift.  "This is the best gift I've ever gotten."

"Oh, stop," she said, turning away with a wave of her hand.  "You're gonna make me cry." She only was somewhat exaggerating.

"Well, I better not show you  _this_  then…" In his hands was a small white box.  A calm and expecting smirk on his face.  Ann gingerly reached out and ran her fingers along the edges.

"Oh, Akira, you didn't have to get me anything."

"Of course, I did.  Now what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't?" Ann lifted the lid and set it aside on the bench, gasping at what she saw within.  The box contained a silver bracelet shaped into a circlet of Plumeria flowers.  He had rendered her utterly speechless for several seconds as she looked over every detail of it.  Running her fingers against the smooth metal, admiring the craftsmanship.

"Oh my gosh," she whispered, gliding her thumb along the metal petal.  Akira leaned back on the bench with pride, hands behind his head.

"That's locally made, so I got to support the economy.  And make sure not to go in the water with it-" Ann wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly.

"Oh, thank you so much, Akira!" The boy beamed and held her in his arm, placing his Menehune dolls carefully beside him on the bench.  Ann sniffled softly as she leaned into his neck.  "I'm seriously gonna cry now!"

"Oh no, what have I done?" Akira jested, pinching the bridge of his nose.  The blonde leaned up and planted a dozen kisses on his cheeks before going in and fully locking their lips together.  Through his peripheral did he observe the shores, relieved to find them predominantly empty save for a few elderly types.  As they broke the kiss, she sat on his lap while he cradled her.  Her blue eyes damp from the sheer emotion.

"You are so unbelievably sweet, Akira Kurusu," she said, causing a soft gasp to escape.  "You are the sweetest and kindest boy I've ever met." He found himself blushing a fine beet red.  His heart fluttered, and his neck was burning.  Never had anyone poured such generous amounts of affection upon him.

"You know, they have a tradition with Plumeria flowers in Hawaii.  Girls wear one in their hair to signify relationships.  Over the right ear if single, over the left is taken." Ann looked down at the bracelet and curled it in her fingers.  "Probably should've bought a flower with it." He scoffed at himself, lurching his head back.  "Missed an opportunity."

"Nuh-uh," Ann said, eyeing her wrists.  "You gave us an opportunity to put our own twist on it." She swapped the yellow scrunchie on her left wrist to her right, fastening the bracelet on the vacant spot.  "There." She raised her hand to him in order to showcase his gift.  "Now we can honor the tradition in our own secret special way." Ann winked at him playfully, earning an amused smirk from him.

"You're a goddamn genius, you know that?" She giggled and leaned her head into the small of his neck.  "One in a million."

"Well, you're one in a billion million," she teased, tickling his neck with her hair.

"Pfft!" he huffed.  "That's not even a real number." She nudged his ribs, garnering a giggle from him.  Their laughter subsided to a tranquil quietness as she sat on his lap, being cradled by who she believed to be the best man in the whole world.  The two of them content to stare out across the sea.  All of today was utter paradise.  Ann never wanted it to end.  What she wouldn't give for another opportunity like this.

"Hey…" She looked up at him longingly, content to just let her words hang.  A sleepy calm look gazed back at her.

"Hey yourself…"

"…Let's come back to Hawaii sometime.  I mean… by ourselves…" Akira felt his face flush even hotter at her words, eyeing her through his peripheral.  Ann glanced up and saw the look on his face, a knot growing in her chest.  Had she come on too strong and crossed a boundary?  He had seized up under her.  Did she make him uncomfortable?  It was no secret that most guys were a bit more reserved with expressing their emotions.  Even Akira was like that to an extent.  But he was more open with her than any of the others.  She had thought him to be different.  Perhaps not, after all.  As she felt her heart start to sink, a nervous surprised chuckle escaped him.

"Ann, I…" His breath caught in his throat, being gulped down into the pits of his lungs.  "…I'd love that." The knot in her chest dissipated instantaneously, prompting a great sigh of relief to escape her lungs.

"You mean it?" Her voice was fragile, her heart hanging on whatever response he gave.  Akira was not blind to the passion behind her question.  This was something he had wanted since arriving at the airport, but to hear it said aloud was another thing entirely.  Though he suspected nothing truly could've prepared him for such an intimate suggestion.  A secret rendezvous of the both of them alone and together far away from Tokyo and the others.  The thought made him somewhat nervous with no teachers, chaperones, or even friends around.  More freedom but less familiarity and comfort.  And having no sense of direction caused great anxiety for him.  But in typical fashion, taking one look at her was enough to make it all fade away.  Ann was his anchor and a major driving force with him.  A best friend, an equal, a lover, and a confidant.  With her at his side, he felt he could face the world.

"Absolutely." She whispered soft graces to him, feeling as though she could go to sleep right in his arms.  Not that Akira would complain if she did.  The vibrations of his phone tore him away from the little subspace they had cultivated together.  He stared down at the screen and saw none other than the blond boy's name in the notifications.

"It's Ryuji," he said, sliding the bar over.  "Probably gonna talk my ear off about why I didn't show up to scour the beach for babes." Akira chuckled as he imagined Ryuji and Mishima floundering about the beach trying to woo the women.

"Put him on speakerphone!" Ann insisted, lifting herself from his lap to sit at his side.  "I wanna hear this." With a nod, he answered and put his blond friend unknowingly on speaker like his girlfriend desired.

"Yo."

"Dude, where were you?" Ryuji asked indignantly.  "We struck out again!" Ann held her hands to her mouth, fighting back snickers.  Akira found himself struggling to maintain composure as Ann kept letting them slip.

"Sorry, man," he insisted.  "I told you I had other plans."

"What about bros?  This was guy time!  Could've been us with chicks if you had shown up to help, but nooooo!  You had to go do… whatever you did today."

"Is that Akira?" Mishima asked from the distance.  Ryuji held a hand over the speaker to attempt to drown his voice out, but his confirmation came loud and clear to them.

"Could've used your help, man.  What happened to the guy code?"

"Like I said, I'm sorry.  Had other plans."

"With who?!" Mishima spoke up from the back again, his voice soft but recognizable.

"Hey, maybe he found a girl of his own."

"Oh, he better not have!" Ryuji said, failing to obscure his voice again.  He leaned back into the phone to question him some more.  "Hey, we saw Makoto walkin' along the beach.  Ann wasn't with her.  And she didn't know where you were?  You keepin' secrets, bro?  Not cool!" He wryly eyed Ann with a smirk, who was snickering silently on her side of the bench.  Akira lifted the phone closer to his mouth as the gears in his head began turning.

"Actually, I'm sitting here right now with a beautiful woman currently."

"WHAT?!" Akira almost choked from suppressing a snicker as he heard his friend's offended shouts.  Ann's face was blushing furiously as she gawked at him in shock.  He held up a finger in response, mouthing "hold on." It seemed the Joker had a few jokes in store.  "You gotta be shittin' me-Mishima, he does have a girl."

"No way!  Who?  Who is it?!"

"Yeah!  Who, man?  Gimme the deets!  Pics, bust size, name!  I'm dyin' here!" Ann rolled her eyes at Ryuji's attempts to garner information.  No surprise he would go for the visual aspect first.  Akira felt the Cheshire cat grin emerge on his face as he eyed the phone wryly.

"I'm here with Ann Takamaki draping herself all over me." Ann opened her mouth to protest but immediately clamped a hand over her mouth.  Her neck and cheeks burned fiercely from how utterly mortified she felt.  So much for their agreement to remain quiet.

"Yeah, yeah, good one," Ryuji said dryly.  "He's playin' a prank." Mishima could be heard groaning with disappointment in the distance.  It seemed he had been excited about Akira's success.  Ann let out a silent sigh of relief that they had not given themselves away.  "I thought you were gonna be serious, bro."

"What makes you think I'm joking?" he asked calmly, eyeing Ann through his peripheral and smirking.

"Because if she wouldn't go for me, she definitely wouldn't go for you." Ann held a hand to her mouth and quietly laughed.  Akira was fighting back snickers, a fist over his mouth.  How little he truly realized.  "Anyway, Kawakami is askin' people to come back.  It's getting' dark so head on back soon, okay?"

"I gotcha," Akira said with a nod.  "Seeya in a bit."

"Bye, dude." As he hung up, he was greeted by a swift jab to his ribs from Ann.

"You almost gave us away!" She pouted at him while disguising the excitement she felt.  The prospect that they had almost been caught proved to be somewhat invigorating.  "What's gotten in you?" He comically shrugged and draped an arm around her.

"Guess I'm just giddy is all." Ann rolled her eyes at him and rested her head at his neck, beaming from receiving a kiss to the forehead.  The girl sighed as she saw the twinkle of stars in the distance.

"It really is starting to get dark.  Should we head back?" Normally, Akira liked to be punctual and arrive ahead of schedule.  It brought him ease of mind and made him look good in the eyes of his peers.  But this was their moment to escape.  So much had occurred between he and Ann.  And soon they would have to put their affection on hold for a whole day again as they returned home.  Home to school and responsibility.  To the life of a student and a Phantom Thief.  Though, he had to admit that he was looking forward to getting back out there again.  Donning that mask and leather jacket to bring justice to the downtrodden.  And they did seem to have their next target: Okumura Foods.  Plus, Futaba was close to translating all that data, no doubt.  But he didn't want to pry himself away from her just yet.  Even if it was getting dark, he wanted to steal away a few more moments with her.

"Just a bit longer…" Ann shuddered as she heard it again.  That low gritty growl.  That intimate masculine sound coming from such a soft looking boy.  But he had proven he wasn't some boy.  He was a man.  Her man.  And she was his girl.  His silver gaze fell down to the sand, an apprehension rising in his chest.  "Ann… there's something I wanna say.  I haven't been sure of the extent of my affection past that I like you immensely.  But my heart is yours.  Completely and utterly." She giggled, cheeks pink as she beamed.

"I stole your heart," she teased with a wink, sticking her tongue out.  He chuckled lowly, twirling her hair with his finger.

"No, no. I gave you my heart.  I wanted you to have it.  You and only you.  Because… you see…" The pressure was weighing down on his chest.  Trying to choke the words down.  His heart trembled as he tried to force it out.  Ann said nothing, merely gazing at him and waiting in silence with great anticipation.  And the sun was falling inch by inch below the horizon.  The mood was right.  More than right.  He'd never have another chance like this.  With a forceful huff did he manage to say it.  "…I love you, Ann." All the air left her as though she had been struck.  Akira gulped and forced himself to maintain eye contact.  He didn't want to turn away, but he hoped he had made the right decision.  Putting his heart out on the line with someone he trusted.  More than anyone else.

"Akira…" she breathed.  Barely more than a whisper.  Like the soft coo of a dove.  "I love you too." Now, Akira found himself choking again.  Joyous laughs kept trying to escape him, but the butterflies he felt within kept stifling them.  Ann opened her mouth to speak more but stammered clumsily over her words, further fueling the blush on her face.  "W-well, I-I mean, uh…" Akira felt a sense of joy as he watched her attempt to speak.  Her flustered state was utterly adorable.  "I mean… y-yeah!  Yeah, I said it!" She stared him down with great determination.  Were her cheeks not so rosy and pink, he'd have been able to take her more seriously.  "And I meant it too!  I really love you!  Like,  _REALLY_  really!" Akira chuckled, holding his ribs as she continued to pour on the affection.  Ann pouted at him for poking fun, but he was just so cute when he laughed that she couldn't stand it.

It was no secret to either of them they harbored great affection for one another.  But it was something else to confess out loud that they truly loved one another.  Love was not something easily given out or easily healed when a heart was broken.  Only those truly trustworthy and deserving earned the undying love of one they truly treasured.  Though both Ann and Akira treasured one another greatly, this was a new step entirely.  Their standing side by side against Kamoshida and the rest of the world, his support for her career and Shiho.  She for his loneliness and distance from home, his love for cooking, and support and respect of him as a leader.  Their connection was deep, deeper than any typical high school connection.  Than any standard high school love story of fickle hormonal teenagers.  This was the kind of emotional rush that only those hardened by years of experience felt.  Despite still being high school students, they had grown exponentially with their roles as Phantom Thieves.  No one else harbored a bond as they did.  Theirs was, in every sense of the word, true love.

The two of them returned to the hotel, hand in hand before reluctantly separating.  Texting each other throughout the night sweet nothings and their attempts at crafting poems of affection.  Akira seemed to hold a more natural affinity for these things than she did.  The Menehune dolls sat comfortably on the nightstand next to his glasses.  They teased Akira with the image of them holding hands.  Meanwhile, Ann lounged on her bed, looking at all the pictures of Akira on her phone and running her finger along the silver Plumerias.  It felt cool and smooth to the touch, like his skin.  As they drifted off to sleep, their chests radiated a comforting warmth.  The warmth of absolute deep true love.


	40. The Split

_9/13/17 – Tuesday_

The mood had completely shifted upon the return to Tokyo.  Ann and Akira had completely forgotten about their romantic day together in the aftermath of Principal Kobayakawa's death.  It had caught the entire student body completely off-guard.  Akira himself was more than merely conflicted on the matter, a sentiment that a few other students seemed to share.  On one hand, he had no respect for the man after he had allowed Kamoshida to turn the school into his own personal boxing ring and brothel.  On the other hand, his death meant that something was afoot under their noses.  His worst fear had come true, and someone had taken advantage of the Phantom Thieves' absence.  The details surrounding Kobayakawa's death were unknown at the time, but he suspected foul play.  The shaggy youth wasted no time at all organizing an after-school meeting in Leblanc's attic.  Futaba was at the scene first, laptop in hand and data on display.

"People are already talking about it online," Ann said as she looked over the Phan-site on her phone.

"Nobody's sayin' it's 'cause of the Phantom Thieves," Ryuji said warily.  "So far…" This tidbit of information brought a small semblance of relief to Akira.  They knew the truth more than anyone, but losing the public's reverence and praise of them would no doubt shake the team's resolve.  Yusuke perused the forums relevant to the situation on his phone with a frown.

"People think he did it because that tabloid exposed how he was covering up Kamoshida's abuses." Ann felt her heart flutter uneasily at the artist's revelation.  She glumly stared down at her feet as her thoughts drifted to the principal.  It had barely been a week since they had last seen him.  Now he was dead and gone.  No doubt he'd still be alive had it not been for busting the former coach.

"Could it be that… we're responsible for Principal Kobayakawa's suicide?" The group's eyes snapped to her with complete surprise.  Of all the people to throw a curveball at them, Ann was the least expected.  Ryuji shelved his phone into his pocket with his hands before pressing her.

"Whaddya mean?" Ann sighed, feeling her heart weigh her down like a bowling ball.

"If we hadn't changed Kamoshida's heart, maybe this never would have happened-"

"No way." Their gazes then shifted to Akira, a stern frown on his face.  "That is none of our faults.  Especially not yours."

"Yeah," Ryuji nodded in agreement.  "Kamoshida woulda just kept doin' what he did if he didn't go and take him down.  Ann, after what he did to you and Shiho, how could you say that?" Ann felt herself withdraw after Akira and Ryuji finished.  She glanced down at her feet and let the others converse for a while.  There was no doubt in her mind that Kamoshida was scum and Kobayakawa was just as bad for letting it happen.  He had wronged her immensely for all the torment Kamoshida subjected her to that he merely overlooked.  The torment he subjected Shiho, Mishima, and Ryuji to.  Never would she lose doubt in the Phantom Thieves, especially not Akira.  But to see him be driven to suicide of all things.  It made her stomach feel incredibly uneasy about the entire situation.

"There's a lot of opinions online." Futaba had opened several tabs on her browser.  Each one contained an article written commenting on Kobayakawa's death.  Because of the Phantom Thieves' exposure of Kamoshida, his death had garnered attention from media outlets all across Tokyo.  It seemed everyone had an opinion on the man's demise.  Very few expressed any sort of sympathies on his behalf.  His ties to Kamoshida had left very little of a warm reception for the portly principal in the end.  Yusuke was doing research of his own while seating himself atop Akira's bed.  Though, his sources were singing praises to the Phantom Thieves for doing what no one else could.  Many online heralded them as the true heroes of the people.  That they should replace the police and even the government.  A nice sentiment, but Akira was wary of such claims and praises.  They protected the innocent from abusers, not spy and watch over everyone's shoulders.  The punishment came after the crime.  Not before.  Akira sighed lowly and nursed his brow.  All this uncertainty and the complete utter tonal shift of their group was giving him a slight headache.  Ann shared his sentiments and looked to him with concern.

"It's not just the news.  There's even Phantom Thieves merchandise now.  I never expected we'd end up such a big deal."

"It seems like the public would rather believe in us than the adults," Yusuke stated.  "People are trying to get the Phantom Thieves to solve societal problems, not just personal ones." Now Ann knew what Akira meant before.  The radical fanaticism and commercialization of their group.  After Kobayakawa's death, it all seemed incredibly wrong.  Perverse and exploitative.  Akira recognized the look in her eyes as the same one he sported, having stared at himself in the mirror late at night to find answers.  Since his reunion with Akechi had he been nursing the vague feeling of something troublesome lurking along the horizon.  Just out of reach.  Now he wished it had merely been a sense of paranoia.

"This is kinda scary…" she admitted.  Akira glanced at her with a sympathetic look.  They were all risking a lot to be Phantom Thieves, and now the stakes had been raised exponentially higher.  Ann couldn't imagine how he felt, however.  As their leader, the burden of responsibility rested on him the most.  At least, that's what he believed.  No doubt he was being consumed by anxiety and self-doubt from all this.  Kobayakawa's death, the public sentiments, and the fear she felt.

"Are we really doing the right thing?" Makoto piped up.  The others felt their heart sink with her comment.  Out of all of them, she possessed the most tact and intellect.  If their strongest was questioning herself, what chance did the rest of them stand?

"I mean…" Ryuji rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.  Akira could see the metaphorical gears in the blond's head turning as he tried to turn the conversation around.  "The principal was coverin' stuff up, right?  I guess… he got what was comin' to him." Makoto let out a soft shocked gasp.  The brunette rubbed her temples with both hands.

"That's…" Perhaps Ryuji was not wrong in his sentiment.  After all, she had not been through what he and Ann did.  But to spit upon the dead after the corpse has barely run cold.  It felt wrong to her.  Morgana had remained quiet throughout the duration of the somber discussion, merely watching Futaba's screen.  Morale had truly reached its lowest.  Though the data needed to be shared, he couldn't let the team fall apart on his watch.  As the sophisticated gentleman of the group, he had a responsibility to uplift them.  No doubt this would prove to Ann of his heroism.  The cat strode over to the edge of the table and prepared to leap off to the center of the room.  But his attempt at a morale raiser was halted before it could even begin.

"Listen up."  The group fell silent from his voice.  Akira strode to the front of the room with hands behind his back and weight to his steps.  He turned to face them and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.  For a split second, the lenses seemed to glow in the light.  Morgana stood in silence as he stared at his human companion searchingly.  The shaggy youth had stated his command with such sternness and authority that the cat had been completely robbed of words.  Fitting for a Phantom Thief, he surmised.  "I know all of this makes us feel like we're under a microscope.  We're questioning our ethics and what we stand for.  But with our powers comes immense responsibility.  As self-proclaimed protectors and upholders of justice, that's what we're supposed to do.  We're not gods.  We might operate outside the law, but we're not above it.  We're not superheroes.  We just have costumes and superpowers and… okay, I guess we're a little like superheroes." His jest earned a few amused giggles and huffs from the crowd.  The tension seemed to be dissipating a little, and so he continued.  "The Phantom Thieves are here to fight the battles that can't be fought on ordinary terms.  If the police or the government can't stop it, that's where we come into play.  If the law is being exploited by the people sworn to uphold it, that's where we come in.  We fight on unconventional terms with unconditional methods to help bring those into power to justice.  Those who manipulate and exploit, who use their power as a shield to hide from and deflect the law.  That's why we're here.  But it's important to recognize where our limits are.  The fate and decisions of the public are theirs to make.  We don't decide or make the laws.  We're here to improve the system, not replace it.  Which is why it's important that we never forget our limits.  We cannot let passion or our egos determine the fate of others.  Theirs is to be judged by the law and brought to justice on its terms.  And if the system is being manipulated, then we fix it the right way.  We don't kill, and we don't torture.  We're the only ones gifted with these types of powers, and it's important that we use them responsibly.  It's important that we get all the answers and that we make the right decisions based on that evidence.  The public trusts in us completely, but we must not allow that to skew our judgment.  We remember our rules, remember what we stand for, remain humble, and control our emotions.  And if we do that, then we'll always be on the right side of justice." The others stood in complete silence, stunned by the profoundness of his speech.  Akira had always been a lot smarter and tactful than they had imagined, but he had just raised the proverbial bar.  "We stand together.  And if we fall, we fall together." Akira glanced over to Ryuji, then looking slowly over to Makoto.  And finally, to Ann and Morgana.  "Right?"

"Hmph," Ryuji huffed, a grin forming on his face.  "Yeah.  You're right." It felt like such a long time since his disagreement with Akira over his plan to surrender himself.  Ryuji had sworn to Akira he would be at his side, no matter what.  He owed him that much.  For Kamoshida and the track team.  "To the end."

"Indeed," Yusuke stated with a content smile.  After his conversation with them during the Medjed countdown, this was a great relief to the artist.  Akira had been his confidant and muse while he honed his artistic craft in the Madarame aftermath.  Because of his help, he had regained his mother's wrongfully stolen Sayuri.

"Right," Makoto said, a small smile forming on her soft face.  The third-year then administered a firm nod, gazing at him with determination.  "Right!" Her voice resonated with more confidence and hope than before.  For a brief few moments had she relapsed to her state of life before awakening Johanna.  The scared young studious and polite girl living a life of servitude to others, always feeling the burden under her sister.  But his speech reminded her of the fire awakened within her from facing Kaneshiro.

"For great justice!" Futaba beamed, swinging her legs underneath the table.  The otaku possessed a slight giddiness to her in that moment.  Or rather, that was what it appeared to be from the outside.  Inside, she shared the others energy and spirit.  Though she stuck with them for her own personal reasons, Futaba was a fervent believer in their justice.  Akira and the others saved her from herself.  Years of being consumed by utter despair and self-loathing and her new friends had freed her.  Given her the life back that had been stolen from her by shady men in black.  Though a frail girl by herself, she had complete strength when standing by her friends.

"I'm with you, Akira!" Ann exclaimed, gripping her hands with excitement.  "I'll be by your side, no matter what!" The blonde gripped her shirt collar and felt her heart racing from the speech, falling in love with him all over again.  This was the reason why he was their leader.  Akira was fierce and determined, with a lot of courage and care in his heart.  A fervent believer with a strong sense of justice and humanity despite his laid-back demeanor.  There was a wisdom to him, leadership resonating from him naturally.  Unusual for one so young.  He inspired confidence and gave them focus.  The fear and apprehension she felt had disappeared completely when she saw that shine in his silver eyes.  That look of determination which seemed to pierce the uncertainty right through her heart.  She could imagine that fierce look behind his white mask as he stood adorned in his Phantom Thief costume.  By God, did he appear positively dashing in her eyes.  The intensity she felt was so great, Ann swore her hands would burst into flames.  With this energy, she was ready to break into Mementos right now.  Never once had that belief in the greater good and passion for what was right faded or wavered.  It had only grown stronger since they stood side by side against Kamoshida.  That strange unassuming lonely boy willing to risk his future to bring him down and save the school.  Save her.  Akira was her hero.  And she his biggest fan and ally.  But best of all, his love.

Morgana stared at Akira in utter surprise, unblinking.  He had completely trumped anything that he himself would've said.  The proverbial rug was stolen right out from under him.  Now he stood there dumbstruck, mouth agape.  At a total loss of words.  Speechless.  Morgana lowered his gaze at Akira.  This was to be his moment, and Akira stole it from him.  They were all swept up in his passion, Ann in particular.  Her beautiful blue eyes were positively glowing with admiration as she eyed him. The admiration that he believed to be his alone.

 _This isn't fair!_ he thought to himself.  _I formed the Phantom Thieves!  They should be listening to me!_ The cat continued to seethe silently to himself before turning his attention back to the computer.  To Futaba's data.  At last, he had a chance to dominate the discussion.

"Whoa, guys, let's get back on topic!" Morgana interrupted before circling the laptop.  "Weren't we going to discuss the data we obtained from Niijima?" On cue, the others gathered around to survey the data.  Yusuke began reading off Futaba's discoveries at her behest.  It seemed that Makoto's sister had been hard at work uncovering this issue.  Dedication ran in the family, no doubt.  An ongoing discovery that spanned back way before Akira's arrival.

"First, Prosecutor Niijima has been looking into the continued cases of people suddenly collapsing.  It seems she is searching for a common thread to tie them all together." Futaba scrolled farther down and pointed to a particular prompt she deemed interesting.  Yusuke frowned upon reading her highlighted material.  "Some parts seem to be speculation, but she has cited a beneficiary of the majority of these incidents.  The corporation Okumura Foods.  More prominently, its CEO: Kunikazu Okumura." The mood swiftly changed at this revelation.  Akira narrowed his eyes and clenched his hand as he stared down at the laptop.  Though the name seemed to give Ryuji the slip at first.  Upon the reveal that they owned the Big Bang Burger, the blond grew immensely outraged.  As a connoisseur of food, he took this transgression quite personally.  Ann tapped her chin with a finger while she recalled their discussions in Hawaii.  Mishima and Makoto had made a few revelations about Okumura Foods ethics.  Or lack thereof.

"You know, they only got famous sometime in the past few years," she stated.  "They even had a branch in Hawaii." Yusuke studied the findings Niijima had made while Futaba pulled more receipts.  The laundry list extended way more past just underpaying employees.

"It says here they benefitted both from scandals and the resignations of their competitors' executives," he continued.

"This is too suspicious, though," Morgana noted, hovering by Futaba's screen.  "Only one CEO is profiting from these seemingly accidental incidents." Akira rubbed his chin, leaning over Futaba's shoulder to peruse the data himself.  "I think it's natural to suspect he's intentionally causing them."

"Hmm… that might be a possibility." Akira said.  "But we need more to go off.  The Metaverse calls a lot into question, and Okumura Foods doesn't exactly seem to be playing fair.  But still…"

"We have even more evidence than that," Morgana continued before deferring to Futaba.  The frail girl retrieved her phone and thumbed through the Nav.

"He has a Palace for sure," she stated.  The others blinked in surprise, earning an amused smirk from Morgana.

"That settles it then!" Ryuji said with excitement.  "He's totally our next target!" Morgana pranced around the table with pride.  Now he was the one inspiring others.  The top dog.  Or cat, in this case.

"That's right," Morgana stated confidently.  "Okumura is at the top of the rankings, after all."

"Hold on." Their attention was immediately drawn to Yusuke, who had a rather focused stern look about him.  "That doesn't necessarily mean he's evil.  If we jump into this too carelessly…" Morgana merely side-eyed the artist at first but felt his heart sink as he saw Akira look to him with a nod.  If Akira wasn't convinced, the others would fall in line beside him.  "Beyond that, this Phantom Thieves fad is… unsettling."

"I agree," Akira said, pondering his chin.  "This hype is starting to get out of control.  Blind loyalty and fanaticism just causes trouble.  At this rate, they'll want us to act as judge, jury, and executioner."

"Yeah…" Ann uttered hesitantly.  "The excitement levels don't feel normal.  We might want to let things calm down a bit first…" Morgana felt his heart shatter all over again.  It stung enough to have Akira be apprehensive, but Ann too?  It was almost too much.

"You too, Ann!?" Ryuji piped up.  The cat turned to face the blond, surprised to hear him take opposition against Akira again.  Though, he was thankful to have him on his side.  "You're just gonna go against what people want!?"

"Huh?" She glanced between Ryuji and Akira, the former merely nodding for her to speak her mind.  "No, but…" Ann felt her words falter as she attempted to speak as well as Akira did.  But anything she concocted fell utterly short.

"Ryuji, here's the deal," Akira said, taking a calm step forward to his disgruntled friend.  "I understand your issue with our hesitation, but we need to know we're doing this for the right reasons." Ryuji shelved his hands into his pockets and frowned.

"But it's what the people want," he stated.  "We're doing this for the people like you said, aren't we?" Akira sighed and rubbed his eyes before pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Ryuji, we can't stoop down to witch hunt mentality.  Time and history have proven that's a dangerous slippery slope that only leads good intentions to go bad.  Underpaying your staff and exploiting your competition's incidents to boost your own business, but being an asshole isn't a crime.  As a corporation, they are able to determine the wages of which they pay others.  And corporations have hands in each other's pockets.  They profit all the time from each other's failures and successes.  Maybe it might not be completely fair, but it's not inherently illegal.  Unless they're egregiously exploiting the innocent like Kaneshiro, Medjed, Madarame, and Kamoshida, our hands are tied.  It's like I said.  We only fight the battles the public and the law can't normally do." The blond then grew quiet as he mulled over Akira's words.  The others stood around them in silence.  Ryuji slumped and sighed in resignation.

"For real?" Akira nodded, a stoic frown on his face.

"Hey, I don't like this either.  But remember how we operate.  We’re not attack dogs."

"L-looks like we're not gonna agree today then…" Futaba said nervously, watching the both of them.  Akira and Ryuji turned to face her.

"Hey, relax, Futaba," Akira said, holding a hand up before wrapping an arm around Ryuji.  "It's not a big deal.  We're just having a disagreement.  Ryuji's still my boy." Ryuji felt his expression pick up a bit and smile, nudging his ribs.

"Yeah," he said.  "Akira's right.  We need to be, uh… objective about this.  Like he said." He rubbed his neck sheepishly.  "Sorry about that, bro. Guess I got a little swept up." Akira gently patted his shoulder.

"It happens.  We just gotta remember not to lose sight." Morgana stared at the both of them with great offense.  Akira had swept Ryuji back to his side with his honeyed words.  As he watched the others nod and relax after the tension began to dissipate, his fears became realized.  He had them rearing to go, and now they had fallen in line behind Akira.

"Sorry for snappin' at ya, Ann," Ryuji apologized, earning a soft smile and nod from the blonde.

"We'll get to the bottom of this, Ryuji," she said, leaning against Akira.  "He'll help us figure it out."

"We'll do it together," Akira said with a smirk.  Ann giggled at his display of humility.  Morgana felt his claws withdraw and clack against the table's surface.  This had been the last straw.

"Sheesh!" he scoffed, quickly drawing the attention back to him.  "Some team you are.  What's with all the hesitation?  I can't stand this!" The cat shifted his rant over to Ryuji with a scowl.  "Even you, Ryuji!  You just back down the second someone disagrees with you!" Ryuji narrowed his eyes in utter perplexion at the cat.

"What?"

"Hey, Morgana," Akira said, taking a step forward.  "Relax, man.  This is a dicey situation for all of us.  You can't blame us for being a bit careful." The cat ignored his friend and locked eyes with the blond boy.

"I guess all you've been talking about is using the Phantom Thieves' name to pick up girls anyway." Morgana's voice dripped with absolute contempt and venom.  "Being hyped up because of the popularity is fine, but getting conceited over it is unacceptable." Ryuji's mouth hung agape, glaring at the cat.

"Hey, aren't you actin' for your own benefit here, too?" he spat back.  Morgana felt the spite boil in his chest at being reminded of his insecurities.  True, he had started this group to regain his human form, but his belief in their justice was unshaking.  Or rather, it was.

"My appearance might have changed, but I'm still an admirable human!  At the very least, I'm still more admirable than some carnal blond monkey!" Ryuji clenched his fists and reached out to grab the cat's furry frame.

"You little…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Akira said, taking a spot between the two.  "Chill out, everybody!  This is getting way out of hand." He turned to Morgana and placed his hands on his hips, the two glaring angrily at one another.  "Morgana, what is your problem?  You're way out of line talking to Ryuji like that.  Maybe he lets his hype and ego get ahead of him from time to time, but I don't want you or anybody questioning his resolve and dedication to this group.  Don't forget that he was the first to suffer under Kamoshida." Ryuji firmly tapped his leg upon the ground to loosen his knee up.  Though he could still run fairly far, Kamoshida's breaking of his leg had hindered how far and how fast he could go.  A burden he would shoulder for the rest of his life.  "That’s a real dick thing to say, Morgana.  You apologize to Ryuji right now." Akira then held a finger up and turned to point at Ryuji.  "And you keep your hands to yourself.  Morgana might be acting like a dick, but we are not fighting.  Especially in Sojiro's coffee shop.  How's it gonna look if a sixteen-year-old boy is seen beating up a cat?" Morgana stared daggers through Akira's back as he watched him talk Ryuji down.  The blond sighed through his nose and closed his eyes.  There was no way he would stoop to the level his father had subjected he and his mother too.

"How dare you!" the cat huffed, prompting Akira to turn to him.  "Treating me like a child!  I'll apologize when I damn well please!" He snapped his fingers and pointed at him disapprovingly.

"Act like a child, I'll treat you like one," he stated.  "We're supposed to be friends." Ryuji stepped up to Akira's side, folding his arms.

"You might be a cat, but that's no reason to act like such an effin' pussy!" Were the tension not as high as it was, Akira might find his comment somewhat amusing.  Ann glided over between the two boys, pointing at Morgana with contempt.

"What's your problem, Morgana?" she scoffed.  "That's completely unacceptable to talk to Ryuji or Akira like that.  You need to chill!" Ann might like to tease Ryuji and may even find him bothersome at times.  But he was still her friend.  And Morgana had stepped way over the line for her.  Especially when he talked back to Akira.  Morgana's furry mouth hung open like he had just been slapped.  Ann had sided with Akira three times now, leaving him high and dry.  The sheer exhaustion hitting him from the disappointment and heartache he felt was nearly overwhelming.  It took all his strength not to curl up under the bed and hide.  But he huffed through his pink nose and stood his ground.  He'd show them he was just as tough and capable as Akira.

"Fine." He turned his head up and jumped down onto the floor, flicking his tail at them.  "I can take on some small-time target like Okumura on my own.  Sorry, but it looks like I'll be getting the credit for solving the mental shutdown mystery." The tone shifted from offense to surprise, Akira completely forgetting his lecture.  He pointed a claw at Ryuji as he recalled the taunting jest he made about Futaba's more inherent usefulness than his at the beach.  The vision of Ann cradled in Akira's arms, bleeding from the Reaper.  Had Akira listened to him, it could've all been avoided.  Even Akira admitted it himself.  "I'm going to show you who the useless one actually is!"

"Whoa, hold on.  Timeout." Akira took a step forward, hands raised.  "We made a deal not to-"

"All right then!" Ryuji declared, swinging his fist.  "Bring it on!"

"Ryuji, stop!" Ann said, grabbing hold of his wrist.  Morgana watched the two teens argue amongst one another, his ego and belief in them deflating.  After all he and Futaba had researched, they were still dragging their heels.  He was just as capable of leading the group as Akira was.  Just as useful as Futaba, Makoto, and the others.  Even more useful.  At least that's what he told himself.  What he forced himself to believe.  Otherwise, the alternative was to accept that he wasn't as valuable.  That he was less useful, the pet of the group.  All of what Ann saw him as.  He couldn't accept that.  There had to be more than this to his life.  Not just some talking furry pet that goes in a box.  He was so close.  All he needed was a chance.  And he was going to take it, no matter the cost.

"Looks like I don't belong here after all…" He sighed and turned to the group, now silent and watching him with hurt and offended expressions.  The cat merely turned his nose up at them.  "Well, this is goodbye!"

"Morgana, wait!" Ann cried.

"Don't turn your back on me."

The others blinked in surprise, turning to face Akira slowly.  His voice had undergone a complete tonal shift.  The weight of his words felt like tons of concrete, the anger and offense in his voice beyond palpable.

"We made an agreement as Phantom Thieves to stand by each other's sides no matter what.  We don't go into Palaces alone, and we go down together.  That's what you said, remember?  You made a promise along with the rest of us that we would stand together through thick and thin.  Through all of this." Morgana stood in silence before the door.  Glaring at his former leader through his peripheral.  Akira had curled his bottom lip up, locking his jaw.  The others recognized that expression on his face.  The low glower and furrowing of his brow as he glared at the cat.  "If you walk out of that door, then you've shown that your word means nothing.  If you walk out, then you've shown that you're a liar.  And I can't stand the idea of a friend lying to me.  So I suggest you consider your decisions  _very_  carefully…" The air had grown cold, with Ryuji taking a small step back from Akira.  His fists were clenched and stared at Morgana, unblinking.  Morgana stood in silence for a solid minute.  What felt like the longest sixty seconds in the world for the lot of them.  The world had seemed to stop at that moment while they awaited the feline's response.

"...See you." And like that, the cat descended down the stairs and out of sight.  The others softly gasped save Akira, who merely stared at the exit in subdued disbelief.  This single act of betrayal had rendered him speechless.  A loss for words not felt since the police apprehended him months ago.  Morgana was one of his best friends.  Like a brother.  And he had severed that bond right then and there.  Broken the link they had forged over their time together.  In that moment, all the air left his chest.  Ann looked over to Akira's unresponsive body.  Her blue eyes shimmered with hurt, on the verge of crying out of frustration.  Gingerly did he place her soft hand upon his left shoulder.  A soft frustrated sigh escaped Ryuji and drew her attention to him.  The blond sulked with his hands shelved in his pockets.

"I bet he's back in no time," he grumbled, before scuffing the floor with his shoe.  "Dammit!  Can you believe that guy?  What a dick!"

"Ryuji…" Ann warned, eyeing her boyfriend apprehensively.  The blond turned curiously to face her only for his blood to run cold at the sight of Akira staring at him.  A darkened expression of content on his face, eyelids half open.  A fierce judgmental scowl.  Ryuji gulped nervously as he knew what was coming.  Futaba ducked behind her laptop screen, and Yusuke stepped back towards the bed alongside Makoto.  Ann took hold of Akira's wrist and tried to soothe him with her touch.  They all recognized his state of being.  Makoto and Akechi had both been subjected to the wrath of Akira's venomous tongue lashing.  The blond gripped his shirt collar apprehensively.  Akira lifted his hand from Ann's grip and held his pointer finger and thumb together, pointing them at Ryuji.  His hand was trembling wildly, a fierce huff of air being sucked in through his nose.  His lips were pursed to a thin line.  Every second that ticked by made the weight feel all the more strenuous.  No doubt Akira was concocting the longest, most vile string of insults and swear at Ryuji's person that anyone had ever heard.  But all that left was a sigh.  A heavy gruff tired sigh.  His trembling hand slowed, and he closed his eyes.  A deep calming breath escaping him before he spoke.

"Dismissed." The lot of them looked positively stunned.  Ryuji uttered a sigh of relief, feeling a great weight lift off his chest.  By some grace of God had he been spared from Akira's verbal onslaught.  "Everyone go home and get some rest.  We'll talk about this tomorrow, perhaps.  Or maybe we'll take some time off from each other.  Who knows?" Soft sniffles drew their attention over to Futaba, still cowering behind the laptop screen.  Akira curiously ventured over to see her swiftly wiping her eyes.  The girl was crying.  Akira fell to his knee and gently patted her shoulder.  "Futaba, it's okay.  Don't cry."

"You're f-fighting," she sniffled, wiping her eyes.  "We're s-supposed to be f-friends." Akira pulled her in close, hugging her.

"It's alright, it's alright," he continued, his tone now soft and comforting.  Taking on a brotherly feeling that she had come to depend on.  "Morgana's clearly going through some things right now.  It doesn't excuse how he acted, but these things happen.  I'm sure we'll patch it up soon."

"B-but," she stammered, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.  "Y-you said by walking away, he was a liar.  I-Is he not our f-friend anym-more?"

"We'll fix this.  Just like we always do." All that was heard were her soft sniffles as she pulled him close, a couple of sobs escaping her.  The noise was muffled by his shirt, but her face flushed red at the embarrassment she felt.  This was the second time she had cried in front of Akira, with the first being when she got lost during an outing with him.  Even worse was doing it in front of the others.

"I don't wanna go home," Futaba confessed.  "I don't want Sojiro to see me like this."

"Umm…" Makoto stepped forward, a hand extended out.  "Maybe I should take Futaba out.  Walk around a bit.  Maybe get her some food." Akira nodded.  It would do her a lot of good to be out of this room.  She wasn't used to having friends or enduring conflict.  He couldn't imagine the sheer pain she felt watching this unfold.

"That sound good, Futaba?" he asked.  She nodded softly into his chest.  Akira reached to retrieve his wallet.

"I'll pay, Akira," Makoto said before gently patting Futaba's back.  "Come on.  Let's go.  Have some girl time." Futaba withdrew and gently embraced Makoto, who escorted her out of the room.  Ann gently wiped at her watering eyes, now on the verge of crying herself from seeing Futaba like that.  Ryuji glumly watched the two girls leave, feeling his heart sink.

"Dammit," he huffed lowly.  His gaze fell to the floor as he found it difficult to face the others.  "Today wasn't my best, was it?"

"No," Yusuke stated plainly.  "It wasn't.  You need to compose yourself better when it comes to Morgana." The blond shot Yusuke a look of agitation in return.

"Hey, he was the one talkin' shit-"

 _SNAP!_  

"Drop it."

The two boys turned to see Akira pointing at the both of them.  The snap of his fingers was almost deafening in how it echoed within the small room.  The judgmental sleepy glare on his face indicated it would be unwise to push this further.  Yusuke and Ryuji nodded in agreement, sheepishly apologizing for one another.  Akira sighed and glanced towards Yusuke.  "Get some rest, bud.  Maybe try and funnel this into some creativity for your painting." The artist smiled softly and nodded.  Even in times of great conflict did he possess some levity.  A trait that Yusuke had come to depend on to lead them through tough times.  The artist said his goodbyes to Ryuji and Ann before withdrawing.  Akira and Ryuji stood face to face, the latter rubbing his neck awkwardly.

"Hey, I'm… sorry about-"

"You know, Ryuji." Akira held a solitary finger up, wagging it at him.  Ryuji stiffened once more as he heard Akira's voice raise ever so slightly.  "I love you, you're like a brother to me, but you need to goddamn think before you speak sometimes.  I don't know when it happened or why, but this banter you and Morgana had going back and forth has clearly escalated from being simple teasing.  One of you took it and made it personal.  The both of you need to grow up and apologize to one another when we get Morgana back." Ryuji remained quiet in the face of his lecture.  It had never been supposed to get personal.  It was just playful jabs back and forth at one another.  Perhaps something he said had gone too far.  But Morgana had no room to treat him like that, especially in front of the others.  The cat had crossed a line of his own today.

"…Right," the blond said, nodding glumly.  His heart sank down with his pride into the pit of his stomach.  He hadn't felt this much of a heel since Kamoshida dissolved the track team, shouldering the blame for himself.  Akira's eyes shimmered with disappointment and frustration.  Ryuji had seen that look a couple of times in his past when he accidentally upset his mother.  It tore him apart to be on the receiving end of such a thing.  He let out a defeated sigh, feeling as though he had traversed the entirety of Mementos on foot for days.  "I'm sorry…" He was surprised to feel Akira embrace him tightly, gently patting him on the back.  The blond graciously returned the affectionate display.  It calmed his uneasy heart to know he had not severed their friendship.  He could never forgive himself if he drove Akira away.

"We all make mistakes," Akira said lowly.  "Believe me.  I'm no stranger to it myself." The two stepped back, Akira's hands on Ryuji's shoulders.  "But what happened today was unacceptable." Ryuji sighed and gave a reluctant nod of agreement.  "Now go home and get some rest.  Tomorrow's another day." The boys shook hands firmly before Ryuji descended down the stairs.  Akira let out a heavy sigh and sat upon his bed.  The boy ran his hands through his hair, rubbing his brow before his attention was stolen by a soft cough.  He looked up to see Ann standing awkwardly to the side.  "You're still here." She nodded and approached him tentatively.  Though he was masking it, Ann could feel the heartache and conflict raging within him.  He looked utterly exhausted from the argument.

"You know, Sojiro left a little while ago…" She rubbed her neck and fidgeted with her feet apprehensively as she tried to steer the mood to a more pleasant disposition.  Akira limply nodded, leaning on his hand.

"I'll lock up later." Ann chewed on the inside of her cheek in contemplation.  Definitely not the response she was going for.  But she would not be deterred by the detached state Akira was feeling.

"It's just us here, and I figured you could use some company after…" The blonde rubbed her forearm while she reflected upon today's events.  It had all gone by so fast, it was hard to believe it was only an hour.  Akira looked deeply tired.  More tired than she had ever seen him before.  Tired and beaten down.  "…Well, I just don't wanna leave you here by yourself, you know." Akira said nothing for a while, slumping forward to rest his wrists on his knees and let the uncertainty of his decision hang in the air.  Merely content to stare at the floor.  He licked his dried lips and let a soft sigh escape before he spoke.

"Would be nice." There it was again.  That low contemplative grit.  Dry and course, just the way she liked it.  The girl smiled sadly and took her place beside him on the bed, hugging his arm and resting her head upon his shoulder.  Akira leaned into her and gave a smile of his own.  A small semblance of comfort after the endurance round they had all been subjected to.  Akira reached up to rub his brow, running two fingers along his forehead.  "I thought Morgana would've improved with time away.  Now, it just seems like he's gotten worse."

"This rejection's hit him harder than we thought," she said.

"I don't think it's just the rejection, Ann.  There's a lot of insecurities at work here.  Between losing his jobs to Makoto and Futaba and being stuck in that cat form, this rejection is just the icing on the cake.  Or perhaps the last straw."

"I feel terrible." Ann leaned further into him, her lips formed into a sad pout.  They had such a great time in Hawaii a few days ago.  Now those days felt like a dream.  Akira brought a comforting arm around her.

"It's not your fault.  Morgana's issues are his own, and he needs to get his shit together.  I'm willing to help, but he needs to calm his ego.  And more important, apologize to Ryuji."

"I'll help him too," Ann said as she grazed two fingers against his cheek.  "He's my friend.  And I want to be by your side and help you too.  With anything you want." This prompted Akira to cup hers in return.  The blonde smiled before tackling her raven-haired lover back onto the bed.  She wrapped her arms around his neck and merely rested on the soft mattress beside him.  Akira giggled and turned to cuddle her close.  She rested her head against his chest as soft giggles escaped.  This all felt intensely therapeutic, the intimacy and lovingness they shared all alone in the coffee shop.  "Akira…" Her voice fell to a soft whisper, scarcely more audible than the coo of a dove.  "We all trust you.  Whatever happened to Morgana wasn't your fault either."

The room fell quiet, even the outside bustle of the city seeming to disappear.  Leblanc had never seemed this void of life before.  Akira gazed out through the windows in deep contemplation.  He had anticipated the Phantom Thieves would have a few bumps in their relationship eventually.  But he hadn't counted on it being this severe.  On one of them just leaving.  Especially not Morgana.  The back of his mind slithered with visions of who else might leave, his anxiety taunting him.  Perhaps Ryuji or Yusuke.  Worst of all was seeing Ann quit the team.  For a sliver had it appeared in the back of his eyes, but it was enough to spark great ire and apprehension in his heart.  Those blonde locks whipping around and the color fading as she disappeared into the distance.  Walking away into some dark miasma he couldn't identify.  The unknown, he surmised to himself.  "I would never turn my back on you.  You know that, right?" When he looked into those shimmering pools of blue, all he saw was concern for him.  Great care and unwavering love and loyalty.  With their eyes meeting did the intrusive thoughts fade away and the knot in his chest unwind itself.  Out of all the Phantom Thieves, Akira trusted her the most.  All that they had been through, all they had shared.  The laughter, tears, pain, and tender touches.  There was no way it could be for nothing.  He'd stake his life on it.  For her.  Now he began to feel quite silly for plaguing himself with such doubts.  The Phantom Thieves had had such close bonds, the likes of which were stronger than any metal he could surmise.  It was ludicrous to imagine they would walk away after so much.  They had one another's backs to the very end.

"Absolutely…" That dry masculine grit now resonated with a soft purr that tickled her chest, the girl hugging him with a slight giggle.  The way he let that growl hang at the back of his throat when thinking deeply or being intimate with her drove her wild.  Gently did she plant her lips upon his cheek, biting her bottom lip with a smile as she saw that twinge of pink rise on his cheeks.  A soft content sigh escaped from his exhausted form.  "I'll be by your side no matter what, Ann." The blonde snuggled him closely, resting her head upon his chest.  Her gaze met the silver irises gleaming at her longingly before darting away, her cheeks procuring a redness to him as the heat in her chest began to rise.

"I'd love that." It soothed his mind greatly that she understood him so.  Ann was his light, his anchor.  In the rare times that he doubted himself and what the Phantom Thieves stood for, his thoughts drifted to her.  Through all the things she had been subjected to, here she was.  Standing tall, confident, hopeful, and uncompromising.  In his eyes, the toughest woman in the world.

"Do you think we should go look for him?" Akira checked the time.  The screen of his phone showed it to be a rather warm night.

"It's pretty late.  We wouldn't have much time to search.  Plus, he could be anywhere by now." Ann meekly nodded, resting against his shoulder.  "Besides, maybe Ryuji is right.  Maybe he'll be back.  Might just need some time to himself is all.  To do… whatever people trapped in cat bodies do."

"I guess so…" Ann was not particularly certain about this situation.  Then again, neither was Akira.  But they had nowhere they could look, and Akira doubted Morgana was truly reckless enough to jump into a Palace alone.  Not to mention how bad it would look for the both of them if they were out when curfew came.  "And if he doesn't come back?" Akira thoughtfully chewed on his bottom lip as thoughts of the struggling cat invaded his mind.  The cat killer wandering around had been dealt with, but there were all the cars.  Though, Morgana was much too clever to be done in by moving traffic.  He knew what to avoid and where to traverse.  But very few were kind enough to feed and house a stray cat.  With no one to understand him, Morgana would no doubt grow very lonely.

"Then we go and find him.  After school.  Together." Ann softly yawned and leaned further into him.  It was all too tempting to close her eyes right then and there.  He was warm enough that she might fall asleep against him.  But there was no way she could stay without Sojiro catching wind that something was up.  Unbeknownst to her, he already did.  But the old man did like to play coy.  A notion Akira was thankful for.

"Don't stay up all night worrying, okay?  Try and get some sleep." Akira chuckled lowly and kissed her forehead, cushioning his head into her hair.  She knew him too well at this point.

"Yes, ma'am." Such a cordial response earned an amused giggle from his blonde lover.  "Goodnight, Ann. I love you."

"Love you too, baby…" He walked her out and reluctantly watched her depart.  What he wouldn’t give for that opportunity for her to stay the night.  Just the two of them snuggled up together in bed.  Perhaps he should’ve gone for it.  Asked her to stay.  But his heart wouldn’t have been fully into it.  He was still torn up about Morgana abandoning them.  The shafts of moonlight drifted in through the window.  A soft sigh escaped through his nose as he sat in utter silence, looking out of the small opening to the outside.  Tomorrow was going to be a long day indeed.

* * *

 

_I'm human… I have to be…_

_All right.  I've managed by myself before, and I can do it again now._

_I just need to take down Okumura before those guys do…!_

As Morgana was lying on the floor nursing his sore ribs, this bravado he had postured to himself upon leaving Akira and the others behind seemed to taunt him.  Barely having set his paws inside Okumura's Palace, and he was nearly on his last legs.

"I really messed up…" he huffed to himself, arms trembling as they held himself up.

"SHALL WE DISPOSE OF IT?"

"LEAVE IT BE.  WE DO NOT HAVE TIME TO WASTE ON A SOLITARY FELINE."

The two robotic shadows' voices only threw salt in his wounds.  Big red cylindrical cans vaguely appearing similar to some science fiction show from Britain Ann talked about frequently.  Akira had watched it with her a couple of times in the Leblanc attic.  Morgana made little sense of it himself, though.  Not only did he fail to defeat these shadows, but they didn't even deem him much of a threat.  Though he should've felt grateful, Morgana felt ashamed that the shadows only viewed him as an inconvenience.

 _Solitary feline?_  he thought to himself.  _N-no!  I'm a… a human…_  His small body burned with great pain as he struggled to his feet.

"Is this really… impossible… alone?" To talk so big, to make such grand promises.  His ego had landed him here, all alone in this unfamiliar pocket of the Metaverse.  Outnumbered, hopelessly and hilariously outgunned.  The former Phantom Thief could not believe all this was happening to him.  His ex-teammates refused to journey along with him, and now he was lying on the cold hard ground.  If he was to take down Okumura's Palace by himself, it would take nothing short of a miracle.  Though, if Akira and the others would here, they'd be much farther in at this point.  But he couldn't crawl back now with his tail between his legs.  Not after insulting Ryuji like that.  Not after seeing Ann and Akira's disapproving glares.  He needed to do this.  To push forward and claim the glory of Okumura's treasure.  So that he could prove once and for all just how useful he was.  That they needed him more than he did them.  And Ann would finally see him for the hero he truly was.  But how?

"How horrible…" Morgana's furry ears twitched, and he turned to investigate the source of the feminine voice.  A frail form stood obscured by shadow.  The faint silhouette of puffy hair could be faintly made out.

"What?" His eyelids were drooping, his arms growing weaker.  "I can't… s-see…" His strength was fading rapidly.  Now was he much more appreciative the robots had left him.  But he was left alone to whatever fate this mysterious woman had in store.  "Who's… there…?  Mas…ter…?" With his last breath did he slip into unconsciousness.  Morgana's limp form was scooped up into the tender arms of the woman, who carried him off into the shadows.  Away from Okumura's shadowy minions and the danger they represented. 

He just hoped that whoever the woman was happened to be a cat person.


	41. Line in the Sand

_9/14/17 – Wednesday_

As he had expected, Wednesday had proven to be a long day indeed.  Akira could barely pay attention in school, he was so fixated on Morgana.  None of the others had seen a hair of him around.  Futaba had promised to scour the area a bit while they were in school.  Though, the feeble girl had no such luck of her own.  Akira had gathered the others and dispersed them to search around town.  Sojiro merely advised him to await his return when he inevitably got hungry.  Akira envied his ignorance at times.  All after school until the sky began to grow dark, they searched with Akira nearly hounding them with each text to check any progress.  It was becoming more and more palpable that Morgana really had gone into Okumura's Palace on his own.  A very foolish venture, Akira surmised.  Morgana might be capable, but by no means did he possess the potential to take such a place down alone.  He would end up seriously injured.  Perhaps even dead.  It was far too late in the evening to organize an impromptu Palace infiltration.  They would head right on in tomorrow immediately after school.  No exceptions.

Akira stood before the urinal and cleared his mind as well as his bladder.  There was not a single place within reasonable distance Akira could imagine the cat could be.  It seemed he had well and truly vanished.  As he stood there relieving himself, he cursed Morgana's recklessness under his breath.  Had he learned nothing from the Reaper incident?  Were he to get himself hurt, Akira could never forgive himself.  Even more daunting was the possibility that he encountered the black masked vigilante operating in the Metaverse.  As to whether their mysterious culprit was behind the random mental shutdowns, he could not be certain.  But it was a possibility he had no desire to entertain.  The creak of an opening door drew his attention outward.  Who he saw approaching the open urinal beside him made his eyes twitch.

The business casual attire.  Black sports suit with white undershirt, no tie.  Bald with half-rimmed orange tinted glasses with a minor goatee on his chin.  Akira would recognize him through a crowd of millions in the blink of an eye.  The smug stench of superiority reeked even through the smell of a public men's restroom.  Still as slimy as the day he met him all those months ago.  On the street at night, hassling that woman into his car.  Face flushed from the surgence of alcohol in his system.  Even when sober, his egotism was pungent.  This is the third time they had met.  With all these Phantom Thieves escapades and their prior meeting at the Wilson Hotel, Akira knew this was no coincidence.  Something deep within his heart stirred, a dark billowing wave of vengeance.  A thirst to make this bastard pay for what he did to him.  To that woman.  To how many others he had wronged.  Whatever destiny Igor was helping Akira achieve, he suspected this man was tied to it.  And they would meet again when it was time to take his heart.

"Hmph." Akira snapped out of his dark glare to see the man side-eyeing him disdainfully.  "Take one of your "selfies" you youths love so much.  It'll last longer." The boy narrowed his silver eyes darkly at the man.  He seemed to have absolutely no recollection of him whatsoever.  As he expected.  This guy only sees others as a dollar sign or a mat to step on and wipe his shoes on.  Akira merely glanced back to the wall and continued his business.

"You got a lot of nerve showing your face here in public." The man merely raised an eyebrow ever so slightly, with subdued curiosity.

"Another aspiring critic of my policies, I bet," the man said while rolling his eyes.  "Don't you have some blog to vent to with the rest of the wannabe teenage rebels?  Spoiled bats.  Never satisfied with what your mommies and daddies buy you." The man zipped his fly and approached the sink, fervently washing the germs from his hands.  Bit of a neat freak, Akira noted.  Slowly did he turn his head to meet his, eyes narrowed.  "Wait... I recognize you…" Akira locked eyes with the older man.  The both of them shared a mutual fierce contempt for one another.  Though, he was completely unaware of how deep it went.  "You're that kid from the hotel.  With the loudmouth blondie." Akira huffed through his nose with agitation.  His arrest conveniently seemed to slip the man's mind.  Whether it be by choice or genuine ignorance mattered little to Akira.  With a clench of his fist, his knuckles popped.  What he wouldn't give to be able to put the bastard in his place.  "Never recalled they had set up a daycare section." Akira let out a dry mirthless laugh, zipping his fly while taking a step back from the urinal.

"From what I saw in there, it looked more like a retirement home for impotent old fucks." The man's eye twitched a bit at his impertinence.  It took all of his strength not to rip into him right then and there.  Though knowing his luck, the man would frame him for some other crime he didn't commit.  Then he'd be in juvenile hall, and everything the Phantom Thieves had fought for would go up in smoke.

"Smart mouth, huh?" the old man said, drying his hands with a paper towel.  "Your parents should teach you some manners."

"Funny coming from you," Akira shot back.  "Though I suppose what you'd judge to be "proper" manners would be trying to force a scared woman into your car while you flounder about like a drunk piece of shit." The man froze, the petty jab he had concocted going up in smoke.  Akira merely smirked smugly, walking to the sink as the man stepped aside.  He watched his surprised expression while he washed his hands.

"…What did you just say?" Akira said nothing, retrieving a paper towel to dry his hands before discarding the trash into the treasure.  As he made his way for the door, he stopped as the man continued to speak.  "Wait a minute.  I… I've seen you… before." Akira felt the cold stare from the man as he narrowed his eyes.  An intense sharp glare that would've sent shivers down the spine of lesser men.  "I know who you are…"

"Then know this." Akira gripped the door handle and turned, locking eyes with the man once more.  A bombastic speech of the importance of justice and the promise of bringing him to it.  A vicious tidal wave of insults.  Or even a simple punch to the face.  All these came to his head and more.  But as the smirk faded from his face, one simple idea came to him.  Short, sweet, to the point.  But it spoke volumes.  Would no doubt send ripples.  "Tread lightly."

"Are you… threatening me, boy?" The man licked his dried lips.  By no means intimidated by the youth.  But the idea of being talked down to in such a fashion greatly irritated him.

"What's the matter?" Akira taunted lowly.  His voice calculating, smooth.  A touch sinister.  "Scared of some kid?" He awaited no answer.  With grace and style did Akira stride out.  A confident smirk and swagger as he put distance between himself and the restroom.  Something told him he'd rest much easier tonight.  The man merely huffed and adjusted his jacket, running water over his fingers to lightly dab his brow with.

"Pah!" he scoffed, shaking his head.  "Damn brat…" Though, he couldn't help himself from glancing over to the door as he lightly preened his eyebrows.  Every few seconds he looked back over.  As though expecting him to burst right back in.  But he never did.  Though, the hairs tickling the back of his neck seemed to indicate this was far from their last meeting.

* * *

 

_9/15/17 – Thursday_

"The hell's up with this!?"

Try as he might, Ryuji stood no chance of opening the electronic door.  He was tough and quite hard-headed, but not even he could bludgeon through several tons of steel.

"Look at it," Ann groaned.  "There's no way we can force that thing open."

"Damn!" Akira swore softly, swinging his fist.  Barely a few feet inside Okumura's space station Palace and their progress had fallen laughably short.  And still no sign of Morgana.  He swung around, coattails flapping in the air to face Futaba.  "Think you can take a crack at it, Oracle?" Futaba sighed and placed her hands on her hips.

"No good," she said with a shake of her head.  "I might be good, but this is way beyond my level.  It's not like hacking technology in the real world.  Metaverse stuff is a lot more wonky." Akira snapped his fingers, resting a hand on his hip.  This had not at all been how he envisioned their next heist.  Stuck behind thick metal doors in a weird shiny robot factory minus one Morgana.  Needless to say, not his finest moment.  Ann folded her arms and looked remorsefully over to him.  She shared his sympathies with an understanding nod.

"We've hit a blockade quite early," Yusuke noted.  The artist folded his arms and glanced down at the ground in disappointment.  His disposition stung Akira's pride.  Through all his charm and determination, it was no good against a giant hunk of metal.  Their search for Morgana would be a rather short one.  "Will we have to control the real Okumura's cognition to pass?"

"Like how?" Ann asked.  "Sending a calling card?"

"Might be the only way," Ryuji replied, clicking his heel upon the metal chrome floor.  "Ain't like we can't just walk up to the guy and meet him."

"I'm not sure how much I like that idea," Akira said, rubbing his neck.  "We still haven't found the treasure yet.  And like Mona said, we only get one shot at grabbing it. Afterwards, she's gone." Ann chewed on the inside of her cheek in contemplation.  The fact Okumura had a Palace was proof of something much more nefarious at work.  As to the extent of it, they could not surmise just yet.  Though the treatment of his employees as robots and the foul rumors surrounding his trade secrets and dirty dealings with other businessmen did little to quell the uneasiness they felt.

"Maybe it won't come to that." Their attention shifted to Makoto, now taking the floor.  "Think about it.  If we can't get past, then that means Mona hasn't been able to proceed any further either.  So if he's here in the Palace, he would have to be somewhere before this door." A sudden spark of realization hit Akira, who then glanced over to Ann with a hopeful smile.

"Queen, you're a fucking genius," he stated, causing Makoto's cheeks to pinken just a hair.  Akira began pacing before them, the gears in his head starting to turn.  Ann gazed at him with such admiration as she watched his mind go to work.  His mannerisms when in deep contemplation were so fascinating.  "So we haven't progressed that far inside.  All we gotta do is retrace our steps – maybe split up into some small groups – and cover where we haven't been on this side." He clapped his hands and spun around, admiring his trenchcoat more.  Just when he thought he had gotten over his favorite fashion statement, it quickly captivated him again.  As did Ann's, though for different reasons.  "Take it to the bank, boys.  We got this!" Akira spun around and began leading them down the hall with newfound vigor in his footsteps.  With their limited range of operations, it shouldn't be too hard to find Morgana.

"Halt, vigilante!" The lot of them stopped dead in their tracks as ordered, scanning the room for the whereabouts of the mysterious voice.

"Who the fuck?" Akira hissed beneath his breath, reaching for his desert eagle.  With one finger he spun it around.  Even after so long, he still had not lost his touch.  A facet he took pride in.  Makoto, Ann, and Yusuke nursed their firearms while Ryuji gently patted the heavy bat in his hands.  Someone else was here.  After all they had seen, the connotations of another presence were not to be taken lightly.  Though where they were hiding, Akira couldn't determine.  The room was plain and open, with the Phantom Thieves occupying the large space before the door.  There was no way to even remotely get the drop on them from ground level.  Too much exposed space, and too many of them.

"Up there!" Ann's finger pointed to a figure cloaked in shadow, standing on a box stored atop a metal shelf.  From above.  He had no counted on an intruder sneaking up to them from above.  Akira narrowed his eyes to further make out the mysterious intruder's silhouette.  The most he could make out was a feathered hat.

"Wh-who's that!?" Ryuji whispered, rearing his bat back.

"Keep it together," Akira muttered lowly as he stopped his pistol.  Like Iwai taught him, he maintained his trigger discipline.  Though he hoped this was the extent of what he would have to use his gun for today.  With a clack did he raise his gun, pointing it in her direction.  Akira felt the left corner of his mouth curl as he saw the woman flinch in the shadows.  "Come on out and show yourself!  No funny business, got me?  Alive or dead, it's your choice." Though Akira had no true intention on shooting her, lest she shot first.  He was a Phantom Thief, not a murderer.  Of course, she didn't need to know that.  Ever so tentatively did the girl emerge, causing the lot of them to mutter amongst themselves.

"Those clothes…" Makoto whispered.  "Could she be…?"

"There's no doubt in my mind what she is…" Akira narrowed his eyes with cold, calculating intent.  Ann eyed him and gulped, tugging at her latex neckline apprehensively.

"You mean…?" Gravely did he nod, a low deliberate action that made the air grow cold.

"Plain as day… she's a fashion disaster." With one phrase did all the tension immediately dissipate.  Beneath the feathered hat was curly light auburn hair, no doubt soft to the touch from what could be perceived.  The rest of the outfit, Akira found questionable.  A pink blouse, puffy maroon bloomers, and a black corset with pantyhose to match.  Not entirely a stealthy outfit in his opinion.  And it contrasted quite heavily from their aesthetic.  Akira rested his hands upon his hips, shaking his head at her.  The others stood side-eyeing him with perplexed looks.  Fashion was a bit of a peculiar topic to fixate on, but in typical fashion he at least kept things light-hearted with his jests.  He was the Joker for a reason, after all.  The woman gave a scoff and leaned her hands on her hips, scowling down at him.

"What's wrong with my clothes?" she protested.  Akira raised an eyebrow at her, mouth slightly agape in complete loss.

"You look like you're going to a Renaissance Fair, not infiltrating a Palace." Ryuji stifled a few snickers, a greatly amused grin on his face.  Yusuke held a palm to his mouth to suppress the soft laughs threatening to escape.  His eyes traversed down her form as he tried to make sense of her uniform before pointing at her legs.  "And what the hell are those pants?"

"They're called bloomers," the woman said, earning a wry amused smile from Akira.

"You look like you're wearing a goddamn diaper." This jest seemed to really get under her skin as she pouted and scouted back at him indignantly.  Now Ryuji was chuckling audibly, which started to get Akira going.

"They're Victorian and very fashionable as well as comfortable!" the woman pouted.  As the boys continued laughing, her cheeks flushed brightly underneath her mask.  She looked over to her partner within the shadows, his presence unknown to the intruders.  The equipment stored upon the racks masked his presence perfectly.  Finally, his short stature paid off.  " _This isn't working!  They're laughing at me!_ " Her soft whispers of protest and the Phantom Thieves' insults made him feel humiliated.  Though he took some gratitude in being obscured in the darkness and out of perceivable range.

" _Keep going!_ " he whispered back.  His partner continued to stand her ground despite the heat rising on her neck and the butterflies in her stomach.  The two boys kept laughing at her expense, oblivious to the inner workings of what was occurring above them.

"Guys, we should focus on something a bit more important.  _Like her mask!_ " Akira's laughter swiftly subsided as he took note of Ann's observation.  Nestled on her face was an opera mask, similar to his.  The edges were much rounder, and it was solid black.  "Could she be the one Madarame and Kaneshiro were talking about!?" As quick as it had dissipated, the tension had returned.  She had the costume, the mask, and somehow was able to get inside without their aid.  If she truly was who they had been searching for, then this girl was not to be underestimated.  Perhaps the elegant and colorful appearance was a ruse meant to lure the enemy into a false sense of security.  Perhaps it was Akira's paranoia at work.  But if this were the case, very clever on her part.

"So…" Ryuji tightened his grip around the handle of his rustic baseball bat.  "She's the reason for all those people goin' brain dead!? It was a girl this whole time!?" Akira clicked the hammer back on his desert eagle, the sound echoing rather loudly in the metal room.

"Are you the one who has been following us!?" Yusuke questioned.

"Say something, dammit!" Ryuji spat.  The woman took a small step back, leaning towards the shadowy corner her partner resided in.  The more they pressured her, the higher the fluttering in her stomach rose.  She hadn't expected an interrogation from half a dozen people in this peculiar realm.  And her partner was not being helpful in the slightest.

" _What do I say?_ " she whispered frantically.  " _Help me!  They're all watching!_ " Her companion sighed deeply and started waddling forward.

" _Do I have to do everything?_ " he asked with annoyance.  This had not been how he intended their reunion to go.  He was supposed to be sitting on a pile of yen after dethroning the corrupt Okumura and rendering his Palace to dust.  Not having his assistant bumble about and make him look foolish.  He reared back and let out a taunting cackle, watching the lot of them down below dart all around as they surveyed the room.

"Wha?  Huh?!" Ann tautened the whip in her hand, taking a step to Akira's side.

"Oh, great!  More?!" Ryuji was getting more and more agitated by the minute.  The blond swung his bat into a nearby trash can, causing the side to crumple in from the impact.  "Come on out and show yourself!"

" _How many more do you think there are, Joker?_ " Makoto whispered as she nursed the pistol in her hands.  Akira said nothing, his gun still pointed at the woman above.  His silver eyes narrowed in suspicion and contempt.  Even in all this commotion, he would not allow her to escape without a fight.  And he was gonna give her one.

"Enough of your misunderstandings!" With a gallant stride did he emerge to take his place at his companion's side.  A smug smirk dripping with an inflated ego emanated from his compact little form.  Akira did a double take as this second intruder revealed himself.  Gingerly did he lower his gun, mouth agape.  Black furry body, white tipped tail, stubby paws.  Sure enough, Makoto had been right.  He had been on the other side with them like she surmised.  Were it not for his mystery companion, Akira would've been a lot happier and less confused to see him.

"Mona!" Futaba cradled her chest and smiled with great relief as Morgana stood atop the shelf.  Completely unharmed as they all had hoped.  Ann's heart swelled with joy upon witnessing him in one piece.  And in the Palace too.  With him, they could finally get the group back together as it was always meant to be.

"You're okay!" she cried, smiling graciously at him.  The cat felt his heartstrings being tugged at from the sheer joy and relief in her voice.  It seemed she had truly missed him.  Perhaps time away had made her see what she truly had been missing all along.  That he was the dashing knight he always claimed to be.  Maybe he could convince her to change sides.  Follow him instead of Akira.  Akira.  There he was, standing at the front of the group.  Hands shelved in his trenchcoat pockets as he analyzed the both of them with those pristine silver eyes of his.  The eyes that he once regarded as friendly now seemed to taunt him.  To question his leadership.  He needed to play it cool.  Cooler than even the Joker was capable of.  As such, Morgana folded his arms and cocked his head aloofly to the side.

"Long time no see, Panther," she said with an apathetic scoff.

"Uhh, it hasn't been that long," Ryuji noted.  Morgana's eyes twitched at the blond's comment.  Just when he thought he had the perfect line, the rug had once more been stolen out from under him.  The only comfort he garnered was that it had at least not been Akira that had deflated his ego.

"I-Irrelevant!" the cat spat, placing his paws upon his hips.  With his head tilted upwards did he gaze down disdainfully at them.  "If you came for the Treasure, you should just go home with your tail between your legs.  Akira narrowed his eyes, a low huff escaping his nostrils.  Morgana was dedicated to this little lone ranger charade, it seemed.  Though who this other masked vigilante was and how he roped her into this escaped him still.

"Actually, we were looking for you," Yusuke stated.  Morgana had started to continue his monologue before slowing to a halt, ears twitching as he processed the artist's words.

"You… came for me?"

"Yes." All eyes fell upon Akira, drawn to his presence by the sternness and disdain in his voice.  "We all came in here for you.  You know.  Our friend?  The friend that had promised to stand by us through thick and thin, no matter what?  The friend who promised to uphold the virtuous code of the Phantom Thief, never growing conceited and staying loyal to his companions?" The others winced uncomfortably as Akira made this more and more personal.  Though, after all that had transpired, none of them could inherently blame him.  "The friend who told me they believed in me, that they trusted me and valued my leadership?  Remember?" Morgana clenched his furry fist with each word Akira uttered.  The contempt and ire in his voice stung like icy daggers nipping at his flesh.

"Enough!" The cat turned to face his companion, who wore visible discomfort upon her face.  This had not at all how she planned her week to pan out.  Morgana felt his heart surge with panic as he saw her vindication faltering.  If she ditched him, this would truly be the lowest point in his life.  For the sake of saving face, he had to keep boasting.  "The Treasure will be taken by me and this…" As his eyes scanned up top to bottom, Akira's words began to take weight, much to the cat's chagrin.  Her aesthetic wasn't entirely in line with his own.  In fact, theirs clashed significantly.  His predominant black with her bright and floral coloration.  At the very least, she was at least beautiful.  Beautiful and ready to help him steal the Treasure.  "This… this Beauty Thief!"

" _Wh-wha?_ " The newly christened Beauty Thief watched him with great apprehensiveness.  So much was happening so fast, and she could hardly keep up.  And Morgana had no plans on letting her catch up.

" _Go with it!_ " he whispered lowly.  The cat was cobbling this plan together as they went along.  Improvisation was a key tactical advantage on the battlefield.  Something that Akira demonstrated plenty of times in Palaces and Mementos.  But from the looks upon the Phantom Thieves' faces, Morgana knew his gamble had not paid off.  The cat's ears drooped glumly in response.

"Beauty Thief?" Makoto questioned, squinting at the two high above with a perplexed look.  Akira tilted his head to the side and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You've gotta be kidding me," he muttered lowly while shaking his head.  It was hurting him more and more the further Morgana dragged this out.  The sheer fremdscham he was experiencing was enough to almost put him in traction.  Morgana's claws twitched as he watched Akira from above.  He was losing him the longer this conversation went.  How easy it would be to run deeper into the Palace and leave him behind, but he needed to get through to him.  Touch some sort of nerve and put him in his place.  To prove he wasn't useless and just as capable, if not more.

"I'll have you know she's a Persona-user too!" he declared, smirking smugly at the various looks of shock and surprise upon their faces.  The Phantom Thieves looked to Akira, who was just as lost as they were.

" _Could he be bluffin'?_ " Ryuji asked, voice lowered to a whisper.

"Doubtful," Akira said lowly, eyes still fixated upon his former ally.  That satisfied look of contempt upon his face as he glared down at them.  He truly had no idea what he was subjecting them to.

" _Hey, help me out here_ ," Morgana said, nudging her leg with his elbow.  His assistant chewed on her bottom lip tentatively as she thought over her response to them.  After their jests and comments, she needed to save face before them.  And before Morgana too.

"Yes!" she cried, a hand held to her breast.  "My name is Beauty Thief!" Akira had to hand it to Morgana.  He had never seen a person manage to shift the tone so rapidly in the span of a single conversation.  From serious tenseness to awkward bumbling.  Morgana winced, side-eyeing the Beauty Thief with pain.  Her voice trembled from the nervousness she felt.  Now everyone could sense their lack of conviction.

"She really called herself that…?" Ann muttered, blinking in contempt.  "I am so embarrassed for her." Yusuke sighed, hands on his hips as he shook his head.

"Any tension that was in the air has just gone out the window…"

"Like I said before: Mona lacks tact."

"I never thought we'd find a codename that was worse than Kitty Woman," Ryuji said, rubbing his neck.  The boy felt his insides lurching from the amount of cringing he did on Morgana's behalf.  "Congrats, I guess…" Akira let out a deep heavy sigh, face buried into his palm.

"I swear to fucking God…" Another heavy sigh of frustration burst forth, generated by his attempts to process what was happening.  From how clownish he deemed Morgana to be acting, Akira could have believed they were in a circus.  "Mona, get down here.  This is getting absurd." Morgana and the Beauty Thief leapt from the top shelf and descended swiftly to the floor.  On silent soft paws did the cat descend while his feminine assistant graciously flipped forward before falling to one knee, back foot sliding to maintain the balance and equilibrium from her jump.  Akira gave her credit: she knew how to make an entrance.  The Beauty Thief tipped her hat and pointed at them as she posed in unison with Morgana, paws upon his hips with a smug grin.

"We will take the Treasure!" she declared.  Morgana nodded at her with a wink.  Now she was getting into it.  With luck, he could whip her into shape just yet.

"Mona already said that…" Futaba muttered.  The cat felt the heat rise up on his furry neck.  Under Akira, their snarky comebacks and one-liners always hit their mark.  But standing opposite him, the cat seemed to be struggling to maintain the suave sophistication and wit he once had.  Beauty Thief eyed Morgana, taking a step behind him.  Now meeting at eye level, she felt her stage fright growing.

" _Wh-what do we do now?_ " she whispered.  Morgana's tail twitched as his mind raced frantically to keep the witty banter going.  Some hard edge to gain the advantage over Akira.

" _I dunno,_ " he admitted, tapping his paw.  " _Try something!  Just wing it!_ " Beauty Thief's jaw hung open while Morgana continued tapping.  The mood was growing increasingly awkward, and she just wanted to disappear.  Her eyes fixated upon the man at the front.  The leader, she presumed.  His stylish attire and commanding relaxed atmosphere.  Even just standing there with his hands in his pockets, he resonated such sophistication and elegance.  Like he had everything figured out.  He was the one she needed to reach.  To impress the most.  Swiftly did she point at him, staring intensely through her black mask.

"You are not qualified to be Phantom Thieves!" she declared boldly, mustering as much courage as she could under Akira's gaze.  Morgana studied the crowd for any sort of reaction.  The others merely blinked in confusion, exchanging perplexed glances here and there.  " _Was that good?_ "

" _Keep going,_ " Morgana encouraged, nudging her leg.  " _I think we can make this work!_ "

 _This oughta be good_ , Akira thought to himself.  A flat bemused expression sat on his face, obscured by the white mask framing his features.  And here he was without a chair to pull up for this impromptu show.  Beauty Thief cleared her throat and continued monologuing at them.  Surprisingly managing to maintain some steadiness in her voice.

"Do you even understand what it means to be a Phantom Thief?  An admirable thief is…"

"Yeah!  Tell them!" Morgana declared with a wicked grin.  Her speech sent his spirit soaring.

"An admirable thief is… is… um…" Morgana waved his paw in a circular fashion, urging her to continue.  Truth be told, the girl didn't imagine she would get this far.  But she couldn't back down after her bold declaration.  Not with their leader awaiting her.  "You!" Her hand darted out, a finger fixated upon Yusuke, of all people.  "What do you think it means!?" The artist did a double take from her perplexing choice of questioning.

"Me?" Beauty Thief opened her mouth to speak, but the words began fumbling upon themselves before they could even leave.  This combined with the masked man staring at her expectantly only rendered her all the more flustered.

"Learn to take a hint!" she spat, tipping her hat over her eyes to avoid eye contact.  Yusuke stammered hopelessly in an attempt to figure out her intent before her gaze fixated on another.  "And you!" This time, Ryuji was the target of her verbal onslaught.  Though, the blond's loose aloof posture seemed to indicate his lack of serious attention to her.  A notion that burned her good.  "You're very…" Morgana tugged at her bloomers and waved her down, whispering softly into her ear.  " _Ooh, that's good!_ " Beauty Thief cleared her throat and fixated her steely gaze upon him.  "You're very vulgar… and very stupid!"

"What?" Ryuji barked, more confused than angry.  She gave him no quarter to response and move on to her next target: Ann.  The two girls met eyes before Beauty Thief felt herself faltering.  With a sheepish wince did she defer to Morgana once more.

" _What was it again?_ " she whispered.  Morgana merely placed a paw upon his round face, shaking his head in exasperation.  They had lost them, completely and utterly.

"You came all the way here just to say that?" Makoto asked dryly.

"I dunno…" Ryuji mounted his gloved hands upon his hips, leaning back on one heel.  "It kinda feels like she ain't dangerous at all." Morgana and Beauty Thief exchanged uncomfortable glances, sweats manifesting upon them as the proverbial spotlight blared down.  Akira was more suited to these kinds of impromptu warnings and speeches, causing the cat to shake his head.  Mentally, he swore at himself for constantly comparing what Akira would do.  He was in charge here, not him.

"We  _WILL_  take the Treasure!" Beauty Thief declared, tipping her hat and pointing at them once more.

"You already said that…" Futaba muttered.  Akira placed a solitary hand on his waistband and turned, shaking his head at his team.

"This is a waste of my fucking time…" Panic seized the cat's soul as he heard Akira's muttering.

"Wait!" he piped up, ears twitching wildly.  "I'll fix this!  I…" As he saw Akira gaze at him with contempt, Morgana felt his soul flare up.  There was no way he would fizzle out in front of them.  In front of him or Ann.  "We don't have time to chat!"

"Y-yeah!" Beauty Thief encouraged, hand resting upon her belt.  "Enough with the idle chit-chat!"

"You started it…" Ann muttered, fiddling with her right twintail.

"Mona, who the hell is she?" Ryuji questioned.  Akira seemed nonplussed and eyed the room they had entered in before.  Perhaps another entrance could be found with a little parkour and stealth.  It certainly beat Morgana's inane attempts at standing aloof.

"Hey!  Don't turn your back on us!" Beauty Thief pointed towards Akira, narrowing her eyes at him.  "You still haven't answered my question!  What do you think it means to be a Phantom Thief?"

" _Ooh, good idea!_ " Morgana whispered.  " _Press Joker!_ " The boy in black sighed heavily before turning back to face them.  A slow, deliberate, and reluctant turn that sent his trenchcoat flowing behind him.  Akira cracked his knuckles and took center stage before the Phantom Thieves.  From the look in his eyes, it certainly seemed he had quite enough of this charade.

"Fine.  You wanna know what makes a Phantom Thief?" His tone of voice signified complete annoyance at all this.  Morgana's resistance, her floundering, the lack of progress in infiltrating the Palace.  Without a doubt, Akira was absolutely done at this point.  "What makes a Phantom Thief is not something you find in a rulebook.  There's no instruction manual on how to be like we are, do what we do.  It is an ability, a drive possessed only by few.  Those gifted with a strong sense of justice and the power to make it a reality.  A Phantom Thief stands for the betterment of an unjust society, to fight the battles on unconventional terms.  Do what the common man cannot on their own.  When the law and justice are hindered, that's where we come.  To punish corrupt teachers that sexually exploit students who hide behind their legacies, having their misdeeds covered up by authority figures put in charge to protect them.  Ours is to punish artists who plagiarize the works of their students, turning their galleries into sweatshops and shame any opposition into silence, driving the ones that trusted to the point of despair and suicide.  Ours is to watch the streets and sweep the scum in the shadows that traffic the young and extort the poor where the police can't.  Ours is to delve deep into the plethora of information buried in the background radiation of our world, to oust those who threaten the livelihoods and wallets of the innocent.  Through thick and thin, for better or worse, for any and all.  We made a promise to stand by one another and protect the people of this city.  To punish the wicked and corrupt by making them confess their sins to the world, letting the law seal them away where they can exploit no one ever again.  Believing in the greater good, standing up to the evil and the wicked, and protecting those that cannot defend themselves from harm.  No matter the cost.  _THAT_  is what it means to be a Phantom Thief.  A Phantom Thief does  _NOT_  let their pride stand in the way of the greater good, of the unity and cooperation of the team.  A Phantom Thief does not concern themselves with their ego, with the love and adoration of an unwitting public desperate for results and protection.  Justice and the protection and safety of the innocent is its own reward.  Not the praise heaped on by the public.  No to be lauded as a hero by starstruck women you desperately want the attention of.  And certainly not to line your pockets with money to compensate for your lack of self-esteem and to get fat off.  Being hyped up because of the popularity is fine, but getting conceited over it is unacceptable.  _THAT'S_  what we agreed on when we became the Phantom Thieves."

A cold uncomfortable silence filled the room as both partied stood stunned.  The tension was thicker than it had ever been between the two of them.  Morgana could swear that Akira's eyes shined so fiercely, he would incinerate the mask on his face.  Ann's mouth hung agape ever so slightly as she stared at him in pure amazement.  There was so much power in his words, in his stance.  An unmovable object, unbreakable and steadfast if there ever was one.  His head was tilted upwards, better accentuating the disapproving glare he administered to Morgana. 

"Or at least that's how it used to be.  Seems  _someone_  has forgotten…" Disappointment.  Contempt.  Pain.  Spite.  Anger.  All hung deeply in Akira's voice.  Within the scowl baring down upon Morgana.  His tirade had cut rather deep, making the cat uncertain whether to back down or fire back.  His assistant seemed equally astonished by the sheer resonance and passion within his voice.  There was not an ounce of apprehension detected as he stood his ground.  He really did what it meant to be an admirable thief.  Better than she did, anyhow.  Perhaps this was a mistake.  Maybe the both of them should ally.  It would make their cause all the easier, and this Joker seemed to be the most capable of the bunch.  But her pride – what little of it seemed to remain after fumbling over herself – wouldn't allow her to back down.  She had staked too much with Morgana to lose face in front of the both of them.

"Well… we're not afraid of you!" she claimed, planting a foot upon the floor.  Morgana gave her an approving nod, standing his ground alongside her.  "We will be the ones taking the Treasure-"

" _I don't give two shits about the goddamn Treasure!_ " Beauty Thief and Morgana flinched, backing away a bit from the sheer ferocity of his statement.  Even his cohorts were caught off-guard by his yelling.  "The Treasure was never what was important!  It was a means to an end!  The real priority was always to help the innocent and purify their wicked hearts!  Not line your pockets with fat stacks of yen!  I'd still be doing this even if my pockets were empty!  Is that seriously your primary concern, Mona?" The cat and the Joker locked eyes, and it felt as though sparks would fly between the two of them upon contact.  "Wealth and recognition?  Is that all this is about?" Morgana huffed and shook his head, determined to not let Akira get the better of him again.

"Your mind games won't work on me!  We'll be the ones to take the Treasure and be the heroes this time!  All you can do is ride on our coattails!"

"We came here to find you!  Not steal the Treasure!  Because you're our friend!  And that's what friends do!  Look out for each other and come running to help them out when they're worried about their safety!  Remember?" Morgana huffed and strode over to the electronic door with Beauty Thief.  This conversation had lingered longer than his liking.  As the girl stood before the door, the neon readout began to authenticate her presence.  Morgana stood with his paws on his hips, tapping impatiently.

"No point," Ryuji said.  "It won't open." The blond was ignored as the two awaited the results.

"So you're gonna turn your back on me again, huh?" Akira continued, taking a step towards the both of them.  "Was everything you promised just a lie?  Only a truth when convenient for you?  We made a promise to finish this together, and you turned your back on us.  You abandoned us-"

"Are you finished?" Morgana spat back.  Akira glared daggers through the cat, who didn't even bother to turn and face him.  Merely eye him through his peripheral.  "This isn't about you anymore.  This is about me proving my greatness.  If you're not gonna have my back, then you can watch it as I walk away.  I have Beauty Thief now, and we'll eclipse all of you.  I'm not some prisoner in a cage anymore, depending on your help to get free.  Don't you get it?" Morgana turned and boldly pointed a paw directly at Akira.  His blue eyes burned intensely as he stood his ground.  Now it was his turn to lay the law down.  " _I don't need you anymore!_ "

The Phantom Thieves all felt a shiver run down their spines as they heard the soft gasp.  The harrowing chill of a man caught completely off-guard.  The look upon his face as it went pale.  His jaw hung slightly agape.  His faltering stunned heartbeat and the great void starting to cave in his chest.  Ann's heart ached as she saw him.  For once in his life, Akira had been rendered speechless.  His clenched fist now dangled limply at his side, any and all tension and fight knocked out of him like the wind escaping his gut after a good blow.  Akira's vision began to haze over as he drifted back in time within his mind.  To his return to school and shouldering the burden of the news and rumors surrounding him.  The ones he used to call friends had turned their backs to him.  His name was a stain on their lips, a spot of the room to avoid.  Only a few days ago, he had been a friend.  Now he was a mere stranger receiving the cold shoulder.  How fickle teenage hearts were to turn upon those he once held with reverence.  A great betrayal that cut deep into his chest.  Such a feeling was unfortunately nothing new to him.  But not like this.  Not of this intensity.  His lungs struggled to take in air, his body screaming as though he had been stabbed.  How a person could look him in the eyes and stab him in the back was beyond him.  But Morgana did it.  He got him.

Morgana swiftly turned his gaze around to face the door, tapping his paw with even more impatience.  Finally, he had gotten the best of Akira.  Rendered him speechless and swept the floor.  The spotlight shined firmly upon him.  That smug calculating cat-like smirk had been firmly wiped off his face.  So why did it feel so wrong?  This was what he wanted, wasn't it?

_ACCESS GRANTED._

"Don't underestimate us," the cat said flippantly.  He continued staring at the door, awaiting it to finally open so he can put considerable distance between himself and the Phantom Thieves.  It was now painfully awkward at this point.  The door slid open, and he and Beauty Thief were greeted by the dome-shaped robots and gloating metallic orbs.  Okumura's shadow security force stood in full attendance.  Morgana and Beauty Thief tentatively stepped back as the machines slowly closed in.

"Here they come!" Yusuke cried.  Beauty Thief prodded and harassed Morgana for some kind of plan.  Any plan.  He hissed at himself under his breath.  To come so far, make such bold statements, only to be hindered by the shadows that had given him much trouble.  One step forward, two steps back.

"Snap out of it!" he told her.  "We need to go!"

* * *

 

The hasty retreat from Okumura's Palace had not been either party's finest moment.  Morgana and Beauty Thief had split off from the Phantom Thieves and made their own way out.  The group had convened in Akira's room atop Leblanc once more, reflecting over the day's incidents.  The mystery of this Beauty Thief was gnawing at the back of their heads as the group attempted to discern her identity.  Makoto had a brief hunch that this girl was someone around school.  As to where, the student council president could not directly determine.  They all conversed deeply over her potential identity, all save one.  Akira glowered darkly at the Risette poster on his wall.  It provided a target for him to focus upon as he brooded.  The poster might be right before his eyes, but in his head was the face of Morgana.  The cat had gotten the better of him this day.  His arms trembled from the pain and anger he felt.  It made him physically sick to his stomach, the boy wondering if he was gonna vomit.  His forehead was cold, but his neck was hot and burning.  A hormonal imbalance struggling to maintain composure.  When he had freed Morgana from the cage inside Kamoshida's Palace, when the cat had reached out to them upon the Shujin roof.  They had made a pact, an oath of brotherhood as Phantom Thieves.  They were supposed to stand by one another as friends and allies.  Akira had taken Morgana into his very home.  Fed him, groomed him, gave him shelter to sleep in.  His partner-in-crime, confidant, and tactician.  It all now felt like a dream.  Akira questioned himself as to whether this had always been the case or not.  To stop the wicked and cruel, to uncover the mystery of Morgana's state.  That was what they had promised to one another.  Now he had found another.  Had everything they had discussed?  The secrets they posed, the bonds they made?  The laughs and worried shared?  Was it all a lie?

"He's taking this really hard," Yusuke murmured softly, watching their leader with his arms poised behind his back facing the poster.

"Morgana and Akira had a close bond.  They were like roommates," Ryuji said, glancing glumly down towards his feet.  "Bros, even.  Morgana crossed a line."

"That was cruel what he said," Futaba said, sluggishly shuffling her feet.

"I've never seen something hit him that hard before," Ann noted, a hand clutching her heart.  Her beloved's face appeared of stone.  Stoic and detached from all that was happening.  Akira had taken Morgana's disappearance the hardest out of all of them.  She couldn't imagine how badly it stung to be disregarded so flippantly by a friend you searched hard and long for.  Lost sleep over.  "It breaks my heart."

"Did Mona… betray us?" The question hung awkwardly in the air, with Futaba immediately regretting even asking it.  It hurt to even imagine or consider that the fluffy loveable friend had left them out to dry.

"I don't think so," Makoto said with a curt shake of her head.  As student council president, it fell to her to keep the spirits up.  Positive self-esteem was imperative to the development of healthy teenagers, after all.  "If he had, it'd make more sense for him to directly threaten us, such as exposing our identities."

"It wasn't a betrayal of our identities." The room grew quiet as all attention fixated on Akira.  The troubled boy had regained his voice, though his tone seemed to indicate it was not under pleasant conditions.  "It was a betrayal of what we stood for.  We made a deal, a pact.  And he turned his back on us.  All of us.  Our struggles, sacrifices, fears, burdens." He scoffed and attempted to spit before halting himself, remembering not to sully the wooden floor.  "Wrote us all off.  Not only that, but he replaced us with someone else.  As though we had never existed.  Never shared and struggled alongside one another." On account of their bond, it wasn't too unimaginable that Akira would take it the hardest.  But it was still unbelievable to witness the reality before them.  Their unshakeable Joker, brave and fearless even in the face of overwhelming opposition.  He had been wounded.  His pride, his heart.  Cut deeper than any weapon could feasibly attempt.  "He lied to us.  He betrayed us.  And if there's anything I can't stand worse than a liar, it's a  _traitor_." Morale descended to an all-time low.  Akira had always been a beacon of confidence and hope.  To see him in such a demoralized state, to see such anger and pain wash off him.  It was wrong, perverse.  Like some sort of social taboo was in effect.  Ann's lip trembled as she bore witness to his darker side.  She knew full and well Akira dwelled on his mistakes and struggled with anxiety.  But this was something else entirely.  A seething embittered pain the likes of which she had only felt since watching Kamoshida be brought to his knees.  But never had a friend caused her such duress before in all her life.  Shiho would never do anything like that to her.  And neither would Akira.

"Akira…" Futaba said somberly, eyes falling to her knees.

"We can't let this stop us," Makoto said, eyes pleading for Akira to see reason.  "I think Morgana can be reasoned with.  We just need to determine the Beauty Thief's identity, and she can lead us to him." Akira rubbed a finger against his chin as he mulled the situation over.  The turmoil of negative emotions boiled in him like a bubbling stew.  He wasn't sure how he felt about Morgana anymore.  But he was still in danger on his own, as was the Beauty Thief he paraded alongside him.  Plus, they stood no sense of entering the Palace on their own.  This girl possessed something that let her wander inside.

"…Alright." Makoto sighed with relief from how willing Akira was to listen to reason and cooperate.  How well he and Morgana would work alongside one another when they brought him back to the team, however, was not something she could surmise.  That is if they could get him back.  "What's the plan?" Makoto smiled and cleared her throat, happy to inform him of what he missed.

"I believe this Beauty Thief goes to our school.  The registry in the student council room has photos of every student.  Let's check them all tomorrow.  If we can figure out the identity of the Beauty Thief, that may help us regain contact with Morgana." Akira stood unresponsive before delivering a slow deliberate nod.  It was a fairly reasonable plan to proceed with, and it was their only potential lead.  If it meant they could collapse the Palace, he was in support of it.  Though Morgana now resided on a much lower priority for him after today's events.

"Futaba and I should further probe into Okumura Foods then," Yusuke interjected.  "It'd be best if we investigate how mental shutdowns are connected to them."

"We're gonna take them down!" Futaba said, clenching her palm with a look of fierce determination.  Akira said nothing, merely glaring through the dark window with narrowed eyes.  It took all of his energy to resist claiming he would absolutely destroy them, grind them into dust.  Though whether he meant Okumura or Morgana, he wasn't certain.  And that's what unnerved him.  Not since his reflection over Akechi with Morgana had he felt such turmoil.  He needed to rest, to be alone and let himself simmer down.  He had to remember the words he told the others.  Passion and the ego cannot be what drove their actions.  A rule he was finding out to be easier said than done with how badly Morgana had burned him.  The trip in Hawaii, the loving time he spent with Ann.  The Menehune dolls of he and Ann sat on the shelf, offering some degree of grounding that he hadn't hallucinated such good times.  Where did it all go so wrong?  What he wouldn't give for things to go back to the way things were.  Where it was just the lot of them relaxing around town during summer without a care in the world.  But the past was the past, and there was no sense dwelling on it.  He had a responsibility: to lead the Phantom Thieves in a responsible fashion and uncover the mystery of Okumura.  His personal grievances with Morgana were not a priority.  Something he was going to have to remind himself of constantly.  Akira gave a heavy solemn sigh before nodding once more.

"Alright.  Dismissed."


	42. What We Do

_9/16/17 – Friday_

The week had been an unpleasant one for everybody involved.  The cool reprieve of the cloudy sky on a September Friday afternoon felt cold and biting to Akira.  Even surrounded by friends and other students, he felt a soul-crushing loneliness.  His satchel felt empty, like it wasn't actually there.  Though it was not just his bag that felt empty.  Not since almost losing Ann to the Reaper had he felt this low.  All of the Phantom Thieves felt their morale scraping the floor.  Morgana's cold departure had shaken them to their very cores, Akira in particular.  Ann hadn't had much time to discuss with Akira about it.  It would do him no good to keep it bottled within and allow his turmoil to choke and consume him.  He needed to vent to her like they agreed.  But right now, they were focused on Okumura.  With all the newfound reports coming out of the company's scandals and wrong doings, Akira was doubly determined.  Kunikazu Okumura would answer for the abuse of his employees and the dirty underground tactics he used to stay ahead in the business world.  So far, they had only one lead: his daughter, Haru Okumura.  With her distinct hairstyle, it didn't take a keenly trained eye to distinguish who she was outside the Metaverse.  The frail girl was busy unloading bags of fertilizer to tend to the school's gardens with.  An admirable goal, Akira had to admit.  He still held the pain from Morgana's defection – his betrayal, in his eyes – deeply close to his chest.  But right now, he needed to focus on winning Haru over.  And a little kindness would go a long way.  Plus, it would help brighten up the school.

"Boys sure are strong," she commented with a sweet smile.  "Thank you." Akira nodded and felt the knot in his chest undo itself, albeit slightly.  A little manual labor and a kind cordial person were insanely therapeutic.

"Hey, I'm always willing to help somebody in need," he said, earning a welcoming beam from Haru.

"You're a second-year, aren't you?  That makes me just a tad older." As she made idle conversation with her impromptu assistant, Haru slowed down and narrowed her eyes.  That shaggy raven hair and fierce silver eyes.  "Um… Have we met somewhere before…?" Akira felt a sliver run down his spine from her slight suspicion.  Then again, if they could identify her through her disguise, why couldn't she through his?

"Perhaps." A vague cryptic answer.  Something about keeping those on the outside in the dark never failed to send a rush through his chest.  To mess with their heads and have a couple little secrets.  Though, Haru didn't seem to be giving it much thought.

"Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet.  I'm-"

"Haru Okumura, correct?" Akira squinted through his peripheral at the sudden arrival of Makoto.  She certainly had a way interlocking paths with him.  Though, she usually didn't surprise him in such a fashion.  "The only daughter of Kunikazu Okumura, CEO of Okumura Foods."

 _Subtle_ , Akira thought to himself dryly.  To be fair, there was really no sense in beating around the bush with their particular situation.  He just preferred to underplay his hand.  It made catching them in surprise all the more invigorating.

"Care to explain why you were inside your father's Palace?" Haru blinked in surprise, her mind racing a thousand miles a minute to make sense of her question.  Then, with full force, it hit her.  The shaggy-haired boy and the student council president.

"Ahh… so that's where we met.  Wow, you figured it out in just a day."

"Part of our job," Akira stated, hands nonchalantly shelved into his pockets.  "Akira Kurusu.  This here's Makoto Niijima."

"Impressive," she commended with sincere admiration.  Akira had to hand it to the girl, she certainly was charming.  Without the tension of the Palace and Morgana surrounding them, he was feeling a bit more cordial.  "You looked really good in that biker gang outfit!" Makoto felt her cheeks flush pink from the compliment, muttering an awkward thank you.  "And your trenchcoat was really cool!" Akira chuckled and scratched the back of his head, a relaxed grin upon his face.

"Well, I don't mean to brag, but-"

"Let's… not talk about that…" Makoto interrupted.  Akira felt himself deflate from her cutting him off.  Now he was doubly determined to get a trenchcoat to wear around school.  He was craving that aesthetic.  The student council president nervously surveyed their surroundings to spot any potential eavesdroppers.  Being after school, most students had ended up flying the coop.  It was just the three of them.  "So why did you become a Phantom Thief?" Akira raised an eyebrow in suspect as he watched Haru avert her gaze.  Something about it seemed to be a sore spot for the girl.  Though it didn't take much to surmise what it was.  Her father was directly involved in these events, after all.

"My father's highly regarded as a manager, but I had various… doubts about him.  Things have grown quite serious lately…"

"Are you okay yourself, Haru?" Akira inquired.  "Are you safe?" Haru blinked in surprise, the question catching her off-guard.  It was flattering to have someone share concern about her well-being for once.

"I should be fine, but my main concern is my father.  If you're as good as you say you are, you've no doubt heard of all the terrible allegations made about his business ethics.  That's why I want to make amends, even though it may only be for my own satisfaction.  But I wonder if this is just running from the problem…" Akira nodded as he mulled over her words.  Haru's tale was a familiar one.

"We all have some personal stake in this," Akira said.  "Weaknesses to improve, truths to find, justice to be garnered." The boy smirked and gave a slow nod to her.  "We're not so different." Haru smiled back in return, pleasantly surprised by his cordial nature.

"Where did you meet Morgana?" Makoto pressed.  Akira's gaze grew dark at the mention of the cat's name.

"It was pure coincidence," Haru confessed.  "I found a lonely looking cat in front of our office building."

"And that was Morgana?"

"Mmm hmm.  And when I followed him, I ended up in the Metaverse.  There's no way for me to change my father's company, but if I became a Phantom Thief, I thought I'd at least be able to change him."

"Admirable," Akira stated.  Haru gave a gracious nod at how understanding he was.  Makoto glanced aside and pondered their situation.  Haru's stake in this was more personal than she let on, that much the student council president could surmise.  It was clear that she was wet behind the ears but a fast learner.

"Isn't there any way we can work together?" Makoto asked.  Haru paused and contemplated their situation.  It was hard to deny that they would stand a much greater chance united.  But based on what she heard from Morgana, there was a divide on how to proceed.  And that troubled her.

"I can't cooperate with people who don't know what they want to do," she admitted reluctantly.  As harsh as it sounded, she needed allies with more concise goals.  As of right now, the Phantom Thieves weren't that in her eyes.  "What you're doing is unnecessarily causing a stir among the public-"

" _Excuse me?_ " Makoto eyed Akira through her peripheral with apprehension.  The boy's tone dripped with contempt and offense at Haru's statement.  The auburn-haired girl pursed her lips and took a single step back, now seriously contemplating the gravity of what she said.  " 'Unnecessarily causing a stir among the public?' "

"Uh, Akira?" Makoto piped up, holding a finger.  But she could see from the look in his eye that Akira had no plans to back down.

"First of all, the public's attitudes and our actions and cause are two completely separate things," Akira said, his pointer finger and thumb held together as he pointed it at her.  "Those things are mutually exclusive.  We don't go after targets because the public demands it, like we're common attack dogs.  We don't work  _for_  the public.  We work to  _protect_  the public.  We work to fight the unorthodox battles that cannot be waged on ordinary terms.  If the police and the government cannot bring the corrupt to justice, that's where we come in.  And we come in when we have the proper evidence to support the corruption of a target.  We don't fully commit to taking down a target until we have all the facts before us.  Proof.  Names, dates, places, empirical evidence.  The public may not understand that because they're so wrapped up in fanaticism, but I don't give a good goddamn what they think.  We do what we do because it's what's right, not because it's trendy." Haru clutched at her gym uniform collar, gulping nervously as he stared her down. Clearly, she had touched a nerve, not meaning to.

"W-well, I-I understand that but-"

"Second of all, despite my annoyance with how rabid the public's fixation on us is, it exists because we get results.  It exists because punish and out the wicked, terrible, abusive, and corrupt." Haru took a step back as Akira grew a little closer, his voice hanging heavy with malice.

"I-I meant no disrespect, I-"

"Akira, let's just calm down a bit-"

"Kamoshida." Akira held up a solitary finger.  Not even blinking as he stared intensely right through her.  "That man  _raped_  a girl.  The news calls it "sexual assault", but fuck that noise.  Don't pussyfoot around it.  It was rape!  He penetrated an underage girl without her consent and made her feel so disgusted with herself that she tried to commit suicide." The boy inhaled sharply through gritted teeth, hand trembling as he held his finger up.  "That man was a teacher.  Someone put in charge to protect and mold our minds into stable confident adults, and he  _betrayed_  us.  Him  _AND_  Kobayakawa!" Haru's bottom lip trembled as she recalled that day.  The poor girl's legs were all bloody and broken.  "Shit like that is what we're here to prevent.  I know this because I remember it.  Every.  Day.  That girl moved away from this school because it was a plague on her soul.  Something lingering over her shoulder and instilling great fear and mistrust in her.  He tried to guilt trip Ann Takamaki into having sex with him by using her as leverage.  He turned Mishima's face black and blue by using is as a volleyball cushion.  He broke Ryuji's leg!  You ever notice he walks with a limp?  He used to do track, his favorite thing in the world.  Now he can never do it again because of that  _bastard_ …" Akira's voice grew husky, heavy pants escaping his limber form.  Haru's heart seized from his verbal onslaught.  It seemed Akira bore more weight than she had previously surmised.  Morgana had not informed her of much of his former partnership with them.

"Well… I-"

"Madarame." Akira held up two fingers, the back of his hand facing her.  "He enslaved his art students, extorting them for a place to stay while he took all the credit for their works.  Shamed them into silence and even drove one student to suicide.  He turned our friend Yusuke into a child worker, a literal slave.  His mother had painted one of the most beautiful works I had ever seen.  She had a seizure, and Madarame let her die so he could use Yusuke for his own purposes." A third finger shot up.  "Kaneshiro!  A Yakuza boss extorting Shujin students, even threatening into trafficking them if they couldn't pay up.  You know who also solved that one?  The Phantom Thieves.  Everything we've ever done and ever will do is to protect the people from the exploitative and powerful.  So if that counts as 'unnecessarily causing a stir among the public,' then I'll take that label and run with it." Haru stood in silence, eventually letting out an awkward cough before bowing.

"Forgive me.  I… I never meant to offend you.  It's just…" She rubbed her brow and sighed softly.  "This is a lot to take in.  There's so much I don't understand.  You've accomplished so much, and I among others are truly grateful for all that you've done.  But the divide you and Mona-chan seem to have would only hinder our progress.  Besides, the Phantom Thieves, who should be helping the weak, are not helping their own teammate." Akira sighed this time around, pinching his brow with his finger and thumb.

"We can't help him if he turns away from us.  And I can't help him with everything.  Like girls, which is one of the major reasons I believe all this is happening." Haru blinked, perplexed by his words.  For such an unassuming looking individual, Akira had a lot to say.  A lot on his mind and shoulders as well.  But she knew this debate was going nowhere.  Akira was not budging at all.

"I just want my father to atone for his crimes," she said with a sigh.  "And help Mona-chan, who gave me a chance to do just that."

"But aren't our objectives the same?  It'd be better if we work-"

"No, thank you." Her word was final.  No way she would budge, just like Akira.  "I will do this with Mona-chan, and him alone." Makoto sighed, head drooping, the debate rendered her exhausted.

"You're being very foolish," Akira warned.  "Two people by themselves cannot take one down.  We barely managed to do it with four, and we were all as new as you are.  And even if two people were enough, you don't have enough experience to fight those shadows.  Neither of you have backup as well, so what happens if you get into a pinch?"

"We'll make it work," Haru stated.  Akira inhaled before letting out a slow gruff sigh.  She bowed once more before going to attend to her plants.  "I appreciate your concern, but I trust in Mona-chan's judgment.  I'm finished discussing this." Makoto and Akira exchanged glances before wordlessly agreeing to leave her be.  The both of them wandered back to the gates of the school out of earshot.  One setback after another seemed to be befalling their little group.

"She's polite," Akira noted.  "I'll give her that."

"She hit quite a sore spot," Makoto said.

"That's an understatement."

"We don't know what we want to do, huh…" Makoto hated uncertainty.  Being such a well-kempt and orderly person, structure and planning were in her blood.  Wading into uncharted waters was giving her severe anxiety.  "It seems getting her cooperation won't be possible."

"Morgana is being foolish and negligent." Akira watched Haru tend to the garden, hands shelved into his pockets.  "Does she even have a weapon?  A firearm?  Does he even have any medical items?  Magical supplements?  And they have no backup either.  He is putting her life into unnecessary danger with his pride and doesn't seem to grasp that.  And neither does she, for that matter."

"This is personal for her, Akira.  This is her father we're talking about."

"I understand that, Makoto." He turned to her, regaining his calm and calculating demeanor.  The boy had managed to get the frustration out of his system for the most part, it seemed.  "We all have had personal stakes in these Palaces.  But at some point, you need to dial it back and think rationally.  We cannot allow our passions to take over reasonability and responsibility." The student council president sighed.

"You're not wrong," she relented.  "But she doesn't get it.  We shouldn't ignore Morgana, either.  He's the only one that can make her understand." Akira rubbed his tired eyes, sore from not blinking through his entire speech. Fierce determination was a burden sometimes.  "I need time to think.  Let's consult with the others on our next move."

"Right." With great reluctance, Akira followed her and left the naïve Haru to her own devices.

* * *

 

The plan for tomorrow had been decided.  The Phantom Thieves would stake out Mementos and confront Morgana directly.  His solving requests with Haru at his side had given them a golden opportunity.  Akira hated to admit it, but he admired Morgana's resolve to help others and simultaneously train his "Beauty Thief." By no means did he consider the cat a fool, but his judgment of his recklessness and negligence still remained.  He had an uncertain feeling about tomorrow.  A lot of things were going to be voiced on that day.  Some feelings hurt, some mended.  Regardless of what happened, he wasn't letting Morgana walk away this time.  They were solving this one way or another.  Akira rested his head on his tool bench.  Too tired to do anything else, too awake to sleep.  The ultimate state of Purgatory if there ever was one.  Seemed like it was going to be another sleepless night of anxiety for him.

"Akira?" He lifted his head up to see Ann standing in the doorway, gingerly fiddling with her ponytail.  "Boss said I could come in.  He left and told me to make sure you lock up." He huffed softly through his nose and nodded, a sad half-smile on his face.

"You are a sight for sore eyes, Ann."

"Makoto told me about earlier." She chewed on her bottom lip apprehensively.  "…Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Have a seat on the couch, please." Ann nodded and took her spot before Akira walked over, lying down to rest his head in her lap.  The blonde smiled contently and brushed her fingers along his cheek.  With sleepy eyes did he gaze up at her while she cradled him.  The boy felt as though he could actually fall asleep like this.  "Ann… I love you.  Just… so much."

"You're hurting." Akira's smile faded, giving her a reluctant nod.

"You can see right through me.

"It hurts to see you like this." She cupped his cheek before leaning down to kiss his forehead.  "Haru's only following Morgana because it's all she knows.  And he's just doing what he thinks is right."

"I respect that, Ann, but being so callous and negligent isn't gonna help her.  It certainly didn't help you when I made us fight the Reaper." Ann sighed, gently running her fingers through his hair.  He gave her a sleepy smile before cupping her cheek.  "Sometimes, I think you're the only thing keeping me sane." Ann giggled, then proceeding to tickle his nose with her pigtail.

"We keep each other sane.  Lift your head, please." Akira did as he was asked, allowing Ann to stand.  The blonde then climbed on top of him and rested on the couch next to him.  With so little space, the two had to cuddle closely.

"Oh no," Akira jested.  "I'm trapped." Ann giggled, nuzzling the small of his neck while she laid next to him.

"You're mine." Without a doubt he was, and he wouldn't have it any other way.  The two rested on the couch, the blonde placing her hand upon her lover's chest to feel his soft heartbeat.  Her thoughts slowly drifted from cuddling with Akira to how tomorrow would pan out.  Ryuji needed to be talked to and set in his place after all this was squared away.  Though she was more concerned with Akira.  He was the wild card, and the tension between him and Morgana was the strongest.  Not that she could blame him.  They had a closer bond of friendship than with anyone else in the group.  Besides theirs, of course.  "How do you think tomorrow will go?" Akira chewed on his bottom lip in thought, twirling her ponytail around his finger.

"We'll see…" Something about the vagueness of his answer didn't sit well with her.  Her chest squirmed with uncertainty.

"You have a lot to say to him, I bet." Akira let out a dry chuckle in response to her understatement.

"The way he's treated me, you, Ryuji, Haru.  There's a lot I have to say.  When he comes back, I'll say my peace.  But not before then.  I'll keep myself composed until he's ready to listen.  You have my word." Ann calmly kissed his jawline, which swiftly transformed into a full-on lip lock between the teenage lovers.  More than anything did he miss these calm moments.  Where they were all friends and had no worries.  With Morgana's departure and increased pressure from the public, being a Phantom Thief felt more like a burden than an honor.  But by no means would he back down from his duty.  No matter what, he was committed to finishing the fight.  His arm snaked around her, holding Ann close while she wrapped her arms around his neck.  "Ann… if I ever cross that line, will you make sure to pull me back?  Keep me straight?”

“You’ll never cross that line, Akira.  I know you won’t.”  How could he even think that?  “There’s nobody I trust more in all than world than in you.”

“Just… I need to hear it.”  As much as the blush her words brought him was delightful to feel, he needed that confirmation.  That resolve he was accustomed to from her.  He needed her to be his anchor.  Like he was for her.  Akira could sense it on the wind.  Things were about to get even harder from here.  Something brewing along the horizon just for them.  Something that’ll push them to the absolute brink more than ever before.  And he wasn’t quite sure if he could stand against it.

"For you, anything." Akira whispered his thanks before pulling her in for another kiss.  Just like that she had relieved him of the dark could hanging above.  Her faith in him could push him to do anything.  Her belief gave him strength and the resolve to be a better person.  Always did, always will.  Words couldn't describe how grateful he was to have her.  And to be her’s.

* * *

 

_9/17/17 – Saturday_

The sunny Saturday had done nothing but clouded Akira's happiness as everything seemed to roll downhill one way or another.  Their attempts to bring Morgana and Haru into the fold were dashed by Ryuji running his mouth.  That combined with Morgana's reckless driving and nearly running the lot of them over, Akira was more than a little frustrated, to say the least.  Had it not been for their chance encounter with the both of them fighting off Haru's fiancé, he'd have written the day off as a complete loss.  Sojiro had retired early for the evening, leaving Leblanc all to themselves.  The others ventured upstairs to let Haru rest upon Akira's couch while they discussed the emotional rollercoaster of today.  All except Akira.

Akira sat at the counter and nursed the mug of coffee he had brewed himself.  Black.  Bitter and strong without any cocoa or sugar.  Its sobering nature reflected his current inner state.  The boy stared absently at the wall, brooding and bubbling inside.  Ryuji, Morgana, Haru's fiancé.  Not since his rant at Akechi had he been so angry.  When he was able to compose his thoughts, the two troublesome teammates were in for a serious verbal lashing.  After Haru's father had his heart stolen, Akira was determined to put her fiancé in his place.  For trying to control her, for kicking Morgana.  The cat made him feel more conflicted than ever before.  Akira had even contemplated making Morgana limp back to Leblanc on his own.  If he didn't need them, then he surely could follow them despite his injury.  That was what he reasoned, at least.  But at the end of the day, he was a fellow Phantom Thief and someone in need.  And Akira couldn't stand animal cruelty.

"Is he going to stay down there all night?" Ryuji asked, awkwardly rubbing his neck as he leaned against his workbench.

"He just needs time," Ann insisted while rubbing her brow.  She knew he could come up to converse with them eventually.  Though what concerned her was how it would pan out.  Would he calmly accept Morgana back?  Or would he rant and rave at he and Ryuji?  Not that she could blame them.  Morgana and Ryuji's antics were exactly why all of them were in this situation to begin with.  Even so, they had worked so hard to get things back together, and the last thing Ann desired was to see Akira tear it apart out of anger.  Not that she truly believed he would.

Akira was rational and level-headed.  Considerate and always thinking.  If he was willing to make amends with the detective that branded them as threats to society, Morgana truly stood a chance.  At least, that's what she hoped.  His refusal to join them was quite disconcerting, and the uncertainty of what he planned to do or say only made the tension so much thicker.  The cat perched himself on the table to remain close to Haru.  Staying near her brought him a sliver of comfort.  Though his blackened fur at the back of his neck stood on edge as he apprehensively awaited Akira.  The boy had not uttered a single word on their way back to Leblanc.  A far cry from the venom and ire in his voice that he displayed when ranting down someone like Akechi.  He was silent, calculating.  Somehow, this was much worse.  Haru's eyes fluttered open, and she rose up with a soft coo of a yawn.

"I'm sorry," she uttered, a hand held to her dainty lips.  "I fell asleep." The concerned faces staring back at her touched the girl.  Complete strangers that had no obligation to look after her took her in and offered her warmth and kindness.  Though the absence of one threw her off.  "Where's Akira?"

"He's… thinking…" Morgana said lowly, eyeing the entrance through his peripheral.  The wince upon the cat's face told her this was not a pleasant outcome.

"Did you get enough rest?" Makoto inquired.  Haru nodded and looked to Morgana, gently placing her hand upon his side.

"Mona-chan?  Are you okay?" The cat nodded before gently pawing her hand.

"I'll live.  Anyway, it's just as I told you a moment ago…" His heart sank as he began pushing forward with his decision.  Despite their protests, they fell upon deaf ears.  His inability to protect Haru, his failed venture into Okumura's Palace, his replacement by Makoto and Futaba.  It was too much to ignore.  "I can't have you guys risk your lives anymore for someone useless like me.  To be frank, there's no assurance that I'll turn back into a human either…" Ryuji rubbed his neck and glanced away from the cat as guilt hung heavy in his stomach.  Though the sting of Morgana's insults still weighed heavy upon the boy's shoulders.  His pride kept him quiet.  "This can't be called a fair deal.  That's why I think we should split up." The silence hung in the air as thick as fog.  Morgana's head hung too heavy with self-consciousness and despair that he could not face them.  His furry ears twitched as he heard a low amused chuckle.

"Who said we're acting as Phantom Thieves for your sake?" Yusuke gave a soft smile of content.  "I'm doing it to expand my own horizons." Morgana gave a soft dry chuckle at his friend's attempt at levity.

"No need to tiptoe around the situation.  We're splitting up." The cat twitched in surprise as Haru scooped him up, cradling him in her lap like a baby.  Were he not so weary and glum, he'd have wrestled himself from the embarrassing position she held him in.

"You should stop lying," she said with a knowing smile.  "Do you remember what you said to me when I found you collapsed in the Metaverse?  You said that you're a Phantom Thief.  That you're going to get stronger and have the others acknowledge you." The girl hugged him tightly as the cat began to squirm about.  "You love being here, don't you?" After continuous struggling, Haru let him free of her grip.  Morgana leaped back onto the table.

"O-of course not!" The cat was thankful his black fur hid the blush forming on his face.  Haru merely shook her head at him.

"I was lying to myself too, but when I formed a contact with my Persona, I understood it all.  Doing this because my father is doing something horrible… was nothing but a superficial reason.  The truth is, I…" Her gaze fell to her knees as the smile dissipated.  A knot formed in her throat, fighting back her displeasure like she had been trained to all her life.

"Don't want to get married, huh?" Haru's eyes glanced over to the blonde sitting to her left.  Ann smiled softly with understanding.  Like her, she too had been forced to submit to the will of an awful man.  And as the others had for her, she would not allow him to control her.

"I thought that since an adult with responsibilities made the decision, it couldn't be wrong.  I was such a fool." Haru shook her head fervently.  At her father, at her fiancé, at herself.  "Tied down by vague notions and stayed quiet as my marriage partner was chosen.  But I won't tolerate this anymore." Her auburn eyes opened, the girl clenching her fist and shook it at the image of his smug face floating in her head.  " _I can't stand that creep!_ " Content smiles and approving grins faced her as she made her displeasure vocal.  Let her voice be heard.

"Eff yeah!" Ryuji said with a nod.  "Say it loud and proud."

"Don't let any man tell you how to live your life," Ann said, beaming.  "You choose who you want to be with.  Be with someone that shares their feelings with you.  Makes you laugh and helps you improve yourself." Her gaze fell as she fondly remembered the very bond she described.  How invigorating and intoxicating it was to be in love with Akira.  Haru let out a soft sigh before nodding.

"That's how I truly feel." With a loving gaze did she glance to Morgana, who felt the heat in his blood rise from her sweet smile.

"Wh-why're you looking at me all of a sudden?" he stammered.

"Mona-chan, why is it that you always talked about becoming human again?" Now Morgana felt the knot manifest in his throat.  All eyes fell upon him expectantly.  The cat fidgeted with his paws as they awaited his answer.

"That's…" To win Ann's heart.  That was one such answer.  Though from the way he had acted and how everything had panned out, it had all changed.  "At first, I only thought of this team as a temporary dwelling until I regained my memories.  But I wasn't making progress on finding out what I am or why I was born…" Mementos eluded all of them, no matter how deep they delved.  Akira had provided his utmost and steadfast support in helping him rediscover himself.  Even at their first meeting, he had willing pledged himself to aid him.  Only asking that he help them with Kamoshida in return.  Akira had always been loyal.  Morgana felt his stomach crawl at his own words.

Despite all his bravado, the Phantom Thieves were a means to an end.  Akira was a means to an end.  At least, that was how it started.  But everything had begun changing, little by little.  The rush of power he felt from their dependence on him for navigation and tactical analysis.  The beauty of Ann and the desire to win her hand as his own.  And Akira.  His loyalty, friendship, and strong sense of justice.  Their late-night conversations that sometimes spanned hours into the early morning.  How much he had missed in during their Hawaii vacation.  And how little he regarded it after casting it aside to go off on his own.  Akira had given it his all to help Morgana find himself.  They all had.  But in that moment, it had not been enough.

So he left.

Left to venture on his own in the face of overwhelming odds stacked against him.  To prove how useful he really was in comparison to Makoto or Futaba.  To show Ann how deserving he was of a chance.  "…I wanted a reason of my own – a reason to stay with the Phantom Thieves.  I don't have anyone I want to save or get revenge on.  Someone like me has no reason to stay here…" The cat felt himself choking on his words and felt the fur around his eyes dampen.  Tears were slipping out against his will.  "That's why… to me… this team is…" The guilt continued piling on as he remembered the cruel words he shouted inside the Palace.

_I don't need you anymore!_

It had been a lie.  Something he said just to break the composed visage Akira wore.  He would take it back in a heartbeat if he could.  The promise he made to Akira and the others long before.  That they would stand side by side and finish this, no matter the cost.  The argument they had with Akira, who was so willing to let himself go down during the Medjed crisis to protect them.  His loyal leader, his best friend.  And he had turned his back on him.  His heart ached so bad for what he had done.  What he said to Akira, to Ryuji.

"Come on, say it!" The watery-eyed cat turned to Ann. Gazing at him with her beaming kind smile.  Just to bask in her radiance was almost enough to make the tears go away.  "You can do it!" His pride choked back his confession.  After so much, he didn't want to admit how helpless and lost he truly felt without them.  His fragile little form had almost broken from Haru's fiancé.  He couldn't help anyone.  Just as he feared.  But despite turning away, they all came for him.  With Akira leading the helm.  Morgana gulped and inhaled sharply through his nose, his bottom lip trembling as he bit down on it.  His heart raced as the adrenaline coursed through his feline body.  All these bottled up emotions, all the things left unsaid.  They were going to burst, and he was going to let them.  Right here, right now.

" _IT'S THE ONLY PLACE I CAN BELONG!  I WANNA STAY HERE FOREVER!_ "

The cat nearly doubled over from his frantic shouting.  In that moment, it felt like an absolute life or death scenario.  As though all his friends would disappear right before his very eyes if he didn't proclaim his care for them to the heavens.  His little chest rose and fell with each breath he took.  Had he choked it down, he swore he'd have exploded into a cloud of fur.  Though the cat began feeling incredibly self-conscious as they all stared down at him with relieved smiles.

"That was refreshingly honest," Yusuke said contently, a subdued smile upon his face.  Ryuji was leaning against the workbench, chuckling softly to himself.

"You shoulda just said so from the start!  Geez!" Makoto held a hand to her mouth to suppress her relieved giggles.

"Oh, Morgana," she softly said.  Futaba scooped him up and hugged him tightly.  She rubbed her soft face into his furry little back.

"We love you, Kitty!" the frail girl cooed.  Morgana felt himself blushing fiercely from all the affection.  The butterflies had a heyday in his chest.  For once, he was appreciating his little compact form as it made it easier to shower him with affection.

"If you stick with me, there's no telling what kind of trouble will come up!  You better be sure about this!" Ann giggled and ruffled the fur on his little head.

"It's a little late for all that, don't you think?" she teased, pinching his cheek.  "Of course we wanna stay with you too." The cat glanced down at his paws and cleared his throat.  Ann's happy gazing was soon to turn him to mush if he directly looked her in the eyes.

"Uhh, so… well…" After such an emotional connection, the cat found himself struggling to speak.  No words seemed to top what he had said.  "…I'm sorry I worried you guys." A soft sigh escaped his pink little nose.  After the rollercoaster of emotions they had all been subjected to throughout the past few days, it felt like the world was off his shoulders.  "This is where I belong!  My mind's all set!" The cat beamed a toothy grin at them all.  "I'll make sure to work hard to pay my dues.  It's too late to cancel our deal, got it?"

"No takebacks!" Futaba proclaimed joyously.  Ann giggled as Futaba continued snuggling him like a stuffed animal.  The blonde narrowed her eyes and stared at Ryuji through her peripheral.

"Speaking of apologies, I believe someone has something to say to you…" Ann smirked at seeing Ryuji's mouth hang agape.  The eyes swiftly shifted to him standing there.  The boy sheepishly rubbed at the heat building on his neck.

"Ah, geez.  For real?" Ann folded her arms and glowered at him disapprovingly.  Ryuji shelved his hands in his pockets and scuffed his shoe absently upon the wooden floor.  He had intended to apologize to Morgana in private.  A one-to-one guy thing.  But perhaps it was for the best that he do it publicly.

"If I may, Lady Ann, there's something I should say first." The group shifted focus back onto Morgana again, having wrestled himself free from Futaba's embrace.  The cat prowled slowly over to the corner of the table closest to Ryuji before sitting himself down.  The two locked eyes, standing in an awkward silence as the cat fiddled with his ears.  "Ryuji, I…" A heavy sigh escaped the cat's chest.  "I want to apologize how I acted.  I was out of line calling your dedication to the Phantom Thieves into question.  After all, you were the first to suffer under Kamoshida." The feline paused to catch his breath.  With each apology he uttered, the tension supplanted itself in his chest.  "I was wrong.  You're not an idiot and are actually really reliable.  You've saved us on many occasions." The cat bowed his head, ears folded in shame.  "I'm sorry." Ryuji stood in stunned silence.  Merely pursing his lips in thought.  Not since Akira helping him with the volleyball team had he been touched in such a way.  Morgana's act of humility served to sink his heart deeper into the earth.  As if Akira's disapproval wasn't bad enough.

"Well…" Ryuji's face heated up as he felt a knot manifest in his chest.  His pride was getting the best of him once more.  "I just want you to know I never meant anythin' by what I said.  I never meant to hurt your feelings, Morgana.  It was just jokes.  I only got mad when you said all that stuff before.  But I never thought your jokes about me bein' dumb and useless when I make a mistake or miss an attack in Mementos.  I thought they were funny." He let out an awkward laugh in an attempt to relieve the tension in the air.  But from Ann's expecting look, he knew that stalling was for naught.  "But had I known you were all insecure and havin' an identity crisis, I would've backed off a bit." The boy sighed and glanced glumly down at his sneakers.  "Maybe I am a bit dense at times, but I never mean anythin' bad by what I do.  I'm…" Another sigh was forced out as the blond grew frustrated by his apprehension.  "I'm sorry too.  The truth is that you ain't useless, Morgana.  You're actually really useful.  You can turn into a car and heal us when we're gettin' our asses kicked." After running his mouth and causing Morgana to drive off with Haru, Akira almost strung him up by his ascot.  Not since standing up to Kamoshida had the consequences of his actions been this deeply reflected on.  Though, this time, he was the one in the wrong.

"…You really mean it?" Morgana asked softly, earning an earnest nod from the blond.

"Damn right.  I mean, I can't do that.  And we'd be strugglin' without ya.  Just like you would without us." Ryuji held his arms out before the cat.  "C'mere.  Let's have it out." Morgana leapt into his arms and was swiftly embraced.  Ryuji felt his face flush from the satisfied aww's from the girls.  The feline gently buried his head into the blond's neck.  "Can we start over?"

"Absolutely..." For a while, Ryuji stood, cradling the cat.  The lot of them smiled approvingly at the two.  Though the tone quickly shifted when Morgana spoke up.  "…you carnal blond monkey." Ryuji blinked in surprise and pulled the cat away, a teasing smirk meeting his eyes.  A low wry smile manifested itself upon the boy's face.

"Psh.  Whatever, you dirty fleabag." With a grin did he ruffle Morgana's fur, earning an amused giggle from him.  Their playful laughter soon had the whole room in an amused uproar.  Like that, the events of the past few days seemed to fade into distant memory.  It all seemed to be going perfect.

" _Ahem._ "

The laughter swiftly subsided as all eyes fell to the one standing in the doorway.  Akira had finally joined them, hands in his pockets and a dark judgmental look upon his face.  The tension had now doubled from what it was before.  Without a sound had he made it up the stairs and silently strode to the center of the room.  His silver eyes fell upon each one of them individually.  With such a hot gaze, they all swore he'd burn holes right through them.  Though when his sights fell upon Haru, the sternness relented.  "You alright?" She blinked in surprise before giving him a brief nod.  In the moment, Akira had frantically inspected her wrist to check if her fiancé bruised her.  Luckily, she was unmarked.  Though she didn't want to imagine the consequences for either of them had she actually been bruised.  Then his gaze turned to Morgana, who was tentatively lowered onto the table by Ryuji.  "And you?"

"Uhh… y-yeah…" The cat's injuries were relatively minor.  Just some sore ribs but nothing that needed serious medical attention.  Akira's face and form seemed to relax ever so slightly.

"Good.  You and I talk.  _Now_." Morgana gulped and felt himself shrinking before Akira's very eyes from the icy glare he was receiving.  As his gaze fell upon the others around him, they all met his with the same apprehensive nervous look he was sporting.  Akira turned and began descending down the stairs.  Reluctantly did the cat fall in line after him, taking quick glances back towards the others.  Silently he led Morgana through the café and outside onto the street.  The cat shivered as he stood before Akira underneath the night sky, the September weather offering no comfort despite its warmth.  High above, the others had nervously crowded around and were peeking through the windows down at them.  At first, Akira merely stood there in utter silence.  A judgmental disapproving look upon his face.  Flat, disconnected.  Arms folded while he tapped a finger against his skin.  It only served to make Morgana squirm in place more.  As the minutes ticked along, the tension became all the more suffocating.  Morgana just wished he would say something.  Anything.  The cold shouldering was agonizing.  As though pulling teeth.  Slowly did he reach into his pocket to withdraw his phone.  And tapped the Nav app with his thumb.

"Hey!" Ann cried.  "They disappeared!" Right before them, Morgana and Akira faded out of existence.  Ryuji rubbed his eyes and blinked at the empty street before them.

"Did they go into the Metaverse?" he asked.

"I'm guessing Akira really wanted this to be private," Yusuke said.  Haru paced nervously back and forth before the couch.  The frail girl nibbled at her manicured nails.

"What's he going to do about Mona-chan?" she inquired.

"Not to worry." The others turned to Futaba, having returned to her laptop.  Her phone was plugged into it with the Nav opened.  The screen filled with red and black waves wafting along.  "I told you guys how I hacked into Akira's camera at the airport, right?  Well, I can also use it to listen in on his conversations, even in the Metaverse." Her less technical savvy friends stared at the screen with great curiosity.

"Futaba, you're an effin' genius," Ryuji commended, a dopey grin upon his face.

"How… resilient," Makoto said with a degree of uncertainty.  She'd be the first to admit that the concept of spying on their leader was not a very appealing one.  But none of them had anticipated a surprise departure to the Metaverse.  Ann shared her sentiments as she watched the screen, nervously rubbing her left forearm as another thought came to her head.  A rather unpleasant one.

"Uh, Futaba, have you ever spied on Akira before?"

"Nah.  I just like having the option." Her answer provided little comfort to Ann, however.  At the very least, it meant that she and Akira's relationship remained a secret.  She just hoped Futaba wouldn't grow too bored one of these days.  The group stood muttering to themselves as Futaba tended to the stream of data.

"Where's the picture?" Ryuji wondered out loud and began poking her screen.

"It only picks up audio, not visual," the otaku girl scolded, rolling her eyes.  Futaba muttered angrily to herself about the prospect of wiping her screen off later.  Haru shushed the both of them in anticipation of what they would hear.  Though based on Akira's abrupt departure, there was little hope for it being pleasant.

The alleyway before Leblanc shifted and distorted within the Metaverse.  A kaleidoscope of black and red vibrated in the sky above.  Gnarled red roots grew through cracks in the pavement and out of sewage drains.  Leblanc itself, however, remained relatively untouched.  No doubt a result of their close connection to it back in the real world, that much Akira surmised.  Now the both of them were truly alone.  Morgana had hoped this would get the conversation going a bit, but Akira continued remaining silent.  Arms folded once more and tapping a solitary finger.  The cat glanced down at his feet while fidgeting with his tail.  Unsure of what to say or where to even start.

"S-so… nice to be back on the team again." A little small talk.  Akira liked small talk.  Something to ease the tension and slip into a conversation.

"What makes you think you're welcome on this team?" Now Morgana himself was silent.  A shocked expression upon his round face, as though Akira had slapped him at full force.

"W-well… I…" Morgana stammered and fidgeted with his paws while Akira held him under his microscope gaze.  He had anticipated Akira's upset, but it was a completely different feeling to be subjected to it.  "Akira, I know I made a mistake.  I just-"

"I'll tell you what," Akira said, holding his finger and thumb together.  The list of things he wanted to say swirled around in his head, swapping around and forming incoherent rants and bewildering biting insults.  A hundred phrases and tirades he had prepared, and a hundred variations on those hundred.  Since Morgana's departure had he been awaiting to have this talk, and his actions today had only fueled the fire that had burned within.  But they had already been through so much this week.  So much turmoil and drama, with things finally starting to return to some degree of normalcy.  Now that he had Morgana back, the words failed him.  He was just tired.  Tired of being angry, tired of being tired.  But Morgana had turned his back upon them, upon him.  And that was something he couldn't let go.

"You're very lucky I'm in a better mood than before.  Boy, would you have been in for it." Morgana fidgeted and trembled beneath Akira's gaze from the turmoil raging in his chest.  He certainly didn't feel lucky, that was for sure.  "I don't think you know just how lucky you are, Morgana." As expected, Akira began to pace back and forth before him.  Now he was getting into his lecture full swing.  "Not only did you recklessly put yourself in danger, you put Haru in danger as well.  Entering a heavily fortified palace with no backup, healing items, or weapons for Haru?  And that little stunt in Mementos where you peeled out like you were in a derby?  You almost hit us!  Were you even thinking about how Haru could've been injured because of your reckless driving?" The cat grasped his tail, wringing it in his hands as he looked up with guilt.  His emotions had gotten the better of him.  Their lack of progress uncovering the Mementos mystery, Ryuji's teasing, Ann's rejection.  It had all come together into an unstable bubbling cocktail, and he had clumsily spilled it.  Beneath his fur, his face flushed with shame as Akira shook his head.

"Just as I thought.  Negligence.  Utter negligence.  You had warned me against facing the Reaper in combat, and you turn around and do something completely reckless like this!  You're very lucky this panned out better than the Reaper fight." After Haru's fiancé pummeled him into a brick wall, Morgana had thought his spirits could not sink any lower.  Yet, Akira kept managing to dig the hole even deeper for him.  "You know what?  I blame myself.  I blame myself for how this turned out.  Clearly, you and Ryuji aren't mature enough to control yourselves because it escalated to this.  I made the mistake of believing you guys could handle yourselves and keep things casual.  So I guess I have to baby the both of you from now on since I can't trust the both of you to address one another with a modicum of respect." The boy sharply pinched his nose, bottom lip curled up as he shook his head.  Morgana took a sliver of comfort that he had switched to beating himself up rather than berating him, as guilty as it made him feel.  Akira sucked in air through his gritted teeth and jabbed his pointer and pinky fingers at the cat.

"Putting yourself and Haru in complete danger like that.  For your own self-gratification?  So you can win Ann's heart?  How many damn times is it going to take for you to understand that no means no?" The cat gulped as his hot flesh turned into a chill.  Akira could see right through him.  The boy could dissect a situation like very few could, and he was cutting into Morgana something severe.

"Akira… I'm sorry.  I'm really really sorry." The cat's voice sounded as fragile as his heart.  At the very least, he wasn't yelling or cutting him down with a flurry of venomous ire.  Yet, it still felt the same.

"That remains to be seen." Morgana flinched from the sharpness of his words.  Never had he felt such a coldness before.  From Akira, of all people, it hurt the worst.  The boy sighed and rubbed his aching brow.  His head ached from the tension surmounted upon him.  "I'm not sure if I can trust you after this, Morgana.  You walked out on me, on all of us.  I understand you wanna become human again badly, but you gotta understand we're doing our absolute best when we plunge into Mementos.  But we can only do so much while we're bound to the Metaverse's rules.  We might not be working as fast as you want us to, but we're doing all we can to help you, Morgana.  Maybe that's not good enough for you, but we stuck our necks out for you because you were our friend.  And you turned your back on us." A soft exhale escaped his nose, prompting the boy to close his eyes.  With great disappointment did he shake his head, deliberately and slowly.  "You broke my heart, Morgana." The cat almost choked.  The nonchalance and aloofness of the statement, the unflinching disdainful look upon his face as he confessed the sheer emotional pain he had undergone.  It almost seemed like a cruel joke.  But Morgana could tell there was not a single bit of jest upon his breath.  Deathly serious.

“I didn’t mean it.  I just wanted to break that composure of yours.  To push you back and try to bring you down a peg.  I didn’t mean to hurt you this badly.”

“Well, you did.”  He turned away.  Staring back at where Leblanc was from within the Metaverse.  It was to give Morgana the cold shoulder.  Rake him over the hot coals like he had done to him.  But it was also to obscure his expression.  The mask did plenty, but a little bit of wetness had welled up in Akira’s eyes.  It wasn’t common for him to let his pain and heartache be exposed like this.  To bleed out for another person.  It made him feel weak and embarrassed.  Nothing mortified him more than the thought of someone seeing him shed a tear.  He wouldn’t even want Ann to see that.  It took a lot of effort to keep the pain locked behind.  His head was screaming in pain to let himself cry.  But pride won out.  “Hope it was worth it.  You got exactly what you wanted.”

“No, I-I didn’t want tha-“

“Well, too bad.  You can’t take it back.”

"Akira…" The cat bowed his head, hanging down with great remorse.  Being beaten down by a shadow felt better than the lecture Akira had subjected him to.  The disappointment, the air of betrayal emanating off Akira in waves.  Morgana sharply inhaled through his nose, clenching his little paws.  With a stern look in his eyes did he face Akira eye-to-eye.  No good would come from sulking and feeling sorry for himself.  If their bond was to be reformed, he had to put everything on the line.  "I swear to you.  I will never turn my back on you ever again, and I will do anything in my power to prove it to you.  Just give me a chance.  Please…" His resolve wavered a tiny bit towards the end.  Akira's toughness and determination were unlike any other's.  Morgana wanted to be so much like him.  In his haste had he alienated his best friend out of pride.  Though, his heartfelt declaration seemed to have made some degree of progress as he saw the tension upon Akira's face waver, albeit faintly.  He wasn't unreasonable, at least.

"It's not just me you need to apologize to," he said, hands on his hips.  "Ann deserves one too.  For how you've acted." A knot formed itself in Morgana's throat.  If he stood even a remote chance with her before, it was blown now.  Not at all was he looking forward to that particular conversation.  But if it meant making up to Akira, he was determined to do so.  "You and Ryuji fucked us over.  I'll need to think of a suitable way for you two to make it up to us."

"Anything," Morgana stated with a nod.  Akira bit his cheek to suppress an impressed smirk that threatened to form.  If there was one thing he respected, it was determination.  Even so, he was eager to end this conversation and get some rest.

"Fine." With a flick of his wrist did he withdraw his phone, priming the Nav for their exit.  "You're lucky I believe in second chances." Morgana sighed with great relief as the both of them returned in front of Leblanc.  Truth be told, the cat had anticipated it to be a lot worse.  As did the nosy group of teenagers upstairs.  Even so, the tension between Akira and Morgana was still fairly palpable.  And the latter suspected it would be like that for many days.  All the more reason to double down and prove to Akira how dedicated he was to restoring their tarnished friendship. 

No matter the cost.


	43. Touch

_9/17/17 – Saturday_

The other Phantom Thieves remained gathered around the laptop, listening in silence as the conversation ended.  A collective sigh of relief resonated within the room, and Futaba leaned back in her chair.  Morgana had managed to get away predominantly unscathed from a one-on-one serious conversation with an angry Akira.  Though Ryuji felt the hairs still standing on edge upon the back of his necks from their leader's words.  How he was expected to make up for helping drive Morgana away, he was uncertain.

But Akira was his friend, and he was determined to make up for his mistakes just like their feline companion was.  He just hoped whatever Akira went with, he would be merciful.

"That could've been worse, I suppose," Haru noted.

"I had expected him to be a lot angrier," Makoto said, running her fingers through her hair.  Ann fiddled with her bushy twintail.  Truth be told, she had as well.  A twinge of guilt hung in her chest for doubting her boyfriend.  The major thing that irritated him greatly was people inconveniencing and meddling in the Phantom Thieves' crusade for justice.  Yusuke, Makoto, and Akechi had all been on the receiving end of his bitter tirades of intense vulgarity.

Perhaps Akira had been feeling lenient or was just tired.  Either way, Ryuji and Morgana were spared.  Slowly things would return to normal for their group.  For now, she would have to tolerate the bit of tension that they would be shouldering over the next few days.  By no means a fool, despite what those would perceive and stereotype by her blonde appearance.  As much as she wished it, Akira would not let Morgana's transgression go too quickly.  But he was far from unreasonable.

"I told you.  Akira was no fool.  He wouldn't allow his anger to drive Morgana away after we had worked so hard to bring him back." Ann nodded with a soft smile upon her face, drawing comfort from Yusuke's words.  Akira was incredibly smart, no doubt about that.  But he was also human, like any other.  Prone to mistakes.  With their already delicate state of being, it wasn't too unreasonable for her to somewhat worry that he might inadvertently destabilize their already rocky foundation.

"He's coming back!" Futaba announced.  The signal from her laptop descended into static, and the jingle from the bell on the front door sent them scattering back to their previous spots.  Akira ascended the old staircase with Morgana bringing up the rear.  All eyes fell upon them expectantly, though Akira gave no sort of reply.  The boy merely looked them over in silence.

"So…" Ryuji said, rubbing his neck sheepishly.  "You guys… good?" Akira glanced over to Morgana through his peripheral, causing the cat to avert his eyes away.  Despite Akira's apparent calmness, the tension was still fairly palpable.  A great heat rose up their necks collectively from how uncomfortable the mood was.

"…We'll make it work." Morgana's faint sigh of relief caused said tension to dissipate ever so slightly.  Though from what they had heard Akira say, it was far from over.  "Now then.  The Phantom Thieves are officially back on track.  We can all stand to learn something from this.  Dismissed." Ryuji was the first to make his way out of the room, lest he get roped into a lecture of his own.  Plus, with the last train of the night preparing to leave soon, it would be a long walk back home.  A walk he had no intention of taking.  Futaba led Haru downstairs after convincing her she could stay with her and Sojiro for the night.  All had funneled out save Ann.

"You had us worried there for a second," she confessed, clasping her hands together.  This worked to earn a soft smile from her lover, something she desperately had missed seeing since Morgana's departure.  Hopefully, it would return in the coming days.

"Mind giving us a minute, Morgana?  I need to talk with Ann about something." The cat nodded and departed down the stairs at Akira's request.  Once again, it was the both of them alone.  A playful smile found its way upon Ann's face.  The girl toyed with his shirt collar, earning her a wry smirk.

"What's running through that head of yours, Akira?" she asked.  "I hope you plan on behaving yourself." Gingerly did he glide a finger along her jawline, which sent shivers down her spine from the smoothness of his hand.

"Unfortunately for you, I will be." The two shared a soft chuckle in the quietness of his room, a moment fleeting all too quickly for their mutual liking.  Ann would have to depart soon, and there was no way she could stay the night with Morgana present.  Plus, her nanny might grow suspicious.

"Are you and Morgana really okay?" The limp nonchalant shrug he administered was not what she was looking for.

"Like I said, we'll make it work." The Phantom Thieves were strong because of their close bond.  The uncertain bond between Akira and Morgana presented many problems for them Ann could see developing down the road.  Not that she didn't trust Akira, far from it.  But this was her team too.

"He really is sorry, you know." Akira sighed softly and leaned into the hand she raised to cup his cheek.  The blonde moved to caress his right cheek with the back of her palm.  His skin had such a softness to it, baby smooth in fact.  She was more than thankful he was not developing any sort of facial hair.  The coarseness of it was something she imagined to be quite uncomfortable.  No, she quite preferred his tender skin and soft kissable lips.

"We'll see." Ann's spirit wavered with his aloofness.  It was so unlike him to be like this apathetic towards things.  It was a better alternative than to hear him chew Morgana out, at least.  "I just need time.  He says he's willing to prove his loyalty to us, and that much I'll give him.  Just gotta figure out how I'm gonna teach him and Ryuji a lesson."

"Don't be too hard on them.  They may both be dense as shit sometimes, but they're still our friends.  They mean well.  They just made some mistakes."

"I'm not unreasonable, Ann.  But they're definitely going to bust their backs to show how sorry they are." Ann chewed on her lip and gave an understanding nod.

"You know what you're gonna do?"

"Perhaps…" Akira ran a solitary finger against his chin as he mulled ideas over in his head.  "I can't wait to put this and Okumura behind us so we can have a sense of normalcy again."

"Tell me about it.  I'm so done with the public hyping us up and treating us like we're attack dogs." She sighed and rubbed her forearms, feeling a chill descend upon her.  The comments on the Phan-Site and other online media outlets had begun to unnerve her.  It bordered on an unhealthy societal obsession.  "Remember when you got upset with Ryuji?  What you told me?  I hate to admit it, but I think you were right." Akira sighed, nursing his brow.  An amused huff of air escaped his nose.

"The one time I didn't wanna be right." Ann giggled lowly and embraced him before locking her lips with his.  A purr emanated in his throat, and his hand descended to cup her rear.  "When things return to normal, we can do  _this_  a lot more." Ann bit her lower lip at the sound of his voice.  It was a low energetic tone, a growl through a gritted grin.  It sent a thrilling jolt through her heart, causing her to squeeze her thighs together.

" _Just_  this?" she teased with a wink.  Akira let out a low growly chuckle through a wry toothy smirk.  Ann tugged at her shirt collar with a solitary finger.  It took all of her strength to resist tearing that white shirt off and pouncing him onto the bed.  The blonde gave him one last kiss before reluctantly making the decision to leave.  " _I love you._ "

" _Love you too… my Panther,_ " he whispered in return.  Like out of a romantic novella, he held her hand as long as he could before it slipped through his fingers.  A passionate sigh escaped him as she walked away.  Not even out of the shop yet, and he already missed her.

"See you tomorrow?"

"Definitely." As the door closed, Akira descended down the stairs and began cutting the lights.  Morgana sat at the foot of the stairs, a guilty apprehensive look to him.

"Guess I'll be sleeping on the floor then.  Probably deserve it." By all rights, Akira felt he should.  It would certainly put him in his place for turning his back on them.  Drag him down.  Yet, the pitiful sight before him made a compelling counterargument.  His sad blue eyes, his lowered ears, the hunched form.  The tired sigh left his larynx and hung in the air.

"…No.  Come on." Akira scooped him up in his arms and carried him to bed.  The cat was gently plopped onto his rightful spot.  As the boy made himself comfortable underneath the blanket, Morgana snuggled up behind his legs.

"Thank you, Akira."

"Don’t get too comfortable." Morgana's ears fell once more, averting his gaze from his human companion.  It stung to be talked down to like that.  But it was not entirely undeserved.  "…Goodnight." The cat gave a small smile.

"Night, Akira.  It's good to be back home.  I… I missed you." Akira pouted, closing his eyes in an attempt to shut his words out.  He was still mad at him, for sure.  And in a sense, he wanted to hold onto that feeling.  The feeling of vindication he felt by putting Morgana in his place.  The retribution of lambasting him for walking away.  It was so addicting.  That sense of righteous indignation.  After getting arrested, it both tormented and empowered him.  But he couldn't bring himself to be cruel.  To be hateful or mean-spirited, even when a part of his heart twanged and twitched for him to do so.  It just didn't seem right anymore.  Not after Akechi.  The boy bit his bottom lip and buried his head into the pillow.  He didn't want to confess it.  Not after today, not after what Morgana had put him through.  Akira's cheeks flushed from the feeling of Morgana's affectionate snuggling.  He had planned to cold shoulder him for a couple of days.  Yet, he couldn't muster the strength.  Maybe it was because of how tired he was.  Or perhaps it was because of the big bleeding heart nursed in his chest that cared for many and wished to help those in need or in pain.  His driving motivator now his Achilles' heel.

“…I missed you too.”

* * *

 

_9/25/17 – Sunday_

The fight with Okumura had been the most intense battle they had undergone.  It was already stressful enough to fight a powerful shadow being, but to add a timer before detonating them to kingdom come was a whole other level of sadism.  Akira was not at all someone who liked to be rushed.  The more leeway and time he had on his side, the better.  Then again, he was also a terrible procrastinator.

But despite everything, the Phantom Thieves had come out on top once again.  Now all that remained was to wait a couple weeks.  Then Haru could have her life back.  In the meantime, they just had to lay low and not attract any sort of attention.  Business as usual.  Though, they weren't any closer to solving the mystery of the black masked vigilante, Wakaba's lost research, or the mental shutdowns.  Okumura's confession could provide some degree of answers to their burning questions.  At this point, it was out of their hands.  So Akira did what he always did in times of uncertainty: adventure with Ann in Mementos.  It beat stewing around and waiting for Okumura.  Or dwelling on Morgana. 

It was still taking a toll on him, coming to terms with what the cat said and did.  Every day, he kept fighting with himself to just let it go.  Not to hold a grudge and extend him the courtesy offered to Makoto and Akechi.  But this was different.  It was like a weight was cemented in his stomach, holding him back from coming forward with anything.  Both Ryuji and Morgana walked on eggshells around him, waiting for whatever he deemed fit to administer them for their faux-pas.  But he let them linger, let the uncertainty eat away.  Their dreading of the unknown offered him a sadistic thrill.  But they could keep waiting.  Ann had his attention now.

The rules still remained the same.  Stick to the top surface layers, explore the unusual buildings.  Nothing too extravagant.  It was just interesting to see the different parts of Tokyo transmogrified to look distorted and unusual.  Buildings looked vastly different from their real-world counterparts, warped to fit the public's cognitive perception of it.  The maid café had a large Eiffel Tower jutting from the roof with the rest of the architecture looking quite European in appearance, offset by Japanese lettering.  The police station and Diet building resembled delipidated circuses.  Upon their walls were posters praising the Phantom Thieves.  Dozens of them, forming almost a wallpaper of sorts from the large collection of them.  It didn't take a genius to see the blatant disdain and disillusionment the public had.  Leblanc itself was untouched.  Still the same coffee shop it always was.  No impression on the public whatsoever.  Akira couldn't help but be a little offended.  But their major target of exploration today was the love hotel.

Many high school students – particular the boys – knew what occurred inside such establishments.  Discreet businesses dedicated to providing a place where couples could be intimately involved.  However, none of them had ever seen the inside of one.  The local places enforced age restrictions to keep the minors both safe from exploitative adults.  Ann and Akira couldn't enter one normally.  But that's what Mementos was for.  As expected, shadows lumbered about inside.  Weaker than those underground but strong enough to be an annoyance.

"Of all the places you pick to explore, why a love hotel?" Ann inquired.  Akira had the pistol drawn, leaning against the wall and watching the corridor that stretched out before him.  No shadows.  Though perhaps they dwelled upon the upper levels.

"You hear so many rumors about these places," he commented, waving her out of the lobby.  "I just wanna see."

"What do you wanna see?"

"I dunno.  Something.  At least just to say I've been to one." The snicker he heard sent a wry amused smirk on his face.

"You know that nobody's gonna believe you, right?" she teased.  "How would you even explain how you got into one?"

"That's a good point…" He rubbed his chin with a solitary finger in thought.  "I'll level with you.  I hadn't thought this far."

"Plus, it's kinda weird for a guy to go into a love hotel by himself.  I mean, love hotels are already pretty weird on their own." From the outside, the building was unassuming just like in the real world.  It made sense to Akira, seeing as how these places were meant to be unassuming so as to preserve the customers' privacy.  The inside, however, was significantly more ornate.  An extravagant interior dolled up with red carpeting and shades of pink.  Tapestries and paintings portraying both romance and eroticism donned the walls.  A classy sight to behold, but Akira had expected it to appear seedier, considering its reputation.  Though he was certainly thankful for the sophisticated atmosphere.  Public displays of both affection and lust made him feel uncomfortable.

"You're not the least bit curious about this place?" Akira asked.  Ann felt herself grow silent, the blonde chewing on her bottom lip in thought.

"…Maybe." Its existence intrigued her more than anything else, for the most part.  How people could bring themselves to enter such establishments with millions of people watching.  The thought of being caught in such a place mortified her.  Sex and intimacy were things that made Ann feel on edge.  Though, Akira was the only one who was able to soothe her.  To make her feel comfortable and safe, even in a place like this.  A love hotel was the last place she would wander to of her own accord, but if he was at her side, she'd definitely check it out.  Maybe even stay the night.  A blush rivaling the fierce crimson of her latex suit fought its way onto her cheeks, prompting the girl to cough awkwardly.  "A-Actually, there's something about you that I'm more curious about."

"What's that?" His back to the wall, Akira surveyed the hallway before them.  As expected, nothing of note.  The corridors were done up with immaculate fixtures and red cloth.  Though, he was curious to see the rooms themselves.  Rumors from the high school boys floated around that there were different themes to each room.  He just hoped the doors weren't locked in the Metaverse.  "Let's investigate these rooms."

"Your call." It would take ages to inspect every room individually.  So Akira resolved to wander the hallway and pick doors at random.  "It's about your power.  We only have one Persona, but you can have many.  Why is that?" His hand hovered over the doorknob, Ann's question stopping Akira in his tracks.  With a furrowed brow did he mull her comment over.

"It's… difficult to explain," he replied before turning the knob.

"So, there  _is_  an explanation for it." All this Metaverse business was so confusing to Ann, even with the explanations Morgana and Futaba provided.  They were working with so many unknowns that it proved to be quite intimidating for her.  The rules made little sense to her, all this talk of cognition and psychology going over her head.  It was easier to just shrug her shoulders and go with "it's magic." But after so much, she wanted to get some firm grasp on it all.  Why these things were happening.

"Whoa…" Ann ventured to his side and became utterly perplexed at the interior of the hotel room.  Beige walls and brown carpet combined with extravagant brown drapes, a fireplace with a mahogany mantle, and the pelt of a bear mounted on the wall above the banister.  The air smelled of expensive scotch, though the glasses placed on the small wooden end table near the flat screen television were empty.  A round bed clad in white sheets and surrounded by leather cushions sat in the center of the room.  "Definitely not standard Japanese decor."

"Wow!" Ann marveled at the makeup of the room.  It wasn't within her wheelhouse of taste, but being the daughter of famous fashion designers left her an appreciation for aesthetics from all walks of life.  "Got a real Moscow vibe from in here."

"Moscow?  You've been to Russia?" She responded with a nod.

"I told you I used to live in Finland for a while, right?  My parents were hosting a fashion show in Moscow and took me with them so we could see the northern lights.  We got to see the Saint Basil Cathedral and everything.  You know that big building with all the spiral top thingies that look like candy?" Akira nodded his head as he contemplated her words.  Whenever Ann spoke about her parents, it was always so interesting to hear.  Getting to go to so many places and seeing so many things.  Though, it came at the cost of her parents never being around.  And never getting a place to truly settle.  Such things didn't sound too bad to Akira.  He always was a bit of a wanderer, walking wherever he could and even pacing in his own room back home.

"Always thinking about sweets, aren't you?" Akira said, eager to turn the conversation away from the thoughts of his own family.  Reflecting on what she had versus what he had was a surefire way to dampen his spirits.  Ann beamed as he led her down the hallway, perusing the different doors to see which one enticed him more.  Not like it really mattered, considering they all looked the same on the outside.  "Here.  This one." As the door swung open, they were greeted by the sight of a dimly lit room with walls made to resemble black rock.  The bed was square this time, adorned in brown and tan striped sheets with mocha drapes hanging above like a canopy.  Between the bathroom and the bed was a glass box housing exotic plants.  "What in the…?" Even Ann found herself perplexed by such a peculiar design.

"Is this a hotel room or a zoo exhibit?" she pondered.  A snicker escaped Akira's throat at the thought of housing Morgana inside the tank with all the plants.  Just to see the utter confusion on his face.  "It does look really cool, though." As she wandered in, her latex shined softly in the dim light.  He smirked as his eyes fell to her tight rear, winking at his reflection in it.  With a coy smile did he wave back at it, reaching out to high five himself.  Ann gasped softly at the playful smack to her rear, swiftly turning right around to stare him down.  "You better behave, Joker."

"Or what?" She bit her bottom lip from the melting feeling she felt in her chest as those bedroom eyes gazed down at her teasingly.  With a catlike smirk of her own, she gently patted the coiled whip.

"Or I might just have to punish you…" A low gruff chuckle slid out through his lips.  Ann felt butterflies surge in her chest.  Such a thing to utter for a woman so precocious.  The whole dominatrix vibe her outfit gave off was not something she entirely understood or took much pride in.  But Akira definitely liked it.  More than the other boys did, that much was certain.  When it was just the two of them, she took more comfort in how titillating it was.  "Or would you like that?" Akira felt a shudder escape him as she gently glided a finger against his jawline.  The cool latex sent shivers down his spine upon touching his soft skin.  When Ann played the role of femme fatale, she played it exceptionally well.  Though he couldn't help but wonder where this incredible acting ability was while they were dealing with Yusuke.

"…Maybe I'd like that," he uttered, a low playful growl hanging in the back of his throat.  Ann bit her lip mischievously before toying with the collar of his trenchcoat.

"I know you would…" Getting these reactions out of Akira never failed to make her heart surge with great joy.  The distance between the two grew shorter and shorter, her black-clad lover placing his hands upon her slender waist.  His elegant white mask couldn't hide the blush her taunting had elicited.  It never got old watching that confident visage he wore on the surface melt from a playful wink, a tender touch, or the right phrase uttered.  "I'd like it too…" The chill that ran down Akira's spine was so cold, he swore that frost had formed upon his breath.

 _CLANG!_  

Their amorous banter was cut short as the cover of a ventilation shaft hit the floor.  Akira raised his pistol, prompting Ann to crack the whip against the ground.  A gelatinous blob was snaking its way through the opening.  A shadow but not yet wholly formed. Fire began to crackle and smoke through the gaps in Ann's fingers.  With a single order, she would toast the shadow to bits.  But Akira sensed something afoul.  As he narrowed his eyes and stared at the blob, his suspicions were confirmed to have ground.  With the aid of the Third Eye, the shadow's form showed a great red aura surrounding it.  Rather odd as the majority of shadows on the top side of Mementos were all blues.  One or two yellows spotted from time to time.  But the sheer power that emanated from this shadow was not something Akira wanted to go up against.

"Let's light him up, Joker!"

"No!" Just as the blob touched down upon the ground with a sickening splat, Akira had yanked Ann inside the nearby closet.  The door was shuttered, thus allowing them to survey what was outside.  He silenced his beloved's protests and held her close, staring with a squint through the shutters at the shadow.  Its form began to change drastically in appearance.  The blob rose from the ground, now a nine-foot-tall hulking beast with white masks adorning its body.  Ann withdrew further into Akira as the both of them hid within the closet, their breathing barely a whisper.  All the while, Akira kept his gun at the ready.  It was not that he doubted their abilities.  Rather, the boy just was not in the fighting mood.  Especially against an enemy that would give four of them trouble by itself.  With just two of them, the fight would be the most arduous battle waged in Mementos.  And the last thing he wanted was to head back to Leblanc sore and battered.

As he had hoped, the shadow lumbered right past the closet without so much as glancing in their direction.  Without any sort of leadership, the shadows in Mementos were content to mindlessly wander about until something unusual crossed their paths.  Out through the open door it went.  Its footsteps fading down the hall with heavy thuds growing softer and softer.  Ann held onto Akira's coat for dear life as she stared through the shutters.  Slowly did she allow herself to breathe normally again.

"That was close," she uttered, turning back to see Akira glancing down.  It hadn't occurred to her just how close she was resting up against him.  She had buried her breasts into his chest, giving him a generous view of her cleavage being housed in the latex suit.  The reddish tint of his cheeks made Ann feel quite flustered.  "Enjoying yourself?" Akira let out a nervous chuckle at having been caught.  Though he hadn't exactly been subtle.  Since they started dating, he had become less and less nervous about openly displaying his physical interest in her.  The extent of which he kept reserved.  They had shared lewd texts and even grinded, but the issue of sexuality had been relatively unexplored.

"Lovely as usual, they are," he teased with a wry smirk.  Ann gently poked him on the tip of his nose.

"Perv." Akira smugly raised an eyebrow, helping himself to the view of her chest.

"You know you love it." Ann bit her bottom lip and averted her blue gaze from his silver irises.  There really was no sort of comeback she could offer in exchange.  He wasn't wrong in his assumption.  To know he wanted her sent her heart soaring.  "Sorry about dragging you in here so fast.  That shadow was packing some serious power."

"How could you tell?" Ann inquired.  A red leather clad hand reached up, Akira delivering a soft tap to his forehead

"My Third Eye.  It's a power I was given months ago." Ann chewed on her bottom lip contemplatively from his words.  This did explain how he was able to find treasure and filter what shadows to kill and which to avoid with relative ease.

"Where'd you get it?"

"Same place where I got my Wild Card.  The Velvet Room." Ann's slow and bewildered blinking stirred a snicker in the back of his throat.  Though he would be hard-pressed to blame the confused look on her face.  He must've sounded like a lunatic.  The Velvet Room was something he had contemplated explaining to the others for a while now.  But its existence perplexed even him.  At times, he wasn't sure whether it was real or a hallucination.  "It's said to be a place between dreams and reality, mind and matter."

"So, it's like a Palace?" Ann's words instilled a great troubled feeling within Akira.  The correlation had never been made before, but Ann did seem to be onto something.  Even with her limited understanding.  Igor himself did say the state of the Velvet Room reflected his heart.  Being trapped in that tiny cell, wrists clasped in irons.  Since his arrest, it had been his spiritual state of being and his big fear that lingered in the back of his mind.  Yet the Velvet Room instilled a state of tranquility upon visiting it.  A feeling that contradicted the overall look of the place.

"In a sense.  But it's not the same…" It couldn't be.  Akira held no twisted desires or lust to lord over others.  Nowhere was he even remotely close to the likes of Kamoshida and others.  But then again, Futaba possessed a Palace of her own, and she was no distorted evil person.  Merely a victim of her own troubled mental state.  If the Velvet Room was some sort of Palace, what could be in there that reflected his innermost desires?  Besides him, there was just Igor and the Twin Wardens.  Whenever he arrived, all that would happen besides fusing Personas was that Caroline and Justine would beat him up.  Push him to the ground, step on his back, and scoff at his misery.  There was a sort of sadomasochistic vibe to it all, in hindsight.  A deep feeling of revulsion rose in the pit of his stomach at contemplating the possibility of it.  " _God, I hope it's not…_ "

"So this Velvet Room…" Ann tapped her chin with a solitary finger in thought.  "Is that where you go when you randomly space out on us in Palaces and Mementos?  If so, that makes a lot more sense.  We all just thought you were weird." Akira felt the back of his neck heat up as he visualized how awkward he must've looked standing there, unresponsive.  The anxiety wrestled and squirmed within his chest like a can full of worms.

"Ah, jeez…" Ann giggled and gave a playful peck on the tip of his nose before wrapping her arms around his neck.

"How come a nerd like you gets to use many Personas while we get one?  I wanna dual wield Carmen and Hecate!" Akira gave an amused chuckle, cocking his eyebrow at her.

"I guess I'm just that cool." Ann leaned in close enough that the tips of their noses would touch.

"Sounds like something a nerd would say," she taunted, lowering her voice.  Akira's gaze fell, drinking in the sight of her with a sly come-hither stare.  He extended a finger and rested it underneath her chin, tilting it upwards ever so slightly.

"Yet you're the one in love with me.  So who's the real nerd here?"

"Still you." And with that, she silenced any clever comeback he could muster with a deep kiss.  Pouring herself into her lover as his hands slid across her latex-clad form.  She administered a playful slap to his shoulder as he took her rear in both hands.  Squeezing the tight flesh housed within, toned from their gym exercises.  The both of them obscured by shadow within the closet of a love hotel.  Such an adventurous fantasy made real, even for the two Phantom Thieves.  Ann took a fistful of his shaggy black hair before positively melting into him.  As Akira glided a finger up her spine, he let out a soft surprised gasp at her next move.  The blonde had taken his bottom lip in her teeth, nibbling on it.  A true power move that sent a furious blush straight through Akira's body.  The air in their confined little closet grew hotter the more they poured themselves into one another.  Kisses, nibbles, gropes, tender touches.  The unstable cocktail of teenage hormones and emotions was raging to a boil.

"Turn around," he breathed.  Akira was near out of breath from the tension, his chest rising and falling as though he had run a marathon.  Though his request confused her, she complied.  Akira's hands darted to her waist and pulled her into him the moment she had turned away.  She could feel the firmness of his crotch through the latex.  Her nails grazed his thighs as she began grinding into him, his right hand gently gliding to caress her inner thigh in return.  Gingerly did Akira guide his hand upwards, placing his middle finger along Ann's sternum and gently tickling the space between her cleavage.  The tingling of her exposed skin caused a soft gasp to escape the young blonde.  From her peripheral did she see his silver eyes narrow mischievously as his middle finger hooked around the zipper.  Ann could swear she felt steam wafting off her neck from the look he gave her.  His hand lingered around her front zipper for a long while as he planted kisses along her neck and jawline.  The blonde tilted her head back and leaned against his shoulder, desperate soft gasps escaping.

"Wh-what are you waiting for?" she huffed, squeezing his knee.  As his other hand toyed with her zipper, his right gently ran up and down the length of her waist.  Holding her firmly against him, almost possessively.  As though he feared she would slip out from his grasp.  Not that she planned on doing such a thing.  Ann had never felt such an otherworldly warmth before.  A primal lust sparked within her.  Two amorous teenagers alone, clad in leather and latex.  The mood was bound to strike both of them eventually.  Neither one of them could have anticipated how hard, though.

"Are you sure?" Akira nursed her hip against him as the breath caught in his throat.  The both of them were treading a very fine line.  Neither of them having come this close before.  He felt himself jolt when Ann groped the back of his thigh and pulled him into her.  The weak mewls he elicited from her as he nipped and kissed her neck sent his heart racing.  Ann bit down on her bottom lip, nodding for him to proceed.  "Okay… but if you want me to stop, all you gotta do is say so.  Alright?" He could hardly hear her confirmation over gulping down the knot in his throat.  Akira reached up to cradle her cheek and tentatively undid her front zipper.  Ann inhaled sharply as the cold air hit her exposed skin, her hands darting to hold her suit in place.  Akira let forth a low chuckle at the sight of Ann clutching her breasts, lest she risk a wardrobe malfunction.  She nudged him in the ribs with her elbow and fought the nervous smile rising on her face.  With a teasing amorous smirk did Akira remove his glove by his teeth.  Inch by inch, the red leather slid off his hand to show the pale skin of his soft hands.  A slow teasing act that managed to drive Ann wild with anticipation of his inevitable touch.  Seeing it dangle between his canines sparked up something primal in her chest.  The fire roared at how diabolically sexy the act was, it was so unfair.

When it came, it felt like ice against her warm blushing skin.  Her surprised whimper caused him to withdraw, but a begging look from her prompted its return.  Ann bit back the moans welling up as Akira slid his hand down the flat of her stomach.  His tender touch and kisses had the girl on the verge of melting.  The blonde leaned into him as his hand descended lower and lower.  Until it reached the near bottom, where the suit remained barely zipped.  It would only take one flick of his wrist to have her bare it all for him.  But he refused.  They were already taking things way farther than he thought they should.  Neither one of them possessed the necessary tools or knowledge for safe sex.  Plus, doing it in Mementos was already a dicey decision in and of itself.  The raging hardon in his trousers ached for some sort of release.  All too tempting was the possibility to risk it.  Yet Akira decided to keep his wits about him.  Despite his burning lust, the boy was content to explore Ann's body as much as he could.  And was the raven-haired youth quite grateful for the opportunity, especially when slipping his hand beneath the layer of latex to reach the golden heaven between her legs.

With a sharp inhale, Ann leaned farther back into him.  Moans like velvet kissed his ears as his fingers worked their magic.  His middle finger glided teasingly while his ring and pointer tickled her inner thighs.  Akira's fingers performed utter mastery on the heat and wetness she harbored.  Ann knew that with his thin fingers, he could learn to play guitar or piano in absolutely no time.  Though she much rather preferred this use of them.  The blush built up on Akira's neck had amassed a fine sweat from the sheer tension he felt.  His free hand groped her left breast possessively, and Ann reached up to grasp it with him.  Erotic and romantic simultaneously was their union.  The first major intimate sexual encounter between young lovers, stealing away in secret from their friends to share in one another's bodies.  Something they alone could claim of one another that no one else could share.  All theirs and theirs alone.

"Ann~" The blonde cooed with great satisfaction upon hearing her boyfriend's voice.  It was quite husky and heavy, a far cry from his usual calm and reserved tone.  The straining of his stiff member against her tight rear sent a thrill through the young girl.  And the warm flush of his skin as she leaned her cheek against his neck.  She now had a much greater appreciation for her catsuit.  His heavy strained breathing was an absolute thrill to hear, but what she wanted more than anything was to hear him moan.  To hear him cry out in desperation and need like she was for him.  Her hand reached out and firmly groped his toned rear, forcing him to dig harder against her tight bum.  A surprised groan resonated in his voice from her touch.  The young blonde bit her lip, smiling in excitement.  She had gotten close.  It never failed to bring her joy when she managed to cause his calm exterior to waver.  Ann, however, was swift to lose sight of her goal as Akira's fingers rubbed her down.  Teasing and grazing all the right spots, the girl squeezing her thighs together to trap his hand down below.  Not that he had any plans on leaving.  Her knees grew utterly weak from the divine touch he seemed to have upon her.  She was so wet, it felt like she was swimming in her suit.  Ann bit her lip and leaned her head back against his shoulder, surrendering completely to his touch.  The shimmering blue eyes closed to the world as she gave in and allowed herself to be lost in her arousal.  Warmth spread up to her stomach, enveloping her body like a blanket.

 _Ann…_  Her name was called out once more.  Only this time, it was completely different.  Much more lustful and deeper.  Not at all sounding like Akira.  She furrowed her brow and gazed around, but everything was dark.  Nothing to be made out in the black void.  Her heart raced with concern at the abrupt scenery change while her stomach sank down into her feet once upon looking down.  She was floating through emptiness.  Only for a few seconds had she closed her eyes.  Yet she could not have gone anywhere new, as Akira's touched still intimately graced her body.

 _Such a beautiful girl you are, Ann…_ That voice.  A chill ran down her spine as it registered in her mind.  It wasn't Akira's voice.  Not in the slightest.  The creeping sense of familiarity rising up within was replaced with a feeling of revulsion upon realizing who it belonged to.  Her heart nearly seized as she bore witness to who was holding her.  No longer was her beloved Akira there behind her.  Instead stood the visage of the awful man who had haunted her life for months.  The smug grin, the lusting eyes that drank in her curves, his unkempt fro, and the broad chin that housed his great ego.

 _Kamoshida?!_  The blonde's body felt like lead.  Unable to move her arms or legs as she was held in place.  Even worse, her vocal protests fell silent.  As though her voice had been stolen from her.  Her mind raced fast as lightning to piece together what was happening.  Akira was gone, replaced by this horrible excuse for a human being.  Groping and touching her body she had bared for her lover alone.  Now stolen by the former teacher.  But how?  Why couldn't she fight back?  Scream or shout?  His low chuckling filled her ears as the fierce rush of fear threatened to choke her.  Couldn't breathe, couldn't move, couldn't think straight.  Ann had been plucked from her safe intimate encounter with the boy she loved and thrust into whatever dark hell this was.

 _Why fight it, Ann?_  the visage of Kamoshida growled.  _Let's not kid ourselves here.  We're both just animals, after all…_  His grip tightened around her form, squeezing and pinching her most intimate of places.

 _No… No!_  Try as she might, Ann couldn't seem to make her protests be heard.  To declare to the heavens that he would never touch her or any girl ever again.  Yet his grip snaked further around her.  His rippling muscles clinging to her like a common trophy.  And showed no sign of stopping.

"STOP!" The sound of a loud thud against the wall behind her forced her eyes wide open.  She was back.  Back in the small shadowy closet.  As her arms darted to clutch at her suit, Ann felt immense relief to be able to move once more.  Fervently did the girl zip herself up.  For once, the snugness of the latex catsuit provided a minor comfort.

"Oww…" Ann slowly turned to see her beloved Akira back once more.  Though he had fallen to the ground, leaning against the wall and nursing his head.  The girl pinched her brow while she attempted to make sense of all that had transpired.

"What happened?" she asked, taking a knee.  Akira strained his voice between gritted teeth.

"You cried out for me to stop all of a sudden.  And then pushed me back into a wall where I bumped my head.  Really hard, too." Ann found herself with more questions than answers.  What about Kamoshida?  And that black void?  The last thing she recalled before either of them was closing her eyes to soak in the pleasure Akira was administering her.  Had it all been a mere hallucination?  It couldn't have been the work of some shadow. Had it been a malicious attack, why had it not killed her?  And where had Akira gone?  Gingerly did she reach out to gently touch his head.  The girl winced sharply as she felt the bump on his head.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry," she pleaded, cupping her mouth.  Akira merely waved a hand before popping his neck.  Every time he pressed down on the welt, it stung with great ferocity.

"This is gonna last a couple days," he surmised.  Gonna be fun to wake up to.  Akira took the generous hand Ann offered and was lifted to his feet.  The blonde tenderly embraced him, burying herself into the small of his neck.  His hand reached up to gently stroke the blonde locks that descended down her latex clad back.  "Ann, are you okay?" The hesitation in her response instilled a sense of dread within the boy.  A knot stifled any gulp he could muster.  Ann herself wasn't quite sure if she was okay.  What she had seen felt quite real.  Beyond real, in fact.  But it hadn't been.  She had never been in any sort of danger.  Kamoshida was locked away, and she was safe in Akira's arms.  So why did whatever that was happen?

"…Y-yeah, I'm fine." The blonde bit her lip with guilt.  Leaning into his neck offered the chance to avoid his concerned gaze.  Something she was grateful for, for once.

"You don't sound like it." Her heart sank.  Called out by her boyfriend so plainly.  And he was right.  Ann retreated from the comfort of his grasp to face him directly.  They had made a promise to always be honest with one another.  To discuss and vent their problems and frustrations, no matter what.  But how could she discuss that?  Ann wasn't even sure where to begin or even entirely what had occurred.  As she attempted to piece together a coherent explanation, her thought process grew muddled upon the realization of the awkward silence she had left brewing.  The heat on her neck rose from the discomfort her lack of communication created.  "Ann… did I do something wrong?  Did I make you feel uncomfortable?" The blonde felt her heart seize at the sheer fragility of his voice.  The fear and apprehension at the possibility that it was his fault.  It was enough to almost break her heart.

"No!  Nonononono!  God, no!" She gently cupped his face in her attempts to reassure him.  "You did nothing wrong, Akira.  It was just…" Ann garnered a small sliver of comfort upon hearing the sigh of relief escape him.  But it did little to alleviate the stress she felt from what she had seen or what she was putting Akira through.  Now she was stressed about making him stressed, thus making them both stressed.  The vicious cycle vexed the young teen.  But she had to pursue this.  For both their sakes.  "I'll try." A gentle comforting finger grazed her jawline.

"Try your best." Like that, her worries began slowly dissolving away.  Akira and his magic touch worked its usual charms upon her.  Clearly whatever she had seen had to be some sort of gross hallucination.  Akira would never let something like that happen to her under his watch.

"I had closed my eyes while you… worked me…" Her cheeks flushed as she recounted the situation.  For being as inexperienced in sex as she was, Akira knew how to work those fingers.  It was tempting to forgo explaining her uncomfortable hallucination and merely seduce him to continue what he started.  A nice fantasy to entertain.  But Akira was not one to be easily swayed from his decisions.  Ann cleared her throat and pressed on.  "Then I… I don't know what happened.  I opened my eyes, and everything was dark.  I wasn't in the closet anymore.  I was floating through some black space.  At least, I… I think I opened my eyes." Trying to rationalize it to him made her feel stupid now.  "Just forget it.  It was nothing, I-"

"No, Ann." Akira took her hands in his and faced her with a stern determined look that accentuated the sheen of his pristine silver eyes.  That leaderlike Phantom Thief aura shone through.  "You're avoiding explaining what made you freak out, and I want to know.  I'm… I'm concerned for you is all." How he could go from noble regal rebel to mere puppy dog of a human being was a trip to her.  A great relenting sigh left her lithe body.  As expected, there was no way she would worm out of this.

"I saw… Kamoshida.  In your place.  And he was…" Akira felt his blood run cold, a great revulsion rising in his chest at the thought of that awful man molesting her.  He grimaced in utter disgust.  At Kamoshida, at himself.  The boy swiftly slid his glove back on as though he were trying to hide his hand from sight.  His touch had made Ann think of terrible occurrences in her life.  Of all the cruelties inflicted upon him, this felt like the worst.

"Did you have like a… flashback?  Or a panic attack?" he asked.

"I don't know.  This has never happened before…" Kamoshida's reign over her had instilled many bad feelings.  Self-loathing, insecurity, a repulsion to sex.  She couldn't even remember the last time she had been aroused before dating Akira.  Any time she had attempted to pleasure herself, Kamoshida's face grinned smugly from inside her head.  The disgust she felt from his iron grip around her school life had shut her sex drive down completely.  Just when he had finally left her head had fate decreed a cruel hand.  It all sounded like a sick practical joke gone horribly wrong.  The frustrated blonde leaned into his chest, her arms wrapped around his neck.  "I'm sorry, Akira.  I ruined the mood.  My head's a mess-"

"You didn't ruin anything, Ann," he assured her, running his fingers through her hair.  The wild rattling of her heart resided with the calm comfort of his honeyed words.  "Kamoshida put you through a lot.  It's not out of the question for something like this to happen." A sigh like the coo of a dove left his blonde lover.  Her embrace tightened with a sense of possessiveness.  "It's my fault.  I should've considered this could be the case before I… I pressured you.  And I took you to a fucking love hotel too..." The raven-haired youth slammed his fist into the wall behind him.  "Goddammit!"

"Hey!  Hey, hey, listen.  Don't be like that…" Her hands cradled his soft cheeks.  The latex offered a cool smooth feeling against his flushed skin.  "Don't blame yourself, okay?  It's not your fault.  You didn't pressure me, Akira.  I wanted this.  I wanted you." Despite her comforting words, Akira was still cursing himself mentally.  So entranced by her outfit and body that the thought of her discomfort with sex didn't even occur to him.  He had been greatly hesitant of Ryuji and Morgana's plan to have her strip nude for Yusuke many months ago for such reasons.  But that felt like a lifetime ago.  How could he have forgotten so easily?  "This is all that bastard Kamoshida's fault.  Like you said." His solemn gaze drifted away to a corner of the room, tugging at her heartstrings.  Though unresponsive, she could see in his eyes he was kicking himself remorselessly.  Ann tilted his head back to her with a solitary finger before administering a peck upon his lips.  The brief smile of surprise that had popped up faded in the blink of an eye had not gone unnoticed by her.  She giggled before planting another one on the tip of his nose.  "Come on.  Where's my happy Joker?  The man I love?"

Despite his protests, the winning smile found its way back to his face.  Akira leaned his head against hers, the tips of their noses touching.  With content warmth glowing in their chests, the two stood in silence.  The comfort of one another's presence and the tender touch they provided acted as pure therapy.  Though they both felt a sense of troubledness lingering in the back of their hearts.  Guilt, uncertainty, and disdain for Kamoshida squirmed like a worm.  Could they ever truly put the past behind them?

"I guess it'll be a while before we can… give it another shot…" After today, she suspected any amorous mood higher than tender kisses would be dead in the water.

"We'll take it slow," he purred softly.  With a dreamlike gaze did she glide the back of her hand against his soft cheek.  Whether in his Phantom Thief regalia, regular clothes, or school uniform, he was the most beautiful man she had ever borne witness to.  "Don't push yourself for me, Ann.  We'll go for it only if you feel absolutely comfortable with it."

"And if I'm not?"

"Then I'll wait.  As long as it takes.  I love you, Ann.  And I would never do anything to intentionally hurt or scare you."

"I know.  I love you too…" In the shade of the darkness within the closet did the two exchange a deep loving kiss.  Arms cradling their heads and bodies with great desperation.  A desire to never let go and to remain there in unity for as long as can be.  Like that it remained for a while.  Intimate close kisses and close warm cuddling.  Like all things, it had to reach its end.  The two had acquired their fill of Mementos for a while and departed with no delays.  Akira treated the both of them to dinner before walking her home.  A shared parting kiss in the dark before he proceeded back to Leblanc.  The night transitioned as usual.  Sojiro made small talk with the customers, schooled him on the concocting of coffee and curry before leaving him to lock the store up.  Akira played his part and tended to the store at Sojiro's behest.  He tried his best to remain composed before Morgana.  The cat suspected nothing of his behavior, though he did bare some concern with why Akira was spending so much time in the bathroom.

The scalding water lapped at Akira's skin as he scrubbed away at their hands.  The soap did not feel clean enough, and the water refused to burn any hotter.  The boy washed away at some unseen stain upon his skin.  The fact that his touch had made Ann think of Kamoshida against his will felt like blasphemy.  A perverse offense against his person.  He had even contemplated visiting the church in Kanda, as though he had committed the sin personally.  Perhaps if he confessed and took responsibility, whatever divine creator watched over them – if there even was one – would take pity on him and protect Ann.  How it had come to this, he could never have imagined.


	44. Moments of Fleeting Joy

_10/02/17 – Sunday_

Sunday morning had crept upon the sleeping populace of Tokyo.  A cloudy sky, a cool atmosphere.  And with school closed in typical fashion, it would be a great day to sleep in for the average high school student.  Yet Ryuji was standing at the track field behind the school.  The uniform he donned offered little protection against the brisk nature of the morning breeze.  The sleepy youth rubbed his eyes while Morgana huddled near his legs, just as chilly as he was.

"What do you think Akira has in mind?" the feline asked.

"Beats me," the blond uttered between yawns.  "He didn't tell you?"

"Just to go on ahead and that he'll meet us soon." About twenty minutes had passed since Ryuji had been summoned out of his bed to meet at the track field.  No explanation given other than to grab breakfast first.  If this was part of what Akira had in mind as part of their effort of making up to the team, it was a strange start.  Wasn't even seven A.M. yet.

"Well, whatever he's doing, he better get here soon because it's cold as sh-" The boy found his words interrupted by the emergence of a deafening referee whistle and Morgana pouncing upon him in fear.  When Ryuji finally managed to pry the startled cat off his person, he bore witness to Akira standing before them.  Dressed in his track uniform, munching on a breakfast burrito, and aviator sunglasses resting upon his face.  A megaphone was clenched in his other hand while a lawn chair sat atop a cooler he had brought.

"Listen up, wussbags!" he commanded, doing his best drill sergeant impersonation.  "The both of you have inconvenienced us for the last time!  So here's what we're gonna do!" He began to pace back and forth before the both of them while they nursed their sore ears.

"Akira, what are you guys doing here?" He turned to see Makoto and Haru standing to his side, looking just as perplexed as the other boys did.

"Punishment," he clarified while looking them over.  "What are you doing here, Makoto?"

"I always come to school on Sunday so I can assist in filing graded work and coordinating the weekly events."

"Okay, well why are  _you_  here then, Haru?" The fluffy haired girl beamed sweetly at him, cradling her box of gardening tools.

"Going to tend to the plants up on the roof.  I do it every Sunday." Akira turned back and sized the two boys up.

"Here's the deal.  In order to make up for your faux-pas earlier, you two are gonna give me one hundred laps around the track." Ryuji's jaw fell to the ground in shock, his feline companion looking just as perplexed.

"A hundred laps!?" he repeated in utter disbelief.  Morgana eyed his limbs apprehensively.

"I don't know if my squat cat body can do all that…" Akira merely shrugged, setting up his lawn chair.

"You can take five-minute breaks to recuperate, and I brought us water.  Now, you don't have to do this, but it's the only way I can sincerely know you're sorry for your negligence." Ryuji and Morgana shuffled awkwardly in place as he took his seat in the lawn chair.  He seemed dead set on pushing this.  At this point, Ryuji was considering whether or not he wanted to be yelled at or run these laps.  By all means did he enjoy a challenge, but one hundred laps?  "You can walk away from this if you want.  I won't stop you, but know that it means I'm not sure if I can trust you." The blond looked to the girls, who merely shrugged at him.

"This is your decision, Ryuji," Makoto stated, folding her arms.  "You got yourself into this mess, and now it's your responsibility to get out of it." Haru nodded in agreement, though she swiftly glanced down with concern at Morgana.

"Just… don't overwork them.  Okay, Akira?" she implored.  "I don't want them to get hurt."

"I can do it." They stared down at Morgana, blue eyes burning with determination.  Akira gave an approving nod at the cat's eagerness to accept this responsibility.  "I told you I'd do whatever it took to win your trust back, and I meant it." The feline stretched his limbs and clenched his paws to warm himself up.  Not to be outdone, Ryuji followed his example.

"Yeah!  I'm all for this!" Like Morgana, he too wished to redeem himself in Akira's eyes.  It wouldn't be easy, but the blond was dedicated to the track.  Plus, if Morgana was willing to overcome the same hurdles, then why shouldn't he stand at his side?  "We ain't gonna let you down again, Akira."

"Good.  Now line up!" The two skidded to their position on the starting line, awaiting his signal.  Both crouched and stared down the stretch of runway.  Akira couldn't help but bask in the glow of their resolve.  Flawed to be sure, but if he asked them of something, they'd be willing to give it their all.  Akira stared at the stopwatch on his phone.  After a solid minute did he blow his whistle.  And the two took off at a brisk pace.  Eagerly did Akira lift his megaphone and begin belching jargon.  "Come on, ladies!  Keep hustling!  Do I gotta get Makoto out there to show you how it's done?" The girls stood and watched Ryuji and Morgana hustle along the track.  So far, the both of them were successfully keeping a steady pace.

"Mona-chan is doing really well!" Haru said, clapping her palms excitedly.  "It's amazing he can keep going with such a small body!"

"Ryuji is quite impressive himself," Makoto admitted.  "Though I suppose with his prior experience on the track team, that is to be expected.

* * *

 

One hundred laps.  Against all odds, Ryuji and Morgana managed to pull it off.  Granted, the both of them were exhausted to near collapse.  Yet they were willing to push themselves to the absolute limits in order to show Akira how deep their resolve went.  Needless to say, he was not disappointed.  After drinking all twenty bottles of water, Akira took the both of them and Ann to the Wilton Hotel buffet as tribute and celebration.

"My treat."

Ryuji wasted no time taking advantage of such an opportunity, loading up three plates of food all for himself.  One plate would be picked clean by the time he loaded up another.  Ann tasked herself with loading up plates of sushi for Morgana, as well as helping herself to a myriad of sweets.  Contently did Akira watch his friends gorge themselves endlessly, though after around fifteen plates each, he began to question whether or not he could cover all these expenses.  But he was committed to this now.  No way would he back out of this after putting Ryuji and Morgana through such an endurance test.

"It was all so worth it," Ryuji groaned, patting his stomach while lounging back in his seat with the most satisfied grin a human being could muster.  A belch escaped the blond boy's gullet, earning him a swift kick from Ann from beneath the table.  Morgana gave a cheeky snicker while nibbling on his sushi.

"You guys earned it," Akira said.  "I had my doubts that you'd commit to this, but you showed me."

"Told you I was committed," Morgana said, curling up next to Ann's legs.  The blonde dipped her hand down and affectionately stroked his chin.  Slowly did one eye open to gaze at Akira.  "So… are we good?"

"Well, you and Ryuji had a couple more days of cold-shouldering lined up, but…" The raven-haired youth huffed with amusement through his nose at Ann's expecting look.  He rolled his eyes and let out a content sigh.  "Yeah, we're good." Ryuji wrapped his arm around Akira's waist and nudged his ribs with a playful grin.

"Ah, see?  You can't stay mad at us." Ann giggled at the two boy's shenanigans, Ryuji heckling and teasing their leader.

"Just remember: next time, it'll be two hundred laps." Ryuji nearly choked on the food he shoveled into his gullet.  A nervous laugh found its way out from the boy while Akira eyed him with a mischievous smirk.

"Don't worry, Akira," Morgana piped up, slurping down a piece of fatty tuna.  "There won't be a next time.  Ryuji and I won't cause the team trouble ever again.  We've learned our lesson."

"You two worked really hard out there," Ann commented, ruffling Morgana's ears.  "I never expected you to run so fast, Morgana." The feline purred contently, resting his head on her thigh.  Ryuji placed his hands behind his head.

"He ain't half bad," the blond admitted while he picked at his teeth with a toothpick.  "You have fun with the megaphone, Ann?" She giggled at him as she remembered Akira giving her the chance to bark orders at them.  When he had invited her to join him, she could not have anticipated their Sunday would consist of lounging behind an empty school and watching their teammates run the gauntlet.  "But Morgana is right.  We ain't gonna mess up again, Akira."

"I'll hold you to that," he replied, nibbling on some beans.  Ann gave a satisfied nod at the both of them.  It felt like a weight had been lifted from them now that the team was on the same page again.  It had barely been a week, yet it felt like almost a month had gone by.  Life had come incredibly fast at them since their return from Hawaii.  Once Okumura was squared away, they could focus on exploring Mementos and living semi-normal lives again.

"Um, Lady Ann?" Morgana's tail twitched anxiously as he sat to Ann's side, blue eyes shimmering expectantly.  "There's something I need to tell you." Akira folded his arms and watched the cat closely.  Ann felt her stomach squirm apprehensively.

"Morgana, can we please not do this?" Of all the things she wanted to deal with, another attempt at wooing her was not one of them.  Especially after they had just buried the hatchet.

"It's not what you think!" the cat insisted.  She pursed her lips in thought and looked to Akira.  He gave her a low deliberate nod, glancing over to Morgana's direction.  The blonde sighed and relented.  A knot then began forming itself in the feline's throat.  His pride was wrestling with him once more.  It was what landed them all in this situation in the first place.  He was determined not to let it win over his good judgment a second time.  Not after proving his resolve to Akira.  "Lady Ann, I…" He interrupted himself with a hefty sigh.  His apprehensiveness was stifling his lungs, the pocket of air trying to choke his words down.  "I want to apologize for how I've treated you."

"Uh…" Ryuji tugged at his shirt collar awkwardly.  "Do you guys need some privacy for this?"

"No.  It's fine.  Akira needs to hear this too." Ryuji and Ann glanced toward him, his only response a deliberate single nod.  He cleared his throat to urge the cat to continue.  "I have not acted like the gentleman I believed myself to be.  I was… uncourteous to you.  Not listening to what you wanted and trying to push myself into your heart.  One of the reasons I left to go on my own was to prove myself as a worthy gentleman deserving of your hand and love." His ears folded shamefully as another sigh escaped his larynx.  "I was wrong…"

"Morgana…" Ann said glumly.

"You and Akira tried to tell me several times, but I was being stubborn." A melancholic chuckle escaped his person, the cat solemnly glancing down to his paws.  "You don't love me, and I…" His heart was trembling in his tiny ribcage.  He felt he would collapse right then and there from the sheer tension and anxiety that threatened to overwhelm him.  Yet, he managed to force out the last of it.  "And I will respect that." Silence hung over their table as Morgana's confession was processed.  The heat building on the back of his neck was unbearable.  Morgana wasn't quite sure how well he had articulated his point.  Such grandiose confessions were new to him, and he didn't possess the eloquence for speech like Akira did.  But the assuring nod and stoic approving smirk on his face seemed to indicate he had done well.  However, the real answer he needed was from Ann.  What did the love of his life think of his words?  "Lady Ann… do you forgive me?  Can we still be friends?" A blank bewildered stare was all that greeted him before the blonde bit her bottom lip, suppressing a snicker.

"Oh, Morgana, you goofball." With a giggle did she scoop him up in her arms, snuggling his soft frame.  "We never stopped being friends." The cat's body slackened as a great sigh left his compact form.

"I was worried you didn't want to be my friend after all I had done."

"Nonsense." She buried her face into his fuzzy back.  "I will admit, I wasn't too happy about the way you treated me for a while." Morgana's face flushed with shame at his pitiful bargains for her heart.  Love had taken over his reasonability, but such things were hardly an excuse.  That was what Akira would tell him, at least.  "But I would never hold a grudge against you.  I do love you, Morgana.  Just… not in a romantic way, if that makes sense.  Like I love Shiho.  You're one of my best friends." A despondent smile rested on his face.  He could never have imagined this was how it would have turned out those many months ago when he first was bewitched by Ann.  The suave and handsome gentleman inside a feline form.  That was how he saw himself.  Perhaps he was, but he had certainly not acted like it.  Only through great humility did he finally see.  It wasn't what he wanted, but Ann was no object to be bartered or parleyed with.  She was a person, with her own needs and wants.  And those can't be forced to change.

"I can't apologize enough, Lady Ann," he said.

"You don't need to," she reassured him.  Morgana's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates when he felt her soft lips planting a kiss upon his furry cheeks.  Time seemed to crawl to a standstill as she held him.  "Mwah!  Apology accepted." The cat slumped out of her arms and limply resided on the seat beside her.  Dreamy fluttering eyes stared up at the ceiling as content shuddering sighs escaped him.  Ann merely rolled her eyes and giggled while Ryuji and Akira shared a laugh, the former nudging the latter's ribs.  It felt like he had fallen in love with her all over again.  Though even in his amorous state, Morgana knew not to repeat the mistakes that had landed him in this position.  They were merely friends and always would be.

"Mind if we grab the both of you more plates?" Akira asked, disguising a wink aimed at Ann. Ryuji's stomach was already bloated enough as it is, but the Wilton Hotel's buffet was a rare and delectable experience.  And he was not one to pass up a free meal.

"Keep 'em comin'," Ryuji said, patting his belly.  Akira withdrew to the buffet tables with Ann bringing up the rear, determined to scoop up more fatty tuna.  Nonchalantly did the both of them stand beside each other to pick up items for their plates.  Through Ann's peripheral did she see Ryuji and Morgana distracted, conversing amongst one another.

"We're finally back on track," she said, carving herself a healthy hunk of chocolate cake adorned with strawberries.

"About time," Akira said with a content smirk.  "Now we can effectively help Haru."

"You think she'll be okay?" Ann asked while cradling a platter of sushi in one hand.  "Her fiancé seemed like a real dick."

"Once Okumura confesses, he'll no doubt cancel the engagement.  Haru will be her own woman."

"I hope so." Akira loaded a salad bowl up with a hearty amount of greens.  "Ooh, eating healthy, huh?"

"Nothing wrong with a good vegetarian entrée from time to time." Ann snickered as she watched him drown the lettuce in Italian dressing.  It looked more like soup than a salad after he was done.

"That's what you call "healthy," huh?" He rolled his eyes at her before grabbing another plate for shrimp and chicken.  "You know, Akira, you really do know how to handle this team.  I know Morgana only apologized because of you."

"He did something wrong, and he wanted to make up for it."

"I'm not saying he wasn't being honest.  But he only knew what to say because you set him straight."

"You helped too, Ann."

"But you're the one that got through to him.  And Ryuji too.  You just seem to have this natural charisma."

"Explains how I got you." Her cheeks grew a rosy red from his affectionate claim, Ann biting her bottom lip and averting his amused gaze.

"Well, you're not wrong," she admitted.  "But for real, you really are the glue that holds this team together."

"You're the glue that holds me together, Ann." It took all the strength she could muster to suppress the adoring coo that rose up in her throat.  Her face was burning from the smug confident look he had.

"Why do you have to be so damn cute?  You're lucky we're in public, or I'd smother you in kisses right now." Akira let forth a low chuckle, leaning closer towards her.

"If that's what you call a punishment, then I should misbehave more often."

"Yeah, well sucks for you." Ann teasingly stuck her tongue out at him, loading up a plate full of blueberry pie.  "No PDA for you, nerd."

"Well, you're in love with a nerd so that makes you the bigger nerd." The blonde scoffed in mock offense, jaw agape in an amused expression.

"You wish.  You're a way bigger nerd than I am!  Nerd."

"Whatever, nerd."

"You're the nerd!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yeah-huh!"

The two giggled to themselves as they continued assaulting one another with playful affection, all while Ryuji and Morgana remained blissfully unaware of the romantic banter occurring among the crowd.  The feline had come down from his romantic high and lounged on the booth cushion.  A solemn sigh left his nimble form.  It felt good to finally put this behind him, but his heart still ached for the woman he could never have.

"Relax, man.  There's plenty of other chicks in the sea.  When we turn you human, I'll be your wingman.  Promise!" Morgana couldn't help but snicker at Ryuji's attempts to console him.  At first, his natural instinct was to joke about his previous advice going up in smoke.  But something just didn't feel in good taste about such an action.  Morgana merely huffed through his nose and nodded contently.

"I'd like that." Ryuji gave a meek shrug, his smile faltering somewhat.

"Sorry things didn't work out, little buddy.  But, hey.  Me, Akira, and Yusuke ain't got girlfriends either.  We're all a bunch of bachelors.  When Valentines' Day comes around, we can all have a bachelor party at Leblanc." Morgana snickered, peering over the edge of the table playfully at his blond friend.

"Bachelor party?  Isn't that just a fancy way to say 'losers' meeting'?" Now Ryuji was snickering, balling up a napkin and lobbing it at the cat.  The paper just grazed the top of his furry head.

"Shut up!" he uttered between laughs.  Ann and Akira returned with platters galore, and the gaggle of friends dined to their heart's content.  Laughs were shared, and memories were made between the four of them.  The original founding members of the Phantom Thieves.  For a brief moment, it felt like they had gone back to the early days.  When Kamoshida was their first and only target, when things were a bit simpler back then.  Their meal tasted much sweeter with the unintended helping of nostalgia on the side.

A nice calm before the storm on the horizon.

* * *

 

_10/11/17 – Tuesday_

"Come on, Akira," Ann called from outside the bathroom, tapping her foot.  "I wanna see the castle!"

"Almost done, babe," he called back.  The machine blew hot air upon his damp hands.  They looked clean enough at the surface level, but Akira glared at them as he scanned the invisible stain that plagued him.

Akira had picked up a new habit of washing his hands several times a day for long intervals, even when sporting perfectly clean hands.  It had not gone unnoticed by Morgana.  Though, Akira merely told him it was to get a really stubborn stain out.  In a sense, that was his goal.  The memories of what had transpired inside the Mementos love hotel still lingered over him.  His soft hands that once brought comfort as they held and caressed Ann's body now were ugly tainted things to him.  He could never forgive himself for the way he made her feel.  They had worked so diligently to put Kamoshida away, and now Akira's mere touch inspired feelings of dread within both himself and Ann.

The past two weeks had been a trial of sorts despite the initial downtime.  Both had attempted to continue where they had left off twice.  Once in Mementos, another up in Akira's room when Morgana and Sojiro had stepped out.  Just when some degree of progress was being made, something within Ann's mind would trigger a flashback to Kamoshida's harassment.  The mood would swiftly die, and Ann would utter ashamed and regretful apologies to Akira.  The boy held no blame against her whatsoever.  He was more than willing to wait as long as it took before they could go all the way.  But the fact that his touch garnered such a troubled response from her during their intimate attempts.  It made him more than tentative to touch her of his own accord.  Even simple things such as hugs would cause uncertainty to creep into the back of his mind.  The nagging fear that he could inadvertently start some startled response even through non-sexual contact.  Akira tried his best to keep these feelings hidden from Ann, though Ann was quite adept at discovering such things.  If she suspected, she hadn't made mention of it yet.

The sexual and emotional frustration the two underwent was unlike anything they had felt before.  Though one benefit of the added stress was being able to vent their frustration into hitting the gym.  Ann and Akira pushed one another to their limits like never before outside the Metaverse.  It may not have made up for their emotional issues, but it certainly had them feeling the burn.

But today wasn't about any of that.  It was about relaxing and celebrating the taking of Okumura's heart with his team.  More specifically, with her.  At the most magical place in all Tokyo: Destinyland.  It was like a childhood fantasy come to life to be in the park.  Especially with the knowledge that the Phantom Thieves had it all to themselves.  After such a tumultuous journey to solve the Okumura case, the team more than deserved it.

Akira emerged from the bathroom, his beloved beaming at him with her cat ear hairband on.  Fitting for his Panther, he surmised.

"Where's yours?" she asked, rubbing her chin with a solitary finger as she glanced up to his shaggy head of hair.  From the satchel did he withdraw his own headband.  Sporting cat ears just like hers.  As he slipped it on, a plethora of giggles left his blonde lover.  "Well, hey there, Kitty Man.  All you're missing is a clip-on tail."

"Ah, geez," Akira said with a chuckle, nursing the bridge of his nose.  He had done his best to forget Ryuji and Morgana's attempts at nicknaming her when she was fresh to the Phantom Thieves.  Their options were rather pitiful, to say the least.  "Can't I at least be Sexy Cat?" Ann comically held a finger to her mouth in mock contemplation.

"Hmm… nah." She slunk past him with a playful wink, leaning against the railing in order to marvel at the majestic sight before them.  The sun had begun to set behind the great Destinyland Castle that stretched high into the sky above them.  A work of architectural engineering to be sure.  Yusuke was no doubt somewhere fawning over the sheer aesthetic of it all.  As to where he and the others were, Akira had no clue.  They had ventured all over the place upon arriving to ride the rides and take in the sights.  Starting off as a group before splitting down into smaller subgroups to cover more ground.  Akira had to allocate time for all of them individually.

The best had been saved for last.  When Ann got her turn, it was an opportunity she took great advantage of.  Her great escapade was to ride the enormous rollercoaster.  The only hurdle for both of them was their fear of heights.  But if Ann was willing to go through with it, he was too.  After all, his pride was at stake.  As anticipated, it was incredibly terrifying.  But invigorating all at once.  Though Akira wouldn't admit it, his stomach did get uneasy towards the end.  He was just thankful not to have blown chunks all over the place.  That would have killed the mood faster than any Kamoshida flashback could.  It wasn't an experience he would have undergone willingly under normal circumstances, but seeing Ann's sweet smiling face and hearing her honeylike laughter made it all worth it.  So many rides and laughs, the rush of adrenaline and excitement all throughout the day at a constant pace.  Now the day was winding down as dusk settled over the park.

"I had so much fun today," Ann said, clinging to his arm as she joined him at her side.  "Even when riding that big rollercoaster." Akira scratched the back of his head and shook it as he recalled the experience.

"I'm doing my best to repress that memory."

"Aww, but it was so exciting, wasn't it?"

It was almost time for dinner, with the chefs having gone all out to prepare a meal fit for kings.  Haru had assured them of that much.  Their newest recruit was so courteous to the staff as she assisted with organizing events to accommodate everyone.  The prospect of gourmet delights and eloquent dishes was beyond tantalizing.  But Akira was in no hurry for a meal at this moment.  For now, he was reveling in the quiet romantic moment the both of them shared as they were bathed in the orange light of the Destinyland Castle lights.  With everyone so divided and the park empty, it had not been easier to steal away with her.  The boy withdrew his arm from her grip to wrap it around her.  Ann hugged his frame and nestled her head into the small of his neck.  Akira's heart fluttered contently within his chest.  The doubts and worries about his presence, his touch, and the fear of Kamoshida's visage haunting her head.  Now gone, at least for today.

"I've never been to Destinyland before," Akira confessed while the sky faded to a rich purple with the aid of the setting sun.  Soon, the black of night would be upon them, and they would be greeted by the sight of shimmering stars.  With Ann at his side and the park to themselves, he could never have conceived a greater getaway.

"My parents took me to Destinyland a lot when we would visit America," Ann said.  "But this has to be the best." As her gaze fell lovingly upon him through sleepy eyes, a faint bashful blush brushed its way upon her cheeks.  A notion that had not gone unnoticed by Akira, who eyed her wryly with a smirk and a cocky raised eyebrow.  "I, uh… you know, it's a little embarrassing to admit, but I always…" The blonde bit her bottom lip to fight back the nervous snickers bubbling for the surface.  "I always wanted to wear a fancy dress like the princess characters have." Akira's mouth fell open at the thought of Ann adorned in a fancy ballroom gown.  Something akin to the way Carmen looked with the flowing rose dress, just as exotic as the legends transcribed to parchment of the literary figure.  His hand gravitated over to hover near his heart in an attempt to still it.

"I would pay money to see that," he admitted, prompting a furious blush to rise and consume Ann's pale skin.

"It's a total cliché, I know." Ann cupped her mouth and averted her gaze away from her raven-haired lover.  "But I can't help it.  That cheesy romance stuff really does get me." Akira's mouth curled into a crooked teasing smirk.

"Princess Ann," the boy teased.  Comically, he scooped her hand and planted a kiss upon her skin.  "Could I be your Prince Akira, perhaps?" A loud snicker escaped from his blonde lover as she rolled her eyes at him.

"You're such a nerd." Despite her jest, she couldn't hide the enamored smile on her face despite the biting of her bottom lip.  "…But yeah.  I'd like that…" Their fawning and playful banter was then interrupted by the sudden surgence of light and booms echoing in the air.  The fireworks display had decided to grace them with its presence unexpectedly.  Brilliant golds, oranges, and purples flashed and sparked along the night sky.  Right over the Destinyland Castle, as though the moment couldn't be anymore picaresque.  "Oh my God!  It's so pretty!" Akira found himself hooked in a vice grip as Ann squeezed him tightly.  Her blue eyes twinkled from the enamored raw emotion rippling within her.  Akira giggled softly under his breath at her childlike wonder.  Whenever she got like this, it made him positively giddy.  Ann leaned into him to nuzzle her cheek against his chest.  "I want this to last forever." The boy twirled a finger around her twintail while his eyes lowered to meet her.  At that moment, he felt such a comforting warmth.  Like he was swaddled in a soft blanket.

"Ann…" he started.  Her eyes never left the horizon before them.  But her soft smile was all the confirmation he needed that she was listening.  Though Akira wasn't quite sure what she was to listen to.  His silver tongue had failed him in this moment.  So much he wanted to say.  To endlessly languish her with proclamations of her beauty, of his love for her and the way she made every day worth going through no matter what.  It would take a grand gesture to top his declaration of her being his light and moon, the wind beneath his wings, and such from before their Ferris wheel date.  "I… I love you.  So much…" The joyous giggle he received in response seemed to indicate it was good enough for her.

"I never get tired of hearing that.  And I never will." The girl closed her eyes and snuggled him like a teddy bear.  Only this was much better.  "I love you too.  More than I can even put to words.  I wish I could say it like you did before.  All that stuff about being your stars and sun and all that." Ann sighed before raising her hand up to his cheek, grazing the softness of his skin with two fingers.  "I'd never have pictured you for such a romantic."

"Only for you, my Panther…" His voice descended to barely a whisper.  A coveted confession only meant for her.  An excited huff escaped her nose from the sheer thrill she felt from his intimate gesture.  If there was one thing great about keeping their love a secret, it was moments like these.  Close exchanges given in secret, jealously guarded by one another.  The world served a mere backdrop for their encounters, forbidden to witness or partake.  Though hiding their love was not necessarily their preferred choice, the secretive feeling of it did offer quite a thrill at times.

Ann opened her eyes as a new sound greeted her, distinct from the popping of fireworks in the air.  The sound of music generating through speakers.  Slow, graceful.  A piano was being played alongside some instrument she couldn't quite identify.  Maybe a saxophone of sorts.  The glow of a white screen drew her attention to Akira's hand, the source none other than his phone.  Akira took a step back and glided his hand out as an offering.

"Care for a dance, Princess Ann?" It was no extravagant ballroom dance complete with gowns, petticoats, and dresses, but it was the best he could concoct on such short notice.  Under a night sky of fireworks in the middle of an empty Destinyland all to themselves, he would be hard pressed to find a more romantic opportunity.

"Pfft!" Ann scoffed, holding her mouth as she snickered.  They were in their school uniforms, cat ears adorned on their heads.  Not quite how she imagined her first dance would go.  They were lot more ornately dressed in her imagination.  "You're such a dork!" A cheeky smirk was his response.

"So I'm a dork now.  Thought I was a nerd."

"Synonyms," the blonde taunted before taking his hand.  As they drew closer together, Ann suddenly began to feel quite nervous.  Under Akira's silver eyes, she chewed tentatively at her bottom lip.  "Um… I have to admit that I've never actually danced before.  At least, not like a slow dance." Akira gave an amused huff and merely shrugged.

"I've never done it either.  But how hard can it be?  Just don't step on each other's feet." Her cheeks flushed as she felt his hand rest upon her waist.  The other hand grasped hers, their fingers interlocking.  With a nod, Akira began to lead.  His movements were slow and calculating as he led them along.  Under his breath, Ann could hear him counting steps in threes.  Despite his calm demeanor, Akira was as nervous as she was about this.  The slightest misstep could kill the mood.  And he wanted this night to be as perfect as possible.  They were guided by the flow and melody of the waltz music.  Soon, their feet seemed to glide along on their very own without them even needing to predetermine their movement.  Which gave them plenty of opportunity to take comfort in each other.

Ann allowed her imagination to run wild, visualizing herself in a flowery ornate gown like Carmen's.  Akira opposite her with a crisp black suit.  The tie was red, of course.  After all, it was his color.  But not too much red.  Only a dash to keep the ensemble from being too uniform.  The blonde laughed at how instinctive it was to fixate on the proper outfit and aesthetic, even in her own fantasy.  Akira was visualizing nearly the same thing in his mind.  Only his outfit was his Phantom Thief uniform.  Complete with the white mask and everything.  It was incredibly self-indulgent, but he couldn't help it.  He needed that trenchcoat.  His Joker uniform absolutely captivated him in every way.  Almost as much as she did.

Ann wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her shimmering blue eyes.  A tender kiss along her forehead sent her cheeks flushing.  Akira rested his head against hers while they danced beneath the fireworks.  Everything else in the world seemed to stop existing.  The Metaverse, school, the mysteries they were pursuing.  All there was in that moment was the both of them.  Within his chest, Akira could sense a fire burning.  Not a raging intense heat but rather a comforting warmth.  The presence of Arsene resonated.  It was rather strange to feel outside the Metaverse.  Not a single other time could he recall feeling his Persona's essence in his world.  Unbeknownst to him, Ann was feeling the same thing with Hecate.  A weird feeling but not a bad one.

On the other side of reality, within a lavish and extravagant distortion of Destinyland did Arsene waltz with Hecate.  His spiked heels clacked against the stone floor beneath the multicolored kaleidoscope of color raging above them while Hecate glided along with him.  Her six eyes lowered amorously to greet the Cheshire red smile facing her.  The two dogs sat chained against the wall as their mistress danced with the gallant apparition opposite her.  It felt quite different for the both of them.  These intense feelings harbored for one another.  Since their awakening, their sole thoughts and ambitions were to serve their masters.  To empower them with the fire of rebellion against the shadows that dwelled within the darkness.  Independent thoughts, hopes, wants, desires.  Nothing existed outside of their goal to protect their owners.  Like the wicked they stood against, their hearts ended up changing as well.

As their masters had fallen in love, so did the both of them with one another.  Neither Akira or Ann knew the depths that their connection delved.  The Lover and the Fool had been bound to a blood oath to one another.  A blood oath that ran deeper than any other.  Not just of friendship and camaraderie.  But of true love, devotion, commitment.  Emotions so pure that even their Personas were bound to its will.  And neither of them would complain.

Hecate glided a gloved hand against the steel plate of Arsene's face, earning a cheeky look as he narrowed his burning eyes at her.  With a clawed finger did he tilt her chin up.  Hecate's gaze faltered as her eyes glanced bashfully away.  Were she able to blush, she could certainly do so.  Arsene's wings enveloped the both of them.  The whims of fate were certainly strange for both Persona and mortal alike.  Arsene had been born from the spirit of rebellion, the soul of the wicked trickster driving him.  Hecate had risen from the flames of a woman scorned by a wicked man's lecherous grasp.  Fierce and subservient to no one.  Falling in love had never been the plan, or even a foreseeable option.  But such is the power of the human cognition.

As the music began to fade, it would soon be time for Ann and Akira to join the others.  The press conference would be upon them, and they could languish in the justice of the Phantom Thieves with a delectable free meal beneath the light of the fireworks and the shadow of the castle.  A perfect end to a perfect day.  The two lovers only wished their time together could last a little bit longer.

Though, that would soon become the least of their worries.

* * *

 

The Phantom Thieves stared at their phones in utter disbelief.  The others spoke frantically among themselves as they attempted to make sense of what had happened.  The merriment, the romance, the delicious food.  In the span of a few minutes had it all gone out the window, its void replaced with shock, fear, panic, confusion, and frustration.  Akira's mouth hung slightly agape while he glared at his phone.  His mind struggled to process the situation, and his mouth failed to form words.  He felt as though he were paralyzed.

"F-Father!?" Haru gasped, her hand trembling.

"Wh-why did he collapse?"

"That didn't look right at all.  Don't tell me…" Makoto looked to Akira for answers, but he was just as stunned as she was.

"Mona-chan!" Haru called.  "What's going on?" Morgana's ears folded, the fur on his back standing up as panic gripped his small heart.

"No… That's impossible!" The cat glanced to Akira for some sort of response.  Like Makoto, he only received stunned silence.  The broadcast had showcased a brutal display, unlike anything they had witnessed before.  No one wanted to face the possibility, but Akira knew deep within his heart that Okumura had made his last appearance anywhere.

 _We did everything the same_ , he thought to himself, rubbing a finger against his chin.  It had been the standard procedure.  Infiltrate the Palace, send the calling card, incapacitate the shadow, steal the treasure, and escape.  Not a single deviation from the plan save for Morgana's defection.

"I should call home!" Haru stated, frantically gathering her things together.  "I'll talk to the staff before I leave.  Feel free to take your time…" Akira snapped back to reality as Haru began to depart.  A great sense of anxiety and fear rose in his chest.

"Wait!  Haru!" he called out.  But she was already darting for the main lobby.  Akira swung his fist in agitation.  "Dammit!" The sound of frightened shuddering drew his attention.  As he glanced over his shoulder, he saw Futaba cradling herself, trembling like a leaf.

"Th-this is… the same…" she managed to utter.  "I remember now… It's just like… what happened to my mom…" Akira's eyes widened in realization, the sound around him deafening himself as his mind began to piece everything together.  As his mind raced at lightspeed, the others continued bickering in worry.

"So this is the moment when mental shutdown occurs…" Yusuke muttered darkly, glancing down at his hands with guilt.

"It's been okay all four times so far – ever since Kamoshida."

"If we let the Shadow live, the real person won't undergo mental shutdown, right?" Makoto asked.  Akira's unresponsiveness was growing ever more worrisome and frustrating.

"That's how it should work…" Morgana stated.  The cat seemed pressed to believe his own words.  Ryuji's attempt at backing him seemed even less certain.

Before his death, Okumura had promised to reveal the bigger fish at work.  Just as he was to proclaim his findings, he died.  There was no official declaration as of yet, but Akira didn't need a doctor to confirm what he already knew.  It was not by any means normal for the eyes to roll over white and for black blood to leak through his nose and mouth.  Haru had been keeping constant tabs on her father since his change of heart.  He had been much quieter and tired, but his health had not wavered.  Kamoshida, Madarame, Kaneshiro, Futaba.  They had all turned out the same.  Sporting a change of heart and still very much alive.  Nothing had panned out any different with Okumura.  It would make zero sense for the situation to change so drastically despite the steps remaining the same.  The reveal that Futaba's mother had died in the same fashion.  Silenced via mysterious circumstances in order to obtain her research on the Metaverse.  Principal Kobayakawa had died under similar circumstances while they were on vacation.  The various rumors of mental shutdowns occurring even before the Phantom Thieves' formation.  And to top of the mystery of a rogue vigilante in black infiltrating Kaneshiro and Madarame's palaces.

"Dammit!" Ryuji swore.  "The hell's goin' on here?!" If there was one thing Ryuji hated, it was being left in the dark at his expense.

"This… This isn't our fault… is it?" Ann looked to Akira for some words of wisdom, some comforting phrase to ease them in these troubled times.  Tears of worry and fear were welling up in the corners of her sapphire eyes.

"No…" Akira growled lowly.  A deliberate slow shaking of his head as he stared forward, a troubled glower on his brow.  "No, I know what exactly what this is…" As it began to snap together in his head, it did seem to be a stretch at first.  But with the existence of the Metaverse, nothing could truly be left out of the realms of plausibility.  He leaned forward on his fist while the others slowly gathered around.  "This was a setup." A chill fell over the lot of them from the seriousness of his tone.

"A… a setup?" Ryuji asked, scratching his head.  "Like, for Okumura?"

"Exactly," Akira said, tapping the table with his finger.  "Humpty Dumpty was pushed off his wall live on TV.  Just as he was about to reveal sensitive information about who was orchestrating the mental shutdowns.  If that's not conveniently timed, I don't know what is." His brow twitched at the thought of the media at work as they spoke.  It would take no time or effort at all to pin the blame on the Phantom Thieves, and the public would buy it without a second thought.  Mass media manipulation was an insipid beast to be sure.  A man's corpse was barely cold, and every journalist in Japan was busting out tomorrow's headline.  "Think about it.  We didn't do a single thing different from last time.  Okumura was the biggest and most notable target out of everyone we've come into contact with.  A multimillion-dollar businessman with connections overseas.  Then there's the death of Kobayakawa and the death of Futaba's mom.  Both of which happened the same way via mental shutdown, without our involvement." With a frustrated grunt, he slammed his fist against the table.  The silverware clattered and shook, and the severe frustration Akira felt caught them all by surprise.  Futaba scooted over to Makoto's side skittishly.  " _Somebody sabotaged the press screening…_ "

The only sound that came from their group was an apprehensive gulp from Ryuji.  Never had the tension been so thick among them before.  Things had been quite dicey before, but never had the prospect of witnessing a murder live on TV crossed their minds.  The stakes had been infinitely raised before their very eyes.

"A-are they g-gonna c-come after us n-now?" Futaba was shaking like a leaf as she clung to Makoto's side.  Akira felt his anger and frustration waver at the sight of her scared and frail form.  The youngest of the group didn't handle stress well.  As Akira gazed around, he was greeted by a wall of lost and uncertain eyes.  Ann's in particular pained his heart.  It had only been half an hour ago since their romantic dance at the Destinyland Castle.  Now, it felt like someone else's dream.  For the first time since the Reaper fight, the Phantom Thieves were in over their heads.  Now more than ever did they need guidance.  A level-headed leader to keep things calm.

"Doubtful," Akira said, shaking his head as a deep sigh left his chest.  "If they're willing to kill Okumura, they're willing to kill us.  And if they had even an inkling of who we are, we wouldn't be speaking right now." Despite his good intentions, his words did little to ease the mind of his fellow Phantom Thieves.  Perhaps they weren't being targeted currently, but the threat was real.  And now it would be lurking in the shadows.  "Listen up." Akira rose to his feet and placed his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth before them.  Any lingering intrusive thoughts or nightmare scenarios they entertained were now completely absent.  Akira had taken center stage.  "We're gonna have to play it a lot closer to our vest from now on.  Be more discreet and watch our backs.  With that said, here's the deal…" Akira pointed a finger and traced it along from one individual to another.  All eyes were fixated firmly upon him.  Not even blinking as he spoke.  With a stiff swiping motion, he continued.  "No one goes  _anywhere_  without saying where you go.  If you go anywhere – even if it's just to grab food after school – you text the group where you're going.  And if you don't respond within two hours where you are, then we're on red alert.  And no going out at night without someone else.  Stay in constant contact.  Understood?"

It was quite jarring to see the shift in demeanor Akira had switched.  From relaxed high school student to a stern parental figure.  But no one could argue with his rules.  They were deep in the dark with no direction at this point.  And their only lead was killed on national television.  It was not much of a plan, but it was all they currently had.  Their reassuring nods allowed Akira to relax a bit.

"I'll get in contact with Haru later," Makoto spoke up.  "She'll need to know this as well.  But for today, I think we should all return home." Akira gave her a short nod, causing the girl to give a relaxed smile in return.

"Alright.  Dismissed." The Phantom Thieves began gathering their things up and left for the exit, separating into groups of two.  Makoto would leave with Yusuke while Ann left with Ryuji and Akira took Futaba home.  The teens exchanged glum goodbyes before going their separate ways.  As Ann solemnly embraced Akira, she fought against the desire to change the groups.  She wanted to be with him.  To hold him and never let go.  It was so frustrating to see all their romantic escapades sour so quickly.  The Hawaii vacation, the love hotel, and now Destinyland.  All she wanted was a break.  And just when it seemed they would finally catch one.  Though, her heart ached just as equally for Haru's pain as well.

"Some welcoming party, huh?" Ann whispered.  A tired sigh was what she managed to garner from her lover.  "Can't we go together?" Akira licked his dried lips, fighting just as hard as she was to stick to the plan.  Though it was all too tempting.

"This is more convenient," he replied.  "Futaba and I live right next door." Ann sighed, saying nothing.  She offered a reluctant nod of acceptance.  It was more efficient for them to go their separate ways rather than have to return home alone before curfew after indulging themselves.  Still, it didn't make the voyage any less bearable.  Before breaking off their hug, he subtly masked a kiss upon her brow.  "I love you.  You know that, right?  If anything happens at all – no matter what- you come find me.  Okay?" Ann gulped the tense knot in her throat before forcing herself to step back.

"I love you too," she uttered.  "And you can come to me for help too.  For whatever you need.  Don't forget that." Ryuji gave Akira his word that he would protect her before the blonds began leaving in the opposite direction.  The shaggy youth nodded at Futaba and started for Leblanc.  He could tell even before seeing his bed that he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.  Futaba wrapped herself around his arm and clung to it with an embarrassed pink twinge to her cheeks.  Akira merely smiled, ruffling her orange hair.

"It's alright, Futaba," he muttered lowly.  "I've got your back." The girl said nothing but nodded against his arm.  Never had she been more grateful to have an escort.  The final goal of her promise list was to be comfortable without him around.  She certainly had no plans on achieving that today.  Not after what she saw happen to Okumura.  Haru had been forced to share her fate, to witness her only family die before her very eyes.  There was no doubt in her mind that the same people behind her mother's death had done Okumura in as well.  And the thought that they might come for them filled her with absolute dread.  It was far too late to retreat into her room and shut out the world like she had for the longest time.  But Futaba had no plans on doing so.  The Phantom Thieves needed her to uncover the truth among the lies and beat back the wicked threatening to choke Tokyo.  Wakaba was depending on her.  And so was Akira.  The man who had saved her life.  And she would do anything to protect his.  She owed him that much.


	45. The First Time

_10/23/17 – Sunday_

"Yo, Akira." The Phantom Thief leader blinked his eyes feverishly before zoning back into the conversation.  Ryuji leaned against the bench with a sly grin.  "Fallin' asleep on us?  Must've tired yourself out from all that testin'." Akira gave only a slightly coherent nod in response.  Ryuji's smile faltered a bit from Akira's inadvertent sandbagging of his jest.

"Well, that means he worked really hard and will probably net incredibly high test scores," Makoto mused with a soft smile of her own.  The past week had burdened the students with backbreaking midterm exams.  The tests seemed to be even harder than normal with the added weight of the public's newfound disdain for the Phantom Thieves.  They were all feeling it in their own respective ways.  Though Akira seemed to be weighed down the heaviest by it.

"I guess," was his meager response.  Akira's head lazily drooped down to stare at his feet.  Makoto looked to Ryuji, sharing the melancholic expression he sported.  Today was supposed to be their day of relaxation.  A welcome reprieve from the studying and scribbling of answers on test papers endlessly.  Seeing Akira in such a state of disarray was just as exhausting as the tests themselves.

"With exams over, we can focus on getting Akechi to agree on attending the Shujin school festival," Yusuke noted, changing the subject.

Akechi.  Of all the people wanted to attend the festival, it had to be the one that had been on their case since day one.  It was not as though they were unfriendly anymore.  Akira had come to terms with his fervent disdain for the detective, even making it a regular occurrence to hang out at Leblanc from time to time.  Not by choice, however.  Akira would have preferred it be somewhere less close to home, literally.  But there was nothing that could convict him of prosecution of the young detective was looking for something.  He even commended Akechi for standing up for the Phantom Thieves in the aftermath of Okumura's murder.  Still, the words from before did cut deep.  Being no better than the criminals they stole the hearts of.  Despite his best efforts, some things could not be so simply swept away.  Not after what he had born witness to.

Not only was the detective showing up at his place of residence, but now he was expected to visit his very school.  Akira felt himself flying too close to the sun, and every thought he held teased at the threat of his wings melting away.

"Yeah," Akira said with a weak sigh.  "We need to do that…" The last thing the phantom thief wanted was to engage in another internal debate on how he felt about Akechi again.  What he really wanted more than anything was to just sleep.  But he hadn't received a solid night's sleep in a week's time.  Stress, paranoia, and anxiety kept him awake, and what little sleep he stole was barely a couple hours' worth.  He shook himself awake again, waving a hand at the lot of them.  "Anyway, I'm gonna use the bathroom real quick.  Be right back."

As he walked away, the Phantom Thieves grew quiet and conversed among themselves about the state of their leader.

Akira had managed to accurately predict the complete turnaround the public had made in their perception of the Phantom Thieves.  A prospect he took no joy in.  Nearly every journalist in Tokyo had bandwagoned onto the blame train.  The very public that had taken such stock in them had now utterly turned against them.  He hated to admit such a fact, but Akira felt his pride wounded.  But he could hardly blame them.  What had befallen Haru's father was beyond gruesome, and they seemed the most likely source by what little evidence the general public possessed.  It did little to alleviate his frustration or anxiety.

Since that day at Destinyland, Akira had watched every corner and every person behind him wherever he went.  All it did was fuel his paranoia and stress, but his worry over the assassin and his friends' well being kept him on his toes regardless.  Schoolwork, odd jobs, studying at Leblanc.  Remaining as mundane as possible to avoid drawing heat.  Though it seemed no matter how low he tried to lay, everything seemed to creep ever closer until it was breathing right down his neck.

Police activity had escalated in the wake of the assassination.  Coming right to Shujin itself to question the student body.  Akira thought he would collapse right then and there from sheer surprise.  Not that they had anything to convict them of if they were caught.  No physical evidence existed to indicate their involvement.  But such logical conclusions offered little comfort to Akira in his weary state.  The questions themselves were rather mundane and milquetoast.  Nothing that could really finger any one of them in particular.  But the entire investigation had neared way too close to home.  Akira could feel everything they had strived for slipping through his very fingers.  The loss of control had shaken him deeply, on the verge of making him sick.  And it had not gone unnoticed by his peers.

"He's getting worse," Haru said, fidgeting with her hands.

"Yeah…" Ann noted, clutching at her heart.  Akira's face had grown pale, and faint dark circles were beginning to form around his eyes.  He looked sick all the time.  His already shaggy hair looked a complete fright, so massively unkempt even for him.

"I've never seen him so stressed out before," Ryuji noted as he kicked at the ground absently with his good leg.  "Not even the Reaper had him lookin' this bad." Makoto rubbed her brow with a solitary finger, a concerned look worn upon her face.

"I'm afraid if he doesn't get himself together, it might have long-term term effects on his health.  Both physical and mental.  His grades will definitely suffer in the future at this rate." Morgana leapt upon the table and paced back and forth before them, shouldering great concern.  A habit he had inadvertently picked up from Akira during their intensely serious late-night discussions.

"It could have severe consequences in the Metaverse too," the cat stated.  "He can't affectively lead us if he's half delirious.  Akira might even pass out in the middle of combat!"

"Guys, I think we're kind of forgetting what's more important.  That we need to make sure he's actually happy." Ann greatly missed the sweet smiling face her lover sported in her presence.  His sharp quips and catlike smirk when he jested with the others.  All of which she had not seen since the night at Destinyland.  Despite her attempts to get close to him in their times alone, he was unusually quiet and aloof.

"Ain't there somethin' we can do?" Ryuji asked, scratching the back of his head.  "Can't we get him sleepin' pills or whatever?"

"We tried sleep aid already," Morgana said.  "Herbal tea, warm milk, even staying up all night and waiting until the next day to sleep.  Nothing we've tried has gotten more than a couple hours of sleep out of Akira.  Not even the over-the-counter stuff Takemi sold us.  Honestly, I'm getting worried." Yusuke pondered his jawline curiously.  Despite not saying a word, the others shared the artist's sentiments. Tae Takemi's medicines were some of the most versatile and strongest available.  If they couldn't help Akira sleep, then what could?

"Besides being tired and distant, has Akira exhibited any other behaviors, Morgana?" The cat slowly folded his ears, his tail slowing to a soft sway.  Ann fixated upon the feline with great concern.  He hadn't answered right away.  Hesitation.  Something was definitely wrong then.

"I… I don't know if I should say…" Now the blonde felt her heart seize with worry.  It was unlike Morgana to keep secrets, especially concerning Akira.

"Why?  Did something happen?" she asked with a fragile voice.

"Mona-chan, if something is going on with Akira, we have a right to know," Haru stated, nervously clasping her fingers.

"He is our friend and leader, after all," Yusuke stated.  "What affects him affects us as well.  It's only fair we be informed." The pleading, urgent look in Ann's blue eyes was what ultimately won Morgana over.  Despite having accepted her friendship, his heart still quivered with love and adoration for the blonde.

"Alright…" the feline said uneasily.  Morgana collected his breath, a heavy sigh slipping out from his furry form.  His recollection of that night hung quite heavy upon his heart and mind.  "It was a couple nights ago.  Akira had woken up early again.  Only got a couple hours of sleep.  He…" The cat gulped nervously at the tense knot forming in his throat.  "He broke down.  Started crying.  He was so frustrated that he couldn't get sleep after so long." Ann gave a soft gasp and clasped a hand to her mouth.  The blonde's heart trembled at the thought of Akira.  Their strong leader, the man she absolutely loved the most.  Tears on his face and head cradled in his hands in utter defeat.  At the mercy of his own mental well-being.

"Jeez…" Ryuji said, appearing positively downtrodden.

"He didn't want me to tell you," Morgana continued.  "Said he didn't want to worry you all."

"Too late," Futaba said with a glum glance down at her feet.  "Sleep deprivation does mess with your head.  Trust me, I can vouch for that." Yusuke pinched the bridge of his nose with frustration and worry.

"Is there nothing we can do for him?" the artist inquired.

"This feels a little out of our league," Makoto reluctantly admitted.  Being the student council president, she was used to handling arduous tasks.  Things ordinarily beyond the expertise of an average student, she had prepared herself to solve.  But they had all been things she could easily negotiate or persuade through.  With words and clever phrases.  "Our best bet might be to get him to see a doctor.  A therapist, perhaps?"

"How would we even explain to a therapist why he's stressed?" Ann asked.  "They'd have to know what's causing it.  What would he even tell them?" Makoto tapped a finger against her lip in thought.  How exactly could they get Akira to open up about his severe anxiety and stress without letting it be known he's a Phantom Thief?  Doctor and patience confidentiality could only extend so far, especially when they were believed to be murderers?  The only doctor they knew they could trust was Takemi.  Anyone else was a risk.

"I suppose," the student council president admitted with a weary sigh.  "Plus, it's not like we can make him go, anyway.  And can he even afford to see a therapist?"

"Communication and honesty are necessary in therapy," Futaba spoke up.  "If you can't talk openly with your doctors, then they can't help you.  I can… also vouch for that…" The sheer soul-crushing depression brought on by Wakaba's death had left Futaba barely able to speak for such a long time.  It took all of her strength to start speaking to Sojiro after two years of psychological torment.  Even then, she had not stabilized until the Phantom Thieves had stolen her heart.  "Wait… I just thought of something." As their gaze fixated upon her, Futaba felt herself seize up from stage fright.  How Akira was able to handle their undivided attention all at once was beyond her.  "W-well… do you think Akira has a… a Palace?" The others found themselves caught off-guard by such an unusual question.  Akira's behavior was certainly different, but it could not be that extreme a change.

"But Akira doesn't have any distorted desires like Kamoshida or Madarame," Ryuji noted.

"Neither did I.  My Palace was created from my misery and depression, remember?  I wanted to die, and my shadow formed as a result." The more she thought it over, the more the potential chilled Ann to the bone.  A Palace couldn't form so quickly, could it?

"M-Morgana?" the blonde uttered skittishly.

"No chance," the cat said with a stern shake of his head.  "To form a Palace, one has to have a shadow dwelling within their heart.  Shadows are the physical manifestations of the true inner selves, their desires distorted by intense negative emotions.  If one has access to their Persona, they cannot have a shadow, as the Persona is the shadow embraced and cleansed of malice.  Just like what happened with you with your shadow, Futaba." A collective sigh of intense relief washed over the various Phantom Thieves.  Futaba was glad to have been proven wrong.  They still had no solution to alleviating Akira's stress, but they at least knew it was nothing so dire.

"Thank goodness," Ann breathed, keeping her concern under her breath.  She knew someone like Akira could never have a Palace.  Not someone that acted as her light.  His will and heart were far too strong to be swallowed up by darkness.  But they were back to square one.  Ryuji swore under his breath, kicking absently at a rock upon the ground.  The stone clattered along the concrete out of reach.

"Maybe… I dunno.  He could try drinkin' or something.  Just a little bit." Ryuji tentatively suggested.  The shocked and angered looks from Ann and Makoto made him immediately regret his decision, and the blond boy covered his ears to spare them from Makoto's vice grip.

"Ryuji!" Ann scolded.

"Hey, I don't want him to!" he defended.  "But I mean we're desperate, right?  A little bit would get him to sleep, wouldn't it?" Makoto placed a hand upon her hip and glared at him sternly.

"We are not going to enable such a habit just so he can get some sleep," she reprimanded.  "It was bad enough with the unlicensed medicine testing." Ryuji scratched the back of his head and shuffled in his seat.

"Yeah, I guess it was a stupid idea," he admitted glumly.  Ryuji was no stranger to the risk of abusing alcohol.  His father had done it for years before walking out on he and his mother.  But Akira wasn't the type to engage in a vice so recklessly.  Then again, he had somehow managed to procure that bottle of whiskey when they tried to call the maid café service.  He huffed with great agitation at himself, shelving his hands into his pockets.  "I hate not knowin' what to do.  He's our friend, and we can't even get him to calm down?" The others stood in silence as they contemplated what to do.  The uncertainty ate at them like a rash until Yusuke offered a rather simple solution.

"Perhaps you could do something, Ann.  You seem to have the magic touch when it comes to him, after all." The blonde froze in place, feeling her heart skip a beat.

"M-me?" she managed to stammer.  Her cheeks flushed a bit as she reflected upon the implications of his words.  "Wh-why me, specifically?"

"Yeah, now that you mention it," Ryuji agreed, rubbing his chin.  "I mean, you managed to talk it out with him when he was pissed at me that one time before our Hawaii trip."

"…Ohhhh.  _That's_ what you meant…" Ann caressed her temples gently to soothe the worry that had built up in her head.  For a brief second, fear had clutched her heart, and she had assumed the worst.  If they had somehow been caught, it only would have made Akira's stress worse.  And she was already stressed enough as it was worrying about Akira's stress.

"What did you think I meant?" Ann sunk her teeth nervously into her bottom lip.

"Oh, nothing…" she dismissed with a nervous giggle.  If they didn't know now, no need to drop any potential hints.  Morgana flicked his tail energetically as he sat before her, his big blue eyes shining with subdued adoration.

"With your gentle touch, you might be able to get through to him, Lady Ann.  Maybe not fix him entirely, but you could set him on the right path." Ann felt her heart flutter with newfound optimism at Morgana's words.  She was more than willing to take the challenge.  It was how she was going to get him to relax that was the real issue.  Exams, her modeling gig, and the police investigations had kept them apart more significantly than she liked.  Even when they were together, his weary and distant disposition made it feel as though she were with a different person.  They were long overdue for some alone time.  Just the both of them.  The only question is where would they go and what to do.  As the blonde tapped a finger against her lips, Akira slinked his way around the corner.  Their impromptu meeting had to come to a close.

"I'll think of something," she whispered before diverting her attention back to their leader.  The Phantom Thieves discussed various events over food.  Dining on ramen as requested by Ryuji.  Plans for Halloween, the school festival, the holidays, the weekend.  Various mundane events discussed in order to keep thoughts off the investigation.  Akira did feel his spirits relax just a bit.  The ramen and broth warmed his frail chest and added a bit of color back to his paling cheeks.  A small comfortable smile rested on his soft face.  But Ann could tell it wasn't enough.  The playful smirks, the stolen flirtatious looks, the laughter, the jokes.  And whenever no one was looking, he would lean on his hand to nurse his brow.  He tried to conceal his exhaustion as best he could from them.  But Ann was not one to be so easily fooled.  She knew him the best out of all of them.  His mannerisms, quirks, posture, subtle facial cues.  All she wanted was to see him smile again.  To be calm and comfortable.

After finishing their meals, the Phantom Thieves scattered to go about their own ways.  The lot of them were still without a plan to aid their dear friend, even with full stomachs and warmed souls.  All they could do now was trust in Ann.  Even Ann wasn't quite sure how to go about this.

"Seeya, Akira," Morgana said, leaping from his shoulder.

"Where are you off to?" his human caretaker wondered aloud.  Morgana narrowed his blue eyes at the blonde object of his desire and smirked.

"Figured you could use some time to yourself.  To relax.  I'll be at Leblanc." With that, the feline scampered off through the crowd.

 _Lady Ann will work better uninhibited_ , the cat thought to himself.

"What a weird cat," Akira stated with a sleepy but content look on his face.  Ann couldn't help but giggle at him.  Her boyfriend sported an almost drunken smile on his face brought on from exhaustion.  "Anyway, what are you up to, Ann?" As his silver eyes fell upon her, the blonde almost forgot herself.  She wanted to sweep him up and plant dozens of kisses on his dopey face.  But she needed to help him in whatever way she could.  As for how, that remained to be seen.

"How are you doing, Akira?" she asked before gently caressing his cheek with the back of her hand.  Her cool skin felt greatly therapeutic upon his face.

"I'm fine.  Managing." Ann gave him a knowing look, tilting her head down to glance up at him with an unsatisfied frown.

"You're not being honest.  You don't have that energy from before.  And I'm pretty sure you're not getting enough sleep." Akira sighed wearily through his nose.  The last thing he wanted was to debate with Ann about his state of being.  Especially with being so tired and stressed.  Though, it wasn't like he could brush this off so easily.  The haggard look he sported wasn't exactly hard to miss.  Normally, he cleaned up much better in the mornings.

"I'll be fine, Ann. This'll blow over… eventually.  After we solve this mystery and catch the black masked vigilante."

"But that's not good enough," Ann countered.  "We don't know when "eventually" will be.  You can't do your best in Palaces if you're falling asleep on us.  We're all worried about you, you know." She cupped his cheek with a sad look.  A pleading look resonating in her eye that wished him to let her in.  Not to shut her out and hope this will solve itself.  "I'm worried about you." Another sigh left the young boy.  If there was one thing he couldn't do, it was upset her.  Trying to ignore this like he had been will only do just that.  Or even worse, drive a wedge between the both of them.

"I admit I haven't been at my top performance lately," he confessed.  Akira leaned into her palm longingly.  The cool softness of her skin kissed at his cheek with the same tenderness of her lips.  "I don't like all this.  Being kept in the dark.  Worrying all the time." She mouthed and agreement and nodded, lowering her hand to run a finger under his chin.  Content to merely let him talk.  "Honestly, I'm…" Akira pursed his lips as he felt the heat rise on his cheeks.  If he continued, he would make himself quite vulnerable.  Not as though Ann hadn't seen him in vulnerable states before.  Akira just detested looking weak in front of her.  Fragile or compromising.  As the leader of the Phantom Thieves and her man, he needed to be a sturdy rock.  But such things were easier said than done.  The air circulating in his chest stifled his words and weighed his ego over their communication.

"Take your time." A frustrated huff forced the stale air out of him.  Pride be damned, he wouldn't let her worry about him because he couldn't speak about his faltering mental state.

"I'm tired.  And… and scared." He leaned his head against hers.  The silver eyes closed to let him rest.  Akira gripped his arms softly to balance him.  "You're right.  I haven't been getting regular sleep.  I wake up late at night and can't go back, no matter how much I toss or turn.  The days feel so much longer, and my body aches." Everything felt so stiff whenever he walked around, no matter how much caffeine he ingested or how often he stretched.  His body needed to recharge, but his mind refused to cooperate.  And it was tearing the teenager apart.  "I'm worried about you, my friends, the people, myself.  I just want to sleeeeeeeep." The defeated whine that escaped him was too much.  Ann pulled him in close for a tight, comforting embrace.  She would cradle him through a raging storm if she had to.

"I know, baby," she cooed softly while she buried her head into the small of his neck.  "I've got you.  Tell me everything." Akira shuddered and leaned against her.  The blonde locks tickled his face, eliciting a content smile.

"I don't know what to do, Ann. Sleep medicines, all-nighters, warm milk.  Nothing is working!  And I'm scared that my mind will go to shit if I can't get some fucking actual sleep!" He clenched his fists and hugged her tightly.  Possessively.  Her touch gave him some degree of stability.  The first time since Destinyland that a hug felt like a hug.  The weight, the warmth.  It was all there again.  But still distant.  His body still was quite numb to a lot.  A solid, full night's rest was what he needed.  If only he could unscramble the box of cats that consisted his anxiety ridden mind.

"Let's go." Akira peered at her curiously as she pulled away, guiding him with her hand in his.  "I know what we can try." Despite his inquiries, Ann refused to answer directly.  She led them away from the crowded streets and people with her phone in-hand.  And her thumb hovering over the black and red eye on the app screen.

* * *

 

Mementos had not exactly been the ideal place to relax.  But riddling shadows with bullet holes like Swiss cheese was quite a handy way to blow off steam.  The added bonus of seeing Ann in her red latex catsuit did wonders as well.  Her fit and slender frame housed in that shiny erotic material had his blood rushing all over.  Though, he still remained on edge despite the adrenaline rush crushing shadows garnered.  Where she had led them felt cursed.  As he followed, Akira kept clenching his hands as though to squeeze out something in his skin.  The taint of Kamoshida lingered fresher in his mind than ever, especially with her wandering through the love hotel hallways again.

The layout of the building had shifted since their last visit, as everything tended to do in the Metaverse.  Only Palaces ever seemed to have consistent structuring.  But Akira spared no time admiring the scenery.  Desert eagle in hand, he made sure to watch Ann's back for anything lurking about.  The majority of the shadows that skulked through the halls were lower level creatures.  It was the surprise heavy hitters he worried about.

"I didn't expect you to want to come back here," he said.  In his other hand, he twirled the karambit knife in his fingers.  Mindful not to cut his fingers or the fabric.  The outfit could be repaired easily in the Metaverse.  It was the principle of it that kept his blade steady.

"You're the one who wanted to explore, remember?" she teased.  A small smirk found its way back to Akira's face as he resisted the urge to tug on her tail.

"I mean, after…" He bit down on his bottom lip as the tension surmounted in his throat.  He hesitated to say much more at the risk of ruining the mood.  Akira had quite missed the witty banter she provided.

"Forget about that," Ann swiftly dismissed with a wave of her hand.  "Let's focus on us." Akira was worried about bringing any unpleasant memories or feelings back into the fray, but he was more than willing to drop the subject.  "Ooh.  How about this one?" A pink finger pointed its way to a random door lining the hallway.  Nothing about it in particular drew her interest.  Just a luck of the draw like before.

"Alright.  Let's look inside…" As she fiddled with the doorknob, Akira kept a watchful eye on the corridors surrounding them.  It had been a while since a shadow had been encountered.  Not that he was complaining.  He just wasn't in the mood for surprises.

"Whoa…" Akira followed her out of the maroon and khaki hallways and into the room.  His back to her and his gun trained on the empty space out in front.  Gently and quietly did he close the door, only to turn around and be rendered as speechless as Ann was by the room's design.

A black and grey carpet with waving white lines crisscrossing to resemble stones greeted their feet.  The right wall was red with pink vertical stripes while the left wall was solid black, red lines forming a star upon it.  Out in front was a window view of Tokyo, the sky red and black with wavy distorted lines and patterns.  The bed was king-sized, adorned with black blankets and sheets with red pillows.  A maroon wooden drawer shined beneath the lamp that sat atop it, nestled against the wall.  Blacks, red, whites, and pinks all over.  Wall to wall, carpet to ceiling.  As though it had been specially designed for them.

"Niiiice," Akira purred, holstering his gun.  Ann sauntered over to the bed and sat down on it.  The blonde let herself fall back onto the soft blanket.  "This is some fancy ass décor."

"As the daughter of fashion designers, I can say your taste in aesthetics is flawless," Ann said with a giggle.  She stretched her arms out above her, letting her wrists dangle over the edge.

"Well, of course they are," Akira said, leaning against the wall.  "Aesthetics are what I specialize in.  I have a keen eye for fashion, decoration, and women." Her blue eyes slowly lifted open and gazed over Akira with a tempting look.  The pink blush on her cheeks was obscured by the red panther mask she sported.  Akira shelved his hands into his pockets and slowly approached her.  He gave a low chuckle, watching her lay on the bed.  "Enjoying yourself, all sprawled out there like a cat?  Maybe we should've called you Kitty Woman after all." Ann lifted herself up and met his playful gaze.  Nose to nose they stood, hands upon her hips.

"You making fun of me?" Akira stuck his tongue playfully out at her, touching the tip of her nose.  Ann broke her composure and began giggling.  "Kitty Woman is still such a lame codename."

"Glad I didn't think of it.  Or Sexy Cat, for that matter." Ann leaned her chin upon her latex-clad hand, mock studying him.

"I thought you liked Sexy Cat."

"I do," he purred, his eyes falling amorously.  The two shared a soft chuckle before she leaned into the small of his neck.  Her favorite place to reside when he embraced her.  It felt so secure and calming.  Hearing him breathe while he held her in those strong arms of his.  "I missed this."

"Me too.  How are you feeling?" Despite it only being the both of them, her voice had fallen to a hushed tone.  Intimate and only for him.  As though the rest of the Phantom Thieves would burst inside if they spoke too loudly.  Akira gingerly placed his hands upon her waist and glided them along.

"I'm doing a bit better," he admitted before nuzzling the golden locks she toted proudly.  "Lots better, actually.  Just here with you." In the back of his mind, the fear of another night with no sleep lingered tauntingly along the horizon.  The anxiety and existential dread would rise up in the dead of night as he attempted to relax his body.  Akira sought comfort within Ann as he tightened the embrace.  He couldn't go through another night like that.  Not again.

"Come here," Ann purred, her latex gloves cradling his cheeks and guiding Akira in for a kiss.  With the taste of her lips came an immense rush of ecstasy through his chest.  Ann wrapped her arms around him as she deepened the kiss.  Akira in turn enveloped her in his trenchcoat.  Guarding her like a dragon sprawling its wings over the hoard of treasure it had garnered.  The kisses were innocent at first.  Small smatterings that peppered his lips.  But Akira felt the heat rise within his body once he felt her teeth sink into his bottom lip.  His eyes opened ever so slightly to witness a playful smirk while she teethed on him.  An enamored shudder escaped from her umbra-clad lover upon locking eyes.  And with that did the passion skyrocket.  Akira pulled her in by her tight rear, massaging it through the latex.  Ann purred into him as they cemented their lip lock.  Pink fingers snaked through the maze of shaggy black hair he wore like a crown.  Even when unkempt and ragged, he sported it quite well.

Their hands grazed along one another's bodies as they felt each other up.  Akira's hands always made their way back to cup her bum, occasionally running the length of her waist to get the young model shivering.  Ann had been dedicated to firming her butt up after all.  And from the way Akira's fingers impishly dug into the soft skin, it had proven to be a triumph.  She mewled soft coos when he nipped back at her.  A soft bite along her jawline before descending to her neck.  My goodness, she could have melted right then and there.  In retaliation, her hand reached around to grope his rear.  Her blue eyes widened in surprise to feel the firmness he sported.  Firm but also soft, even through the fabric she could determine that.  A low chuckle graced her ears as he nibbled on her earlobe.  Her knees were trembling with the way he toyed at her.  Ann shaking under her touch while Akira remained unscathed.  It was time to even the odds.

Akira sharply inhaled through his teeth when he felt Ann's cool latex gloves run against his stomach.  She bit down on her bottom lip as she bore witness to his swimmer's body.  Fighting shadows and regularly hitting the gym with her had gifted him an amazingly sculpted body.  Yet through the muscle still remained the slender unassuming frame she had grown attached to.  He was the perfect fusion of tender and firm.  Not an immense beefcake, but solid enough to make her feel cozy and safe in his embrace.  A catlike grin emerged onto her face when she dragged her nails along his ribs, feeling Akira tremble.  The ribs were his weak spot.  If she wanted, she could tickle him right now and have him against the bed.  Which sounded more and more like a wondrous idea.

With a lustful growl, Ann took hold of his jacket and began frantically peeling it off.  As alluring as his outfit was, it was quite cumbersome at the moment.  Akira had been more than happy to oblige her, sliding out and discard it onto the floor.  There her lover stood exposed.  The Panther pounced upon her prey and caused the both of them to fall onto the bed.  Her weight pressed down upon his waist from her straddling.  They sunk into the bed as Ann leaned further onto his crotch.  The sheer tension and rush of euphoria had Akira reeling.  Everything moved so slow as he attempted to process it all.  Gracefully did he remove his white mask to witness her in all her glory.  The fine blush amassed on his face was a sheer, unadulterated thrill for the young blonde.

Ann leaned forward and rested on her chest, her hands folded and offering a platform for her chin.  The friction in his pants had not gone unnoticed by her as she felt herself pressed against it.

"You're hard," she teased, deepening the blush on her lover's face.  Akira averted his silver gaze bashfully when the butterflies kicked up in his stomach.  Not as though she hadn't felt it before.  Though the thought of their grinding in Hawaii did little to ease his shyness.

"H-how'd you guess?" He fumbled his attempt at nonchalance with the stutter.  Against his will had it escaped. The joyous soft giggle Ann elicited forced him to gulp down the nervous knot forming in his throat.

"W-well…" Ann chewed on the inside of her cheek as her blush rose to match his.  "I-I'm wet…" Akira's eyes widened as they drifted down to meet the space between her thighs.  There she was, pressed firmly against his crotch.  Ann felt herself unable to speak and merely took his lips in hers.  This was much easier than discussing her apparent arousal.  Even after grinding and him masturbating her in the love hotel before, sexuality was still something that embarrassed her.  Akira seemed less nervous about it all than she was, despite his trembling.  Though secretly, his heart surged while his mind scrambled some sort of plan together.  They were venturing into bold new territory together.  And the slightest misstep could kill the mood.  "Should we… you know.  Keep going?" A gulp like a loud thud resonated in Akira's throat.

"I-if you want," he managed to gasp.  The amorousness he felt was almost suffocating because of the ferocity his burning blush provided.  It was difficult for either of them to maintain eye contact on account of their mutual arousal and embarrassment.  Their bodies screamed at them to continue, but their minds were what seized their joints.

"I mean, we don't have any…" Akira glanced downward towards his pockets.

"I, um… do, actually…" After their previous outing at the Mementos love hotel, Akira wished to be much more properly prepared in the event they were actually able to go all the way.  Though he had not suspected it be this soon.  Or for the purchase to be as mortifying as it was.  Of all people to buy them from, he had chosen Takemi.  She even threw in a free lecture on the proper methods of safe sex without being asked.  Akira would have been more thankful had he not been deeply ashamed to have been caught at the time.  "B-but are you sure you're okay with this?  I mean, what if you think about…" Ann glanced away, frowning through her peripheral at the bed.  The prospect had occurred to her whenever she fantasized about their intimacy.

"I know," she breathed.  The blonde clenched her teeth in frustration, protesting her skittish mind.  "I want it!  I want it so much!  And I hate whenever we try to do it, his stupid fucking face pops in my head!" Akira held his hands up tentatively.

"Whoa, easy," he said.  He could hardly blame her for her frustration.  To be so close to the brink of release and have it stolen by the mental image of such a predator.  Akira could not even imagine the toll it took on Ann.  The blonde sighed and collected herself.

"I'm not scared of you.  And I'm not gonna be scared of him anymore." A prospect easier said than done, even she had to admit.  But for the longest time, she had struggled with her sexual frustration.  Her fear of intimacy as well as the stress and anxiety brought upon her by Kamoshida's advances.  It was like being reborn to feel such emotion and arousal from Akira's touch after so long.  "I wanna go all the way this time.  But only if you want to."

"What if you have a flashback again?" She grew silent.  Lips pursed in thought.  Part of her wished he'd just go at it already.  Throw caution to the wind and let her get lost in him.  But Akira wasn't that type of man.  Each action around her, he took great consideration in how it affected her.  He cared for Ann more than life itself.  It was one of his many qualities that had stolen her heart.  Akira was right to be concerned.  Ann appreciated the deliberation he took when considering what she wanted.  And right now, all she wanted was him.  "How about… like, a safety word?" She had read about those before.  Late one night when doing some independent research in regards to intimacy.  A simple innocent word to utter when things became too overwhelming.  Caused less anxiousness than simply telling him to stop.

"That might work."

"Alright.  Think of something.  Anything at all."

"P-pineapple!" Ann felt the heat rise on her neck from how bizarre it must have sounded.  Pineapples just happened to be the first thing that popped into her head.  Completely out of nowhere with no prompting.  Though she did now have a craving for citrus.

"Alright.  That'll work.  I guess." Akira was thankful she had managed to think of something.  It was much better than his, Mona.  Because that cat certainly knew how to kill his amorous mood.  He couldn't count the number of times he tried his hand at intimacy with Ann but remembered Morgana quietly sleeping in his satchel.  They quietly lingered there with one another, Akira still pinned to the bed.  "S-so…" Ann chewed on her bottom lip nervously while her fingers toyed absently with his waistline.  She hadn't even realized her inadvertently tugging at his pants until her eyes wandered down.  Reluctantly, she pulled away to let him grow acclimatized.  Akira saw his erection straining through his pants.  So hard and solid, it was almost painful.  Ann tended to have that effect on him.  It consisted more of mere lust.  An infatuation, a deeply harbored love and desire for her that could not accurately be put to words no matter how much he wanted to.

"Do you know how to put one on?" Ann asked as Akira reached into his pocket.

"I think so.  I had plenty of visual aids…" As though talking to Takemi about safe sex wasn't already humiliating enough, she used a cucumber to demonstrate the proper application for them.  Very unorthodox, but it got the message across.  Akira slowly removed the square package from his wallet.  A second condom rested in his billfolds as a suitable backup.  The young man tore at the paper and greeted the prize inside for the first time.  A clear latex condensed into a circle.  He was more than glad to have not bought the Phantom Thief themed ones.  Their mere existence was rather insulting, and it made him wonder could they sue for residuals anonymously.  As he held the condom in his two fingers, he began to undo his pants.  Ann felt her fingers twitch as she drew sight of his briefs.  They were red and tenting visibly at the front.  Slightly damp from precum.  He desperately wanted this too, it seemed.  His fingers hooked around his waistband with the intent to drop the underwear, but his heart seized in his chest.  A lump formed in his throat as he stood frozen, unable to proceed.  It took a while for Ann to notice he wasn't moving.  His erection had captivated her.

"I, uh…" Akira sat on the bed in front of her, pants, mask, trenchcoat, and boots completely off.  The object of her curiosity almost on full display for her.  Though, she did realize the disadvantage he had.  Her outfit was quite kinky, but she was still fully clothed.  With an apprehensive gulp, Ann reached up and looped her finger around the zipper on her chest.

"I should… take mine off too…" Akira's eyes fixated on the cleavage he often stole glances at within the Metaverse.  His unwavering eyes made the act of slowly unzipping it all the more laborious.  She wasn't used to being ogled with such an immense thirst.  As the latex gave way for pale skin, Ann shivered as the room's air touched her bare body.  She was careful to keep her breasts obscured from him.  The sight of the curves had Akira gnarling his fingers as though to squeeze them.  It was all too tempting to give in and go at it with her like a wild animal in heat.  But this was uncharted waters for the both of them.  He wanted to explore, slowly and safely as he could.  Akira took hold of the red leather glove in his teeth and began pulling it off by the thumb.  Ann couldn't begin to describe why that of all things got her going.  But boy, did it ever.

After his gloves, his grey waistcoat was removed.  Inch by inch, the fabric was lifted to showcase his slim frame in all its glory.  Ann was on the verge of salivation when her eyes soaked it all in.  The chiseling around the chest and ribs was prominent but not overbearing.  He still retained that softness that drew her in.

Ann felt as though Carmen would light her aflame from the inside out as the lust continued to surmount upon her with no end in sight.  And based on Akira's face in response to her words, he was not far behind.  If she pounced him now, Ann wondered if he would object.  Hopefully not.  Though the body looked great, her interest was fixated on what he housed in his briefs.  As he finally worked the courage to slide them off, Ann felt her jaw hanging agape.  His underwear sat in the pile of clothes on the floor, and he sat completely exposed to her.  Akira felt such an intense blush, he swore he might pass out.  A faint sweat was dampening his back.  Ann's silence only added to the anxiousness he felt.

Did she like what she saw?  Was he of adequate size?  Inadequate?  He needed more than a look of utter surprise if he didn't want to die of shyness.

Even below the belt, he was hairless.  It didn't appear that he had shaved as no visible sort of stubble could be seen.  A perfect, natural smoothness.  Ann had to resist running her hands against him.  As the girl tried to form some semblance of words, they turned to mush the second they entered her mouth.  The cat had her own tongue.  Instead, only a moan of both frustration and longing escaped her.

"My God, why are you so perfect?" she whined, biting her knuckle.  It was like torture for her loins to stare at him.  All those times at the beach, and he had been keeping this from her.  The blonde felt herself practically swimming from how wet she was. 

Akira let out a tense sigh that escalated into a shudder halfway through.  The boy wiped his brow with the back of his forearm.  Sweat glistened upon his skin.  "Okay… m-my turn." Little by little did Ann peel back her suit, sliding out of the latex completely.  Hers was a lot less laborious to remove than Akira's had been.  She folded her arms beneath her bust and averted her gaze from him.  Initially, she glanced down but bore witness to his stiff member.  Ann swiftly darted her eyes to a corner of the room while she sat upon the bed, completely exposed.  Akira's jaw hung agape as he fixated on her soft pink nipples.  The blonde was caught by utter surprise as he scooped them up in his hands to deliver soft kisses upon the tender flesh.

"Mmmm~" he purred.  Ann leaned her head back and took hold of his hair.  Her delicate fingers snaked through his shaggy mane and nestled themselves comfortably.  She wanted to hold him close and never let him go.  The wetness between her legs was cascading out of control at this point.  A soft surprised hiss escaped the blonde as Akira sank his teeth gingerly into her nipple.

"Easy!" she reprimanded.  His teeth were as sharp as that winning smirk of his.  Despite the jolt the bite had given her, she found herself oddly aroused by it.  The small twinge of pain mixed in with the pleasure of his soft lips and cool tongue.  "A-are you sure you've never d-done this before?" Her breathing was ragged as she struggled to keep up with him.  The intensity she felt was so great, Ann feared she might pass out before getting to the main event.

"Am I that good?" Akira asked with a quirked eyebrow.  Half genuine curiosity and half cockiness.  His answer was delivered in the form of a ravenous lip lock from his blonde lover, who pounced upon him with cautious utterly thrown to the wind.  Her nails grazing his flesh, running against his toned form.  His hands running down her back to deliver a cheeky pat upon her firm rear.  Out of revenge, she sunk her teeth into her bottom lip and chewed upon his playfully.  With an aroused growl, Akira turned the tables and flipped them over to position himself atop her.  The boy leaned on his arms and hovered over her.  And she gazed up at him, taking center stage in her eyes.  Their slender frames shook with each breath taken.  Chests rising and falling, sweat building up on their necks.  The tender kiss of the cool air was a welcome reprieve from the heat screaming from within caused by their blush.

"S-so…" Ann had not anticipated the flow to be interrupted just yet.  She had almost completely forgotten about anything else, content to surrender to the needs of her body and let him take her.  He had almost done the same in his flipping of her over.  Almost pinning her down and making his way within.  But even in their passions, that trademark Phantom Thief reasonability had won out.  Akira lifted himself up and retrieved the open condom and applied it accordingly.  Running the length of the shaft with a fair bit of space at the end to collect the load.  He winced awkwardly as the material encased his member.  It was a greatly alien feeling to have it encased in such a way.  Not bad, necessarily.  "Does it hurt?"

"Nah," Akira dismissed.  "Just takes some getting used to."

"Good," Ann said with a tender nod.  The blonde undid her twintails and let the golden locks flow like the wetness housed betwixt her thighs.  "Now, take me…" Akira inhaled sharply at the amorous demand.  Never had an order thrilled him to his very core before.  He ducked back down and lost himself in her hips while he shuffled forward.  Ann spread her legs, resting her knees along his ribs while his hands took a firm hold of her waist.  He gulped apprehensively as he stared down at her lower lips.  To see them in porn and doujins was one thing.  Now he was experiencing the real thing.  It felt as though he stood upon the ring of the world.  Hovering on the edge, about to take a deep plunge.  Ann felt her stomach sinking nervously just as he was.  As her heart trembled, her longing eyes fell to take in the sight of her man.  Her hands caressed his hairless chest with a tender longing.  Tongue running the length of her lips as she felt them drying from apprehension.

"S-so I just… slip it in?" A silence hung between the two for a moment, interrupted by a mutual snicker.  Such an obvious question with an even more obvious answer.  Nowhere else he could go.  Clumsy, slightly awkward, shy.  Tender sex really was all of these things.  Vastly different from the example provided by the Internet.  "Remember our safeword."

"Pineapples," she repeated, resting her hands on the back of his neck.  A content smile calmed the apprehension fluttering in her chest, replaced with a surprised feeling of bliss as he entered her.  Ann's mouth hung wide open, eyes closing and back arching.  Her breasts rose and touched his chest, with her fingers digging into the sheets.  Akira's head rested between her bosom, the hot breath from his shaky gasps tickling her skin.  A hand gripped his head for support, fingers gnarling through his hair.  "Oh, God.  It feels so good~" The heat between her legs had only doubled in intensity from Akira's penetration.  Lips spread to house his girth, which pulsated with warmth and ecstasy.

"Ann~" he huffed, leaning into her neck.  Akira halted himself in order to calm his racing heart.  Ann cooed as he planted kisses along her jawline, occasionally nipping at her skin teasingly.  His mind raced back to what he had seen from the seedy side of the web.  He withdrew and thrust back in at a gingerly accommodating pace.  It was slower and gentler than what he had witnessed online.  Akira's diligence stemmed from both his concern for her and his worrying of cumming too early.

"Mmmm, Akiraaaa~" she moaned, resting back against the bed.  They both held one another in their arms, a lustful and naked embrace.  Rhythmically did Akira thrust inwards, outwards.  Soft, slow pumps to let her adjust.  Her stomach, lips, and head all swam in a passionate cocktail.  The girl was nearly overwhelmed by the sheer force of her surging desire for him.  Ann was greatly thankful Akira had taken things slow instead of jumping into the fray as soon as he entered her.  But the blonde was positively swelling between her legs.  Never before had she been this insatiable in her desire for release.  "H-harder."

Akira felt the shudder slip out between gritted teeth, the hot breath from his grunt tickling her neck.  To her him growl as he struggled to contain himself because of her.  It made her feel incredibly hot.

"Are you sure?" His voice fell to a low whisper but still retained that dry grit only she was blessed to hear.  His gentleness and tender touch made her feel so safe, wrapped up in his arms and pressed against his body.  But right now, she wanted him to take her.

"Mmmmph, pleeeeease~" A surprised moan escaped the boy as she begged.  The whining needy tone in her voice.  For him.  Of all people, him and no one else.  Akira couldn't take it anymore.  Ann squeaked in surprise when he tightly pulled her in and sped up.  Nothing held him back.  Her mouth hung open, eyes rolling back as he mounted himself deep between her legs.  Ragged growls rang into her ears like divine symphonies.  Strained, between his teeth.  Like a primal jungle cat.  The sheets were soaked to their very core from the intensity of her arousal.  Ann's fingers raked against his skin and ran along the muscle contours.  Her legs spread and dangling on each side of him.  Akira hissed softly from the sting of her sharp nails.  The blonde breathed a swift apology, but her shaggy lover would have none of it.  Any pain he felt was swiftly shrugged off by the adrenaline and blush coursing through him.

Skin on skin, cool like kisses in the rain that offered a welcome reprieve from the furious flushing that ran through their veins.  Ann claimed a fistful of his raven hair as a prize to be jealously guarded, cooing between gritted teeth as he was.  The way he rocked her upon the bed, the headboard creaking with each thrust inward.  Ann clung to him feverishly as though letting go would cause her to fade away from the physical realm.  Though mentally she had faded away, the bliss clouding her mind like an erotic miasma.  Sense and reality seemed to be nonexistent, and only her desire to be with him felt real anymore.  She never wanted it to end.  And Akira felt like it would never end.  His erection felt harder than stone, as though he could pierce the heavens with it.  Much more engorged than he had ever been before.  The boy had always been skittish when it came to the idea of sex, incredibly unsure of how well-endowed he was below the belt.  But the soft moans Ann elicited, the way she begged, the moisture on his neck from sweat and her breathing, her nails grazing every part of his skin.  He had never felt more like a virile divine being in all his life.

"Oh, ffffuck, Akira~" Ann moaned while groping his pale butt.  A playful smack administered by her drew an amused growly chuckle from him.  He leaned in and nipped her neck with his canines.

"You'll pay for that~" he huffed.  Before she could administer a comeback, her head flew back as he buried himself deep within her.  Hand firmly cradling her arched back as he pumped away between her legs. In that moment, he wasn't her teenage lover.  He was a man.  A man fucking her with his cock.  It was weird to describe it as such, even in thoughts.  She ordinarily didn’t like the word.  Sounded far too intense for her liking.  But by God, nothing else could describe it.  Handsome, sensitive, brave, kind, and absolutely hung.  Tender, firm, and big in all the right places.

Their intimate, desperate mating continued on for nearly half an hour.  Akira was surprised by how long he had managed to hold out.  Granted, he had to slow himself down a couple times and love her down gently.  A notion she did not mind at all as it allowed her swimming mind to recuperate.  The fluctuations back and forth between passionate love and lustful fucking were only thing she could have imagined before.  At times, it was near overwhelming and put her at the verge of tears.  Then, Akira would stop and kiss her.  Deeply, gently, purring into her throat.  She swore she must have fallen in love with him several times over in those moments.  Naked, vulnerable, exposed to him.  With him in her.  If they could, it would have gone on forever.  She wanted it to last forever.  The both of them to surrender to lust completely and fuck like wild rabbits endlessly.  Losing her virginity to the man she loved the most in all the world, who sported the biggest equipment in all Shujin.  But all good things needed to end eventually.

Akira felt his back stiffen as he felt the heat rise in the pit of his stomach.  His balls grew tense, and his cock had become so engorged, he swore it actually had turned to stone.  Almost painfully so.  Peak physical arousal had been bestowed to him, meaning the next phase wasn’t long behind.

"I-I'm getting close," he confessed, nipping at her earlobe.  Ann wrapped her legs around his waist, her dainty feet dangling as they folded over one another.

"Me too," she huffed before kissing his jawline.  "I want it so bad~" He leaned forward and locked lips with her, Ann's tongue gliding along the bottom of his top lip.  Teeth sinking into the supple flesh possessively.  A devious playful look to her bedroom eyes.  As Akira took hold of her hips and drew her inward, things only grew more intense.  Ann found it more difficult to contain her moans, the blonde biting her finger to try and keep herself composed.  Akira had given up on holding back as a moan escaped each time he huffed and growled between his pearly whites.

Ann pulled herself into him tightly, as though wanting to fuse together into one being.  Akira could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears.  It was matched melodiously by Ann's begging moans for release.  The sounds of smacking skin as he rutted against her made it even spicier.  The strong smell of arousal, the intense heat, the curve of her body as she laid against the mattress.  He couldn't take any more of it.  Akira reared his head back and uttered an almost pained moan as his balls tensed and surged.  Down to his thighs and up to his chest, the euphoria flushed with his climax.  Ann clawed at his back and arched her neck as she released.

In near perfect sync did they cum.  The hardest either of them had ever finished.  Ann's eyes had rolled deep into the back of her skull.  Though not as deep as Akira had been inside her.  She had been lost in the orgasm and melted upon the mattress.  Nearly forgetting who or where she was.  His dick had to have been magical as well.  No way a man could be that good.  Just her luck to have a man with the cock of a god.  Kamoshida could eat his heart out.

Akira's tongue dangled from his open mouth as his body shuddered with each ejaculation.  Arms and knees trembling from holding his exhausted body upward.  Ann wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to draw him inward for a tender embrace.  But Akira slipped away to withdraw himself.  He had to work fast, that much Takemi had told him.  He was quite surprised at just how engorged the end of the condom was with his cum.  All that edging and failed attempts at prior release had certainly built him up.  With a cocky smirk did he tie up the condom and dispose it into the nearby wastebin.

The boy collapsed on top of Ann like a limp ragdoll.  Ann held him like a stuffed teddy bear, legs wrapping around his waist.  Their flushing skin began to subside, the cool air that had kept their sweating down now overly chilly.  The blonde ripped the sheets over them and cuddled beneath the fabric with her exhausted lover.  A faint musky scent hung in the air, and Ann felt something cold beneath her.  Her face turned a beet red after witnessing how soaked the sheets were.

"Nice," Akira jested, admiring his handiwork.  Ann swatted playfully at him before guiding his heat to the small of her neck.  He cuddled her like a cat seeking warmth on a cold night.  The blonde gently stroked his hair as she listened to his content and soft breathing.

"That was… so amazing," she said between ragged breaths.  "I've never felt so intense before." In her mind, Akira had worked her like a god.  It was a touch hard to believe he truly was a virgin.  Though he had been a touch clumsy in his positioning early on.

"I've never been so hard in my life," Akira confessed.  Ann snickered from the sheer forwardness of his statement, causing the boy to bite his lip and glance aside bashfully.  Too tired to hold himself upright, Akira rested his head upon her breast.  With a playful smirk and a raised eyebrow, he kissed her nipple.  She cooed with satisfaction while she stroked a finger against his smooth jawline.  "This was the best night of my life, Ann.  I never wanted it to end."

"Ditto." She held a hand to her chest to collect her breath.  Her body was still recuperating from the aftershocks.  A faint warmth enveloped her as the afterglow kicked in.  Happy butterflies rose in her stomach, and the blonde cradled his head before kissing the top of it.  "You were amazing, Akira.  There's no one else I wanted this more than with you." Akira rose to meet her longing gaze, silver eyes meeting with the brilliant pools of blue that captivated him.  Purer than the Hawaiian oceans he found himself missing as they reminded him of simpler, happier times.  He wrapped his arms around her neck and kissed her.  She made him feel so safe.  Wanted and protected in her tender embrace.  That was supposed to be his job, as her leader and her boyfriend.  But he didn't mind the role reversal.  Far from it.

"I love you, Ann." Soft, silent, fragile.  Whispered so tenderly, as though hiding it from the shadowy silhouettes they cast.  "I love you so much.  You're all I want.  All I ever want." Ann bit her lip to stop it from trembling and buried her face in his shaggy hair.  There she was, feeling as though she might try again from how wonderful she felt.  It wasn't fair that he could do this to her.  That he made her fall so hard for him.

"I love you too, Akira.  Not a single man in the world could ever be like you.  You're just… so perfect." Akira buried himself bashfully between her breasts, eliciting a playful giggle from Ann as she ruffled his hair.  He rose up and assaulted her lips with tender pecks.  Arms locked around one another as they laid perfectly nestled between the sheets.  Together in this isolated room, the rest of the world seemed not to exist.  The Phantom Thieves, the Metaverse, Tokyo.  It all felt like someone else's' lives. In that moment, it was just them.

"It's getting late." It was hard to directly ascertain how much time had passed, as nothing but the Navigation app worked.  But they had been at it for quite a while.  Akira wouldn't have minded it gone on longer, even though it was frustrating at times to slow down to regain control.  "Should we get ready to head back?" Ann pursed her lips and glanced through the blinds.  A red moon hung in the distorted sky.  Night had definitely come upon them much faster than anticipated.  Whether it was on account of the public's cognition of the love hotel or the days growing shorter was uncertain to her.  They would need to head home, to check up with the others as promised and to stay within curfew.  But it didn't have to be right now… did it?

"Can we stay here for a bit?  Just us?" Ann cuddled her nude form against his toned body, melting into and clinging to him.  She didn't want it to end.  Not just yet.  Jealously, she guarded him against the outside world.  Phantom Thieves, shadows, Palaces.  She was willing to wrestle him away from them the best he can.  Though, he wasn't providing much resistance on his part.  Akira scooped her up and kissed her forehead before resting his weary form against the mattress.

"I'd like that." There was no way anxiety would keep him up this night.  He had strained and exhausted his body from their coupling.  As soon as he returned to Leblanc, he would collapse onto the bed.  Akira felt he could doze even through a meeting in the Velvet Room.  "Don't let me fall asleep, okay?" Ann said nothing but giggled in confirmation, lost in her own thoughts.  As she held her lover in her tender embrace, her heart fluttered with a joy she could not feasibly articulate through words.  She had grown closer to Akira than ever before.  His smile, wit, and tenderness had returned to her after so long.  The confident and loving Joker that had stolen her heart had returned after being lost to stress and uncertainty in the aftermath of Okumura's death.  Even greater still had been her personal triumph.  Not once had Kamoshida's face wormed its way into her mind.  It was difficult even to forcibly picture it while held in Akira's strong arms.  Finally, it seemed the former volleyball coach had been defeated once in her all.  Her sexuality, mind, and body were hers again.  To share and give to Akira.

The man she loved.  The man who saved her life.

* * *

 

Futaba peered over the dozen or so tabs and pages she had open on her computer.  Sifting through all sorts of news articles, Phan-site pages, and personal data pulled from Sae's records.  The shut in's fingers darted across the keyboard, keys clacking loudly from the ferocity of her multitasking.  She was in the zone, her natural element that she excelled in above all others.  At this rate, Futaba would have a sizable record to present at their next Phantom Thief meeting.  Whenever that was.

The girl stretched her frail form and leaned back in her seat.  As she ran the prompts, the computer kicked into autopilot.  Her job was basically done, and she could focus on other things.  Online gaming, reading manga or hentai, sending memes to Akira.  The young girl opened her phone and opened the Nav.  A quick curious surveillance before she would text Akira to play Innocent Sin Online 2: Eternal Punishment.  It wasn't as though she expected to see anything peculiar.  Which is why the strange presence of two signals in the Metaverse was jarring to her.  They were quite out of the way from Leblanc.  If she were in town, Futaba could identify what they were with her laptop.  But it was late, and Akira had warned her not to go out on her own.  She could ask one of the others to help her follow up on this lead, perhaps Yusuke.  But she wanted it to be with Akira.  He was the leader, after all.  And she liked being with him most of all.  A secret she would not dare to admit.

Futaba connected her phone to the computer and began zeroing in on the Metaverse signals.  According to the online map, they were emanating from a love hotel.  Way out of the way from Leblanc.

 _A new Palace?_  she thought to herself.  As she focused on the signal, something faint could be heard in the background.  Among the static, it was difficult to determine.  Though as she began scrubbing the audio, things became much clearer.  It was coarse, heavy, ragged.  Like breathing. Rhythmic contractions, steady but shaky.  Whatever it was, it wasn't having trouble breathing.  But it was definitely in a heightened state of being.  As though something had gotten its adrenaline going.  Another sound rose, like the coo of a dove.  Even fainter than the breathing.  Futaba carefully adjusted her volume to make it out.

" _Ohhh~_ "

Futaba froze in utter silence.  A moan resonated in her headphones.  Plain as day, no doubt about it.  And one of great arousal too.  The moaning began occurring more frequently.  And in the background, the sound of smacking.  Skin on skin.  The girl closed the app and covered her face, discarding her headphones onto the bed.  Futaba's face was positively burning with embarrassment at what she had just discovered.  She didn't know whether to tell the others about this or completely scrub it from her mind.  Whatever it was she had just found.  She might not be wise to the ways of the world, but she knew enough to recognize what sex sounded like.  Though what was it that had been going at it?  None of them went into the Metaverse without one another, and the only thing inside were shadows.  Did shadows mate?  The thought of something like an Incubus or Pixie going at it sent her skin crawling.  No amount of brain bleach in the world would make the mental images she inadvertently conjured okay.

Though, she couldn't deny that the audio sounded like exhilarating.  The dampness in her panties could attest to that.  But the mental pictures of shadows mating had quickly killed that mood.  Futaba shuddered and rushed to the shower in an attempt to cleanse herself.


	46. Independent Research

_10/24/17 – Monday_

The doubts and worries that had plagued Akira endlessly throughout the days and nights seemed to have vanished after making love with Ann.  Upon his return to Leblanc, he collapsed onto his bed with barely a word spoken to Morgana.  His first time had taken much out of the young lad.  As he had hoped, not a sliver of existential dread wormed its way into his head throughout the night.  A good night's rest, at long last.

The others were overjoyed to see the pep return to his step after being absent for so long. Ann in particular.  Though she made sure to downplay her enthusiasm.  Akira had to give her the proper credit.  Her acting had certainly improved since dealing with Yusuke.  When asked, his beloved played her cards close to her chest.  It was important that they mutually underplay their hands in order to remain inconspicuous.  Both as Phantom Thieves and lovers.

After last night, the young lovers were determined to take any opportunity they had to sneak away and relive the magic all over again.  Between school and Ann's modeling job, they were going to be fucking like rabbits.  Almost back to back.  Each time would have them go back to the love hotel within the Metaverse to do it all the different rooms.  He already had several in mind.  One room was white with giant red roses carved into the walls, another was gold and had a roulette table theme to it.  A third room was black and blue with a white ceiling, a bed in the center beneath a black trick window with tiny starlights in it and disco balls hanging to the sides of the bed.  It reminded Akira oddly enough of the Velvet Room, for some reason.

The fire of youthful lust had been snuffed out for months from stress, anxiety, and Kamoshida's abuse.  Now, it had returned full force, and the young lovers were positively enraptured by it.  Today in class, they had the chance to explore their newfound intimacy together via text.  Though Akira would much rather prefer learning it firsthand with her naked in his bed. 

The bell rang as Akira entered the sleepy Leblanc café.  The café's population count was low as usual.  Only two customers in attendance, though one swiftly drew his eyes.

"Welcome home." None other than Akechi sat at the counter with a piping hot cup at the ready.  The young detective certainly made himself feel welcome at his new regular coffee spot, that was for sure.  Before, Akira would've been a lot more on edge.  But he was still heavily bathed in the afterglow from last night.

"Heya, bud," Akira greeted warmly, adjusting his turtleneck.  Something about Ann he had discovered was her penchant for hickeys.  Very visible hickeys.  Akira had never been more thankful the school uniform covered his neck.  He was unfortunately not allowed to leave them, as Ann needed her neck unmarked for any potential photo shoots.  It was a prospect she firmly held him to, no matter how much the feeling of his teeth sinking into her skin made her melt.  In a totally unrelated note, her internet search history had become full of queries for makeup that she couldn't sweat off.

"You're back awfully late," Akechi noted.  A wry smirk made its way upon the boy's face.

"Sorry, Mom." Akechi couldn't help but chuckle at his quip.  The detective certainly was observant, though he definitely had to be.  Not even Sojiro kept this close an eye on him.  The shop owner began making small talk with the young detective, commenting on the flow of customers throughout the day.  In typical fashion, Leblanc was rarely populated.  At the back of the café, the television ran the news.  Akira wasn't even sure if Sojiro had access to any other channels.  Rather mundane content being broadcasted.  Just a TV show discussing current events.  Nothing more than background noise, really.

"What are your thoughts, Representative Shido?"

As his attention turned to the screen, Akira felt the entire world come to a standstill.  Akechi, Leblanc, his afternoon with Ann.  It had all been wiped from his mind in an instant when he saw the man on the screen.  Black suit minus a tie.  Orange tinted spectacles.  Bald with a goatee.  And a slimy condescending voice dripping with contempt.  Akira's mind had gone totally blank, a wide-eyed stare upon his face that threatened to burn a hole through the television screen.

"It doesn't surprise me that people say our country is lethargic.  We've let these Phantom Thieves run amok.  And because they've targeted only prominent figures, our government leaders have been hesitant to act.  I apologize for any concern they may have caused and will henceforth search for an apt countermeasure.  This is an important undertaking, and one I intend to confront with every asset available to me.  The selfish criminals enacting this "social reform" are in fact the ones most deserving of reformation.  Answering to the interest of the people as hastily as possible is my natural duty as a politician.  Rampant political scandals, thieves on the loose… As sad as it is, this is the state of our nation.  We must resolve this problem, and I assure the people of this noble country that I will do just that."

_You…_

Akira clenched his fist, seething in silent anger at the man.  A corrupt liar taking to television to stake his claim for political office.  A silent amused scoff escaped the boy.  It could not have been by mere coincidence that he kept encountering him since his unlawful arrest.  Even through the screen, Akira could sense the malice emanating from the man that stole everything from him.  This Shido, whoever he was.  A look of utter judgmental contempt permanently sat on his face.  It made Akira sick just looking at it.  His knuckles popped in his clenched hand as he felt his muscles tense up.  What he wouldn't give to land his fist square in the side of that bastard's head.  But why stop at just one punch?  Why not several?  A kick to the jaw?  To the throat?  The groin?

"What're you standing there staring off into space for?  You're creeping me out."

Akira blinked, snapping back to reality.  He had completely forgotten he had returned to Leblanc.  The teenage youth was temporarily lost to his anger.  Condemned and scapegoated as murderers and criminals.  By a sexually exploitative miscreant, no less.  Akira could taste the bile in the back of his throat, having formed from such an insult.

"Don't worry about it," Akira dismissed with a low voice.

"I'm not worried," Sojiro replied.  "You're just blocking the store entrance." Akira gave a sheepish cough in response before stepping out of the way.  Sojiro casually handled the dishes with a slight furrow to his brow.  Well, a more prominent furrow than usual would be more apt to say.

"Criminals…" Akechi hovered over his cup with a rather sullen look.  His cheery relaxed demeanor had disappeared in quite the hurry.  It seemed that this Representative Shido's speech had an impact on all of them in some way.  "Well, that must be how he sees it.  However, that is ignorant of their true nature." Akira cocked an eyebrow curiously at the young detective.  He was definitely presuming a lot.  Though he wasn't wrong in his assumption, that much Akira commended him for.

"Tck," Akira scoffed flatly.  "You siding with the Thieves now?" The good mood Ann had put him in was long gone, instead replaced by the jaded bitterness his arrest had instilled within months ago.  A jadedness he thought had faded away.  Old habit truly did die hard.  Tough, Akechi seemed to be woefully ignorant of Akira's disdain.  By choice or by lack of awareness was unsure.  The detective merely gave an amused chuckle.

"It may be somewhat of a stretch to say I'm "on their side." They're still criminals, regardless." A low sigh slipped out through Akira's lips.  He was in no mood for any sort of ethical debate with Akechi today.  Not this time.  "Having said that, I won't deny I empathize with them on some level.  If this Okumura incident was not the Phantom Thieves, if they only change the hearts of criminals.  Then even though they cannot be considered "innocent," perhaps my goals are not so different from theirs."  In a better mood, Akira would have drawn great amusement from this admission.  The Phantom Thieves still weren't considered in the right in the detective's eyes, but this was probably as close to it as Akira would get.  Reluctantly, he saw some point to Akechi's words.

"So, you do care about justice as more than just a way to feel validated," Akira stated, arms folded.  And here he was being roped into another debate with the detective prince.  He always found a way to get the best of him, it seemed.  Akechi thought the same if the amused smile on his face was anything to garner from.

"I do still greatly value acceptance.  But justice for the sake of justice is admirable as well.  I was a victim of injustice myself, as you already know.  There are many others facing the same struggles.  They need someone out there to fight for them." Akira couldn't fight the corner of his mouth curling into a subdued smile.  It seemed the detective had done some soul searching since their last debate.  "You know, I quite enjoy these in-depth discussions with you.  You really know how to make me think, Akira."

"And here I thought you were just doing it to get under my skin," he jested.  Akechi chuckled before finishing off his drink.

"I'll admit that I do get some joy out of seeing you twitch." Sojiro took Akechi's cup and began washing it, in his own world and completely oblivious to their conversation.  The detective studied his fellow teenager curiously.  "You know, have you ever considered a career in law enforcement?  You definitely have a strong sense of justice and passion to you.  Sae-san and I could use someone like you on our side." Akira couldn't help but snicker at the notion.  A Phantom Thief on the police force.  It was a ridiculous notion.  Very reckless too, but one that would garner lots of potential opportunities for them.

"I'd say you have a better chance of becoming a Phantom Thief yourself." Now Akechi snickered, rolling his eyes at him.  A handkerchief was withdrawn from the detective's pocket and used to gingerly wipe his mouth.  The jest had Akira thinking.  Akechi honestly would have made an excellent Phantom Thief, he had to admit.

"I knew there was something special about you, ever since the first time we met." He beamed warmly at Akira.  "I feel as though I could tell you anything during our conversations." Their banter continued before the detective left for other pastimes but not before confirming with Akira of his decision to attend the Shujin panel.  The confirmation left Akira in a great state of confliction.  On the one hand, Makoto could enact her plan to obtain Akechi as a powerful source of income.  On the other hand, the possibility of them being caught was even larger with an actual law enforcement official in the building.  But he had to trust Makoto's judgment.  All he could do now was dwell on it within his room and hope for a positive outcome.

Akira returned upstairs to ponder it all accordingly.  Inside, he was still seething from the news report.  It was like some sort of sick practical joke inflicted upon him by the universe.  Not enough for him to be labeled a criminal unlawfully and shunned by his own community and family.  This mystery man exploiting women, paying off the police, and now vying for power.  This Shido.  With an agitated huff, Akira sat at his desk and began pouring over the news.  Local news, current events, politics.  Anything he could get some sort of grasp on to figure out who the bastard was.

"What're you looking for, Akira?" Morgana asked, perched curiously at the corner of his desk.

"Just keeping up to date is all," Akira stated.  The half-truth seemed to keep the cat satisfied while Akira only grew more frustrated with his meager results.  Even with the modifications Futaba had made to his repaired laptop, there was barely anything of substance for him to garner.  The rest of it he would have to find on his own.  And he had some idea of who to reach out to.  "I'm going out.  Be back later."

"Want me to come with?" Morgana inquired.

"Need some time to myself.  I'll be back before it gets dark." Akira felt a small twinge of guilt as he saw Morgana curl up onto the bed dejectedly.  But this was a personal matter, not a Phantom Thieves' one.  Though he would relish the chance at changing his darkened heart if he had it.  For now, he took to the streets to tail potential leads.

He didn't have much on his side.  Just a brief history.  Very brief.  No records of where he came from even what school he attended.  Some cushy prestigious academy, he surmised.  But he knew a bit from some online research.  He was running for Prime Minister and had even split off from his old party to make a brand new one.  Something called the United Future Party.  Part of the National Diet.

But most of all, he had a name.  A complete name to put to the face of ugliness that haunted him.  A name to the lying charlatan on the television captivating the masses with jargon and sensationalism.

Masayoshi Shido.

* * *

 

The Crossroads bar at Shinjuku.  A seedy enough place where anything could be dug up for the right price and with the right connections.  Thankfully, Akira knew someone willing to aid him free of charge.  The plucky journalist Ichiko Ohya, available nightly and found drinking away her troubles with Lala Escargot.  More importantly, someone Akira knew he could trust.  Even when all the other journalists had jumped ship on supporting the Phantom Thieves, Ohya remained a supporter.  Whether for or against, Phantom Thief pieces always drew in a high turnout.  With her past hand in political pieces and knowledge of the Tokyo streets, she had to have something on Shido.

"My favorite confidant," Ohya jested, wrapping an arm around his neck.  Akira chuckled and ordered her a drink.  Lala obliged his request and slid Ohya her freshly purchased poison.  It technically wasn't illegal since it was neither served to or consumed by Akira.  "Buttering me up, eh?  You must want something."

"I could use some information," Akira confessed, leaning nonchalantly back in his chair.  "Doing a little independent research on a personal matter." Ohya smirked wryly at the boy as she ran a finger along the rim of her glass.

"Personal business or Phantom Thief business?" she teased while playfully nudging his ribs.  Akira mulled over his answer while suppressing the giggles forming in his throat from her elbow prodding at his sides.  If this proved to be big enough, it could be Phantom Thief business.  After all, politicians were the most corrupt individuals in society.  For now, it remained a quest for self-vindication.  For personal answers.

"Little of both," he said.  His answer seemed satisfactory to the journalist, who downed the rest of her drink in one single gulp.  With a relieved gasp did she plant her cup down on the counter.

"What's got your interest, kid?"

"I wanna know something about someone.  Someone important.  A politician and I want you to tell me everything you can.  His name is Masayoshi Shido." A cold calculating silence filled the room as Ohya's expression gravely sobered.  The woman had a ferocity to her brown eyes that he had only seen when her old partner Kayo Murakami was mentioned.  She had to have something of interest to him then.  "And I'm not talking about stuff I can find in a newspaper or online.  I wanna get dirt." Ohya lowered her gaze and delivered a sinister smirk.

"I think I have something for you," she noted.  Her gaze fixated upon Lala.  "Scotch." With a silent nod, the drink was fetched and delivered to the journalist.  Ohya sipped the amber liquid, feeling it burn her throat.  It stimulated all her senses and made her feel more awake.  "You remember the story my old partner and I were pursuing before, right?" Akira somewhat recounted the details of before.  About a year ago, they had discovered a slush fund being used by a bureaucrat to support refugees.  Before the story could be made public, Kayo and said bureaucrat disappeared, and Ohya was silenced and demoted to cranking out sensationalist clickbait pieces on entertainment.  Only recently had it been discovered that Kayo was very much alive, albeit confined to a mental hospital.  "I went to see Kayo the other day…"

From the details Ohya described, her partner had certainly seen better days.  Emaciated and unable to speak, found unconscious in the street.  More important, Ohya speculated it was caused by a mental shutdown.  Those words greatly troubled Akira, right to his very core.  First Futaba's mother Wakaba, then Kayo, Principal Kobayakawa, and now Kunikazu Okumura.  The tangled web weaved by this conspiracy spanned ever wider the deeper Akira dug.  Wakaba's government research on the Metaverse, Kayo and Ohya's slush fund uncovering, Okumura's use of mental shutdowns to elevate himself from mere businessman to politician.  Everything came back to politics.  To some sort of political vie for control over the populace.  He was still uncertain how Kobayakawa fit into everything.  Besides Kamoshida, Shujin had no real other major connections to it.  Still plenty of secrets to be uncovered, it seemed.  But they certainly wouldn't be divulged from Kayo.  The doctors were uncertain if she would ever recover.

"So we'll never know what happened with that bureaucrat?" Lala asked glumly.  A dead end.  A lead with no payoff.  Akira believed otherwise, however.  Ohya took her job quite seriously, especially when it involved the search for truth and Kayo.  She wouldn't take up his time like this if she didn't have something big to share.

"Not necessarily.  I have her hairclip.  It looks like an ordinary accessory, but it actually has a miniature camera built inside.  Remember that voicemail where she said she had something big?  Well, it was all in the hairclip." Akira had to give her credit.  Kayo certainly was one hell of a journalist.  Crafty and resourceful, if not slightly sketchy and somewhat illegal.  "It was a picture of the bureaucrat's secret meeting.  The other party must be the one behind the slush fund.  And that other party… it was one of Shido's confidants."

Akira suppressed a snarl forming on his face, teeth clenched but kept tucked away within his mouth.  Political coverup turned assassination.  And the exploitation of the Metaverse as well.  It was all done to subjugate the masses.  But for what?  Some political agenda?  A new world order?  All that Akira knew for certain was that Shido was connected to it in some way.  He had a mighty hefty goal to work towards: the seat of Prime Minister.  A position like that is not obtained so easily.  How deep did Shido's involvement in this conspiracy go?  There was no way he was ignorant of the Metaverse if his confidants can instill mental shutdowns upon whoever they want on a whim.  Was he the ringleader or one of many big fish?  Either way, the Phantom Thieves would take his foul heart, and Akira was determined to personally rip it from his chest himself.

"It's pretty clear that confidant was blackmailing the bureaucrat and killed him for not paying up.  Kayo must have managed to escape but then ended up suffering a mental shutdown somehow.  I'm not sure what could possibly cause something like that though…"

Assassinations, government censorship, misappropriation of taxpayer money.  All of this would blow of massively in Shido's face and certainly cost him the seat of Prime Minister.  There was only one problem.  They had not a shred of evidence to back it up.  And if Ohya charged blindly into this, she would be massively discredited by the journalism field and the public.  Or even worse, selectively targeted for a mental shutdown herself.  Nevertheless, she was adamant on avenging Kayo.  Were he in the same position, Akira would have done the same regardless of the consequences.  After knocking back a few drinks with Ohya – nonalcoholic ones, in Akira's case – he prepared his departure.  She had provided some useful information about the type of man Shido was.  Plus, he had greater conviction in his pursuit.  Shido would rue the day he ever crossed paths with Akira Kurusu.

"Sorry I couldn't be of any better help, Akira," Ohya said, handing her empty glass to Lala.  "The story will be buried for a while until I can get my hands on suitable evidence.  But I at least hope you found what you were looking for."

"You were a big help, Ohya," Akira said with an affirming nod.  "The Phantom Thieves will bring Shido to justice.  For you and everyone else he wronged."

"Hey, just… be careful, alright?  You're still just a kid so you're really in over your head with this." Akira couldn't help but smirk at her concern.  Most teenagers were busy worrying about grades, dates, or part-time jobs.  And here he was worrying over government conspiracies.  It was far too late to back out now.  Shido and whoever else was pulling the strings had to be taken down.  For Futaba, Ohya, Haru, and many more.  Plus, he now had a score to settle.

"Before I go, would you happen to have any more leads?" Ohya tapped her chin in thought as she mulled over her many contacts.  There weren't too many political connections anymore after Kayo's disappearance.  No doubt she had been secretly blacklisted.  Anyone she felt might know something probably wouldn't go to her.  But to him, maybe.

Akira already had his next lead in mind.  Somebody with political connections that he knew he could trust.  A kind and caring man that wanted to make an honest difference in the world.  Ohya's recommendation only reinforced his belief.

"There might be someone you can turn to.  He's always out by Shibuya Station late at night, delivering speeches to the populace.  A politician, but he seems like a nice guy.  One of the few good honest men in this system.  Name is Toranosuke Yoshida."

* * *

 

Sure enough, Yoshida was at Station Square, rallying the public with his words of wisdom.  He had come a long way since Akira had met him back in May.  Though, he had remained very skeptical of Yoshida at first.  After all, he was a politician.  But he ultimately did possess a good soul and remorse for the transgressions of his past.  As well as being a good teacher and friend.

Part in tribute and part of his plan to gain information, Akira took them to the beef bowl restaurant where they first met.  On his treat, of course.  Yoshida dined gratefully on a large bowl of succulent cooked meats while Akira helped himself to a smaller portion.  He was not as hungry as he normally was, fueled instead by curiosity, retribution, and a thirst for vengeance.

"My dear boy, it's always pleasant to be in your company," Yoshida said, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"Anytime, sir," Akira replied.  "Just wanted to offer a sort of thanks for all that you've taught me.  Plus, I'm doing a bit of independent research on politics and figured we could discuss it over food." Yoshida chortled with great amusement.

"In my experience, food is the best thing to discuss over."

"Especially on someone else's dime, right?" Yoshida patted his thigh with amusement at his teenage companion's jest.  He had certainly picked up the art of persuasion well from him.

"So how can an old politician like myself be of service?  What questions burn away at your youthful mind?" Akira had to skillfully play his hand.  This wasn't just any person he was inquiring about.  Any information was valuable as well as scarce.  But in what way could he steer the focus onto Shido as subtly as possible?  With his influence and position, such a thing seemed a long shot.

"You know a few people on the National Diet, and you've seen your fair share of scandals.  I was wanting to know a little bit about them." Yoshida nodded curiously at the young man.  It was only fair to know about the dealings of those representing the common man, after all.  But with Akira's position as a Phantom Thief, Yoshida couldn't help but wonder what the angle was.

"There are a few of them," the elderly politician admitted.  "There are few in office without any sort of dirt on their hands.  Some try to move past it and improve themselves.  Some… don't." Akira steepled his hands and eyed his cohort with a steely silver gaze.  "Is there anything specific you'd like to know?"

"One guy I wanna know about." He pursed his lips and let the silence settle for a moment.  To build the tension and curiosity.  If Shido was as influential and elusive as the information online and Ohya's testimony made him out to be, anything Yoshida knew wouldn't just slip out.  It would have to be coerced.  Luckily, Akira had some aces up his sleeves.  "Tell me about a man named Masayoshi Shido." Yoshida felt a chill run down his spine as he seized from Akira's words.  The fork in his hand felt like solid lead.  He knew quite a lot on Shido, that was for sure.  There wasn't a single person working in politics that didn't have some knowledge or association with him.  If the Phantom Thieves were looking into him, something big was truly on the horizon.

"Well…" Yoshida kept himself composed as he began spinning his tale.  "He started out in life as a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly.  Now he's a member of the National Diet, of course.  Where I know him from.  He even formed the nationalist United Future Party and-"

"I know all that, Yoshida," Akira interrupted.  He was stalling.  Or filibustering, in this case.  He needed to get the real meat and potatoes of the situation.  Appropriate for a beef bowl shop.  "I want information I can't get online.  From a man who personally knew him."

"Well, I didn't know him personally.  I had never worked with him but did interact with him enough to know what kind of man he was."

"And what kind of man is he?" Yoshida held his tongue for a moment.  He had never been afraid of being honest in regards to his past.  The people he knew, the mistakes made.  But this was something entirely different.  Shido could destroy his political chances forever if anything came around to bite him.  But Akira trusted him.  It was because of his support that he could overcome the label of No-Good Tora.  In good consciousness, could he let him down?

"Not a pleasant one, to say the least…" he managed to say.  "He's egotistical, selfish, and arrogant.  Self-righteous and knows what to say to manipulate the public.  Willing to use underhanded trickery to get his way and doesn't care who he steps on to achieve his goals." Yoshida scoffed and shook his head in annoyance.  "A modern politician."

"What dirt you got on him?" Akira pressed.  "Who are his contacts?  Maybe someone like… Kunikazu Okumura?" Yoshida's face went pale at the mention of the former businessman.  Like many others, he had seen the grizzly sight on television with thousands of others.  With Akira's association with the Phantom Thieves and the narrative of their involvement in both his and Kobayakawa's deaths, this looked bad.

"Akira-kun…" Yoshida gently rubbed his forehead, feeling a slight sweat coming on.  "I've paid attention to the news.  I've heard of the Phantom Thieves' supposed hand in Okumura's… departure."

"That wasn't us." He hadn't outright suspected them, but Akira could sense his apprehension.  It stung just a bit to be put under the microscope by the politician.  But nobody could deny Okumura had an unmistakable mental shutdown live on television.  Completely unprovoked and unprompted.  It matched the patterns of all the spontaneous changes of hearts beforehand.  It wasn't a stretch to suspect them, regardless of whether the others still lived or not.  "You know me, Yoshida.  I'm not a murderer.  The Phantom Thieves don't kill.  Never have, never will.  Okumura and Kobayakawa were not us."

"I knew it." A heavy sigh of relief escaped the politician.  The narrative had shaken him to his core, but he couldn't bring himself to believe the young boy was some sort of murderer.  It was a convincing narrative, but if someone like Kamoshida was left to live, why would Okumura suddenly be killed?  "I trust you, but what you're asking from me is a lot.  You know I'm firmly against government corruption, but you're still a teenager.  I don't want you getting in over your head on this.  Your work as the Phantom Thieves is greatly valued, but maybe you should let the adults handle this one.  For your sake."

"I can't walk away from this." Yoshida merely wanted to protect Akira.  He couldn't fault the old man on that.  But Okumura's death had ensured he couldn't back out regardless.  Even if Haru's father still lived, this was Shido they were dealing with.  It was much more personal this time.  "The Phantom Thieves are purveyors of honest justice.  I can't throw that away because you're scared or because this is too big.  I'm not asking you to get involved.  I just need information.  Answers to help us reveal the truth.  You can't stop me from going after this."

Yoshida didn't want to admit that his young friend was correct.  He couldn't control this rebellious youth, no matter what.  Even if he jumped to the extreme and reported Akira, there was no verifiable evidence that would lend his accusation any credibility.  Especially as No-Good Tora.  His dedication was steadfast to his craft, as was his own.  In a way, Yoshida saw a bit of himself in young Akira.  But he was going up against Masayoshi Shido himself.  A powerful and very influential man.  Yoshida had heard all sorts of rumors through the grapevine of Shido's nasty disposition and the way he callously discarded those that were of no use to him.  Even more troubling was how he was rumored to treat women.

"I'm sorry, Akira-kun," Yoshida said, bowing his head remorsefully.  "I just can't.  I don't want you getting yourself in danger.  This is for your safety."

"Too late for that.  I've already learned lots of things about him.  Things you might not even know yourself." He had committed himself to this the day he went to fight Kamoshida.  Nothing would dissuade him now, regardless of how personal this all was.  Akira was stern as can be but so was Yoshida.  Whether it be dedication, tenacity, or stubbornness, neither man would back down from their decision.  Yoshida would need convincing.  "You heard about a journalist named Ichiko Ohya?"

"I'm familiar…" Once she had been a respectable journalist that blew the lid on many political scandals.  Now, she merely covered entertainment.  Yoshida had also been recommended to avoid engaging with her.  Had apparently done something to land her on a blacklist.  He had never found out what it was and suspected foul play, but he didn't need any trouble.  Back when she came around questioning, he was still trying to distance himself from the legacy of No-Good Tora.  But her testimony that her partner had disappeared after attempting to do a political piece had always unnerved him.

"But I bet you're probably not familiar with her partner, Kayo Muramaki." Yoshida froze, fork clattering into the porcelain bowl.  So it seemed Ohya had spoken with him as well about it.  How many people did this kid know?  "She disappeared after trying to uncover a political scandal.  The scandal involved a bureaucrat using a slush fund to support refugees." Yoshida furrowed his brow as his mind became even more clouded with troubled thoughts.  Misappropriation of funds was something he was no stranger to.  "Turns out one of Shido's confidants was behind the slush fund.  Kayo was silenced with a mental shutdown, and the bureaucrat in question was killed."

"K-killed?" He had heard briefly about the bureaucrat in question.  His death was swiftly glanced over when it occurred two years ago.  But a murder?  He could never have anticipated that, even from Shido.  "Do you have any proof to this?" Akira sighed and reluctantly shook his head.  Here was where it was truly difficult.

"All I can give you is my word..." Yoshida pondered his chin.  Akira was no liar.  But this was a fairly huge accusation.  He had heard all sorts of downplayed rumors about Shido, but that was all they were.  Rumors.  "But there's more.  Just hear me out.  What about Wakaba?" The elderly politician's face went white as a ghost.  Akira had him hooked solid.  "Wakaba Isshiki.  Researcher of cognitive psience and allegedly committed suicide two years ago."

"…How do you know about her?" he whispered.  The case of Wakaba was not public knowledge whatsoever.  Only a select few knew about her and what she was involved with.

"I'm a Phantom Thief," Akira stated, tapping the table with a solitary finger.  "It's what I do.  And she didn't commit suicide.  She had a mental shutdown, and all her research was stolen." Yoshida choked slightly on his drink.  He knew very little about the circumstances involving Wakaba.  Even this "cognitive psience" that Akira mentioned was foreign to him.  All he knew was it was something to do with psychological research.  He really was dedicated to his job.  If he had gotten this far on his own, there was no way Yoshida could convince him to back down now.  The elderly man sighed and nursed his brow.

"Fine.  But I can't promise you anything concrete on what I have to say.  Most of what I know is conjecture.  I'm not too chummy with the Diet anymore so my information is limited…" And with that, he began to divulge all he had.

Apparently, Shido and Okumura had done business together on multiple occasions.  Perhaps investment partners in Okumura Foods and the Big Bang Burger chain.  Okumura had kept his political interests private, but from what Yoshida said, he was rumored to become the new Administrator of Food Safety within the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.  This would have given Okumura Foods and the Big Bang Burger chain a massive advantage in the food market, where they could weed out smaller businesses and monopolize the larger ones.  Though how much truth there was to this was uncertain.  And with Okumura dead and buried, they would never get his side of the story.

"I'm still unsure as to where Principal Kobayakawa fits into your Shido conspiracy," Yoshida said.  Neither did Akira, and that's what troubled him.  If this conspiracy stretched into the education system, they were in greater danger than realized.  Kobayakawa turned a blind eye to Kamoshida's abuse, which now had the boy question whether his position in all this as well.  Were other teachers involved?  Miss Kawakami?  The web continued stretching farther, and Akira wasn't sure what was based in fact and what was paranoia.  "I can't stop you from going after this, but all I ask is that you be safe.  Please, I beg of you!" Regardless of whether there was truth to Akira's suspicions of Shido or not, things had become risky for the Phantom Thieves now.  They were being actively hunted by the police, and if they were caught, it was all over.  Yoshida couldn't help him were he arrested.

"I can't promise anything," Akira said, earning an exasperated sigh from the elderly politician.  Youth was full of recklessness and questionable decisions.  That much, he could attest to.  But this was in a league of its own entirely.  "Is there anyone else you think can help me?  After that, I'll let you go."

"There… might be someone." It was quite the longshot.  Yoshida hadn't spoken to him in two years since he retired to his private life.  Even the others in power seemed to have forgotten him.  He was stubborn and full of vigor.  In a way, he was like an older Akira.  "He lives in Yongen-Jaya.  A former government official like me but retired.  He worked with Shido but also shared my disdain for him.  I've kept tabs on him here and there to make sure he's alright.  Apparently, he runs a little coffee shop called Leblanc.  Name is Sojiro Sakura."

Now Akira was the one to grow pale.  Of all the people in the city to have ties to Shido, he never suspected it to be his own guardian.  Though, as his mind raced to make sense of it all, things started making more sense.  His friendship with Wakaba and custody of Futaba.  It had to have been more than convenience.  And Leblanc had a small turnout rate of customers, so Sojiro must have been supporting it with the money saved from his government days.  He had to find the truth about his enemy, but he was not looking forward to this conversation.  Not at all.

"Gotcha.  Thank you very much, Yoshida." Akira rose from his chair and threw his trash away.  "Enjoy the rest of your night." The two shook hands and departed, with Akira making a beeline for Leblanc.  How in the world was he going to spring this upon Sojiro?  There was no way he could get it out of him conventionally.  He would be thrown out without a single thought.  And with nowhere to stay or sleep, he would be in dire straits.  But there was no alternative.  He would have to get the truth and bring Shido to justice.  For the greater good of all.  For revenge.

Revenge.

Akira stopped in place, staring up at the sky.  It would grow dark soon, and he would have to be back in time for his self-imposed curfew.  He rubbed at his sore head, still spinning from the revelation.  Shido had ruined everything for him.  His friends and even parents had turned their backs on him.  He would forever be known as a violent criminal over a lie.  But revenge was not what the Phantom Thieves were about.  The public was owed justice, to see the liars and oppressors of public be brought to trial rather than for their own self-satisfaction.  Kamoshida was brought to justice despite all he had done to Ann, Ryuji, Mishima, Shiho, and so many others.

The Phantom Thieves were a force of altruistic justice, not self-centered revenge.  No matter how justified or well deserved, they could not skew their good nature with a poison like revenge.  The greater good was what was important here.

It had to be.


	47. The Festival Episode

_10/26/17 – Wednesday_

The school festival arrived as scheduled, turning the school once bogged down by tests and strict scheduling into a relaxed atmosphere with tons of booths, food, and games.  Futaba explored Shujin with great curiosity like a child in a candy store.  Not that Akira could blame her though.  She was still new to this socializing ordeal.  Though there was little to enjoy on account of the lingering issue of Akechi and his becoming their source of intel.  And the creeping threat of being watched at all times.  Akira did his best to manage the anxiety having to tread carefully provided.  Ann acted as his anchor, and he was never far from her side.  Though he made sure not to get too close.  They had to keep up appearances, after all.

The very first day of the festival planned out with little surprises.  Dinner had been a lackluster payoff since their chosen stand was practically barren.  Luckily, Akira still had plenty of yen from their ordeals into Mementos to feed the lot of them afterwards.  The blunder was instantly redeemed however by the impromptu arrival of Akechi.  Seeing him writhe in discomfort from downing the red takoyaki in one bite gave Akira a sadistic thrill.  At first, he was on edge by his sudden appearance and irritated by him helping himself to their food uninvited.  Akira greatly adored spicy foods.  But it was a sacrifice well made.  Things became a lot less comedic on the second day.

Not only did Akechi make it known he knew the identities of the Phantom Thieves, he had planned on declaring it before the entire student body of Shujin.  Though, this ultimately proved to be a clever ruse to meet them face to face in the back.  Sae Niijima and the SIU were getting desperate to apprehend the Phantom Thieves, and the police could no longer be deemed an honest force of justice.  Akechi didn’t have her ear anymore.  Both parties were in rather dire straits.  Fate had granted Akira an odd twist by having the detective cooperate with them to catch the real culprit behind the deaths of Okumura and Kobayakawa.  It was a plan for the ages.  Akechi would be deemed a hero, the Phantom Thieves would be proven innocent, and justice would be served.  In exchange, they would officially disband.  And if they refused, Akechi would turn them in to the police.  They had been cornered.  One thing that didn't sit well with Akira.

"Akira?" The boy found himself back in reality.  Standing next to the one woman he loved in all the world.  Ann had managed to steal him away from the others for the post-festival party.  The gymnasium was jampacked with students, all of them fixated on the performance of the dance club.  Akira was only half-heartedly paying attention, but from what glimpses he gathered, they did fairly well.  He put on a smile for her.  From her body language, Akira could tell she was as troubled about this ordeal as he was.  Though his smile failed to dissuade her worry.

"Something wrong?" His blonde lover sighed and nursed her aching brow, sore from worry.

"Sorry.  I was just worried about Akechi-kun.  We're gonna be okay, right?" A weary sigh slipped from her raven-haired lover.

"Honestly?  I'm not sure what to make of all this.  This whole situation reeks of bullshit.  We've been boxed into a corner yet again.  Either we cooperate or get locked up." Akira scoffed through gritted teeth, shaking his head.  "He's really got us now."

"He's a detective prince for a reason, after all," Ann said as she folded her arms.  Nobody was particularly happy with their current ordeal, Akira specifically.  The last thing he wanted was for some outsider to come in and demand they do things their way.  He seethed angrily at the image of Akechi barking orders at them while they pursued the culprit.  The detective may have the Phantom Thieves' cooperation, but if he believed that he would be running the show, he had another thing coming.  Akira was conflicted on the prospect.  Debating with the detective was beyond tiring, but what he wouldn't give to put him in his place.  "There's something that's been bothering me.  I don't know if you noticed it, but…" The blonde paused and chewed on the inside of her cheek as she mulled over her thoughts.

"Speak your mind, Ann," her boyfriend probed curiously.

"It's about Akechi's story.  I don't quite buy it.  Like, he was surprised to hear Morgana speak.  But remember back when we took that trip to the TV station, and Morgana was talking about pancakes?" And there was the other thing.  Morgana had taken quick notice of it after their impromptu meeting.  Futaba had been right.  He was keeping secrets.  If they were to cooperate, they needed to be able to trust one another.  And this revelation had Akira's trust wavering.

"Like I said.  Reeks of bullshit." Ann rubbed her temples and leaned against the wall with him.  Just once, she wished they could catch a break lasting longer than a couple of days.

"I don't get it," she continued, shelving her hands in her hoodie pockets.  "Why keep secrets from us now?  We're on the same side and going after the same thing.  What's the point of keeping us in the dark?"

"Morgana suspects an ulterior motive." Akira ran a finger beneath his nose while he reflected over the meeting.  It had completely slipped his mind until Morgana had mentioned it.  What he wouldn't give to have brought it up right there in front of everyone.  But the moment had passed.  Akechi was gone, and the team had dispersed.  "Seems our luck keeps getting worse."

"And all that stuff about us having to quit being the Phantom Thieves…" Of all the potential prospects, that was the one that made Akira feel the most uneasy.  He knew they would have to end things eventually.  But not like this.  Not this way.  "Are we really gonna go through with it?" Despite everything, the public still needed the Phantom Thieves.  Whether they were liked or not was irrelevant.  They were here to do a service.  To catch the corrupt and wicked that no one else could.  If they stepped away, who would protect them?

"We could always tell him to fuck off afterwards and keep doing our thing." Ann huffed with amusement and gave him a playful nudge in his ribs.  The boy was only half jesting.

"You wouldn't do that.  That's one thing I like about you, Akira.  You're honest, and you keep your word." As she beamed admirably at him, Akira's thoughts drew inward.  His word.  Despite his disdain for Akechi's deal, it was their only alternative.  He was the only one in the public eye that still believed in them.  And he was offering them a way out.  A chance at redemption for the masses and to see true justice be done.  All they had to do was hang up the masks.  When all was said and done, they would benefit the most from this deal.  But one thing kept holding him back.

"And I always will," he started.  "But I gave my word to someone else too.  We all did."

"Morgana…" The whole reason the Phantom Thieves had been formed in the first place was for Morgana to become human again.  Akira had given his word to his good friend they would uncover his past and restore him.  And if he had to choose between the detective and the cat, he'd pick the latter without hesitation.  "If we have to stop being Phantom Thieves, how are we gonna help him become human again?"

"Akechi-kun told us to stop being Phantom Thieves.  He didn't say anything about exploring Mementos." A wry smirk graced the girl's eyes as Akira tapped his brow.  One thing Akira always looked for was half-truths and loopholes.  Exploit the system in any way he could that didn't break rules or cross lines.  "Got to specify." Ann giggled at his teasing wink.  The two stood in silence to watch the dance club finish its routine.  Anything to take their minds off the days to come.  Things would never be the same once they got the ball rolling.  The stakes would be much higher and the risks more dangerous.  The simple days of languishing in Kamoshida's downfall felt like a lifetime ago.  "Still, though.  I am gonna miss that trenchcoat."  The blonde burst into laughter.  His fixation never failed to amuse her.

"You know you can always just buy one," Ann joked, holding a finger to her jawline.  Akira side-eyed her playfully with a smirk.

"It's not the same.  Plus, there's no way in hell I could convince you to wear a catsuit out here." Ann covered her mouth, disguising the soft blush upon her cheeks.  It had not gone unnoticed by her lover.  His wandering eyes were the only ones she would tolerate.

"I wouldn't be caught dead in that thing in public."

"A shame," Akira purred with a low chuckle.  "Because my Panther always looks  _soooo_  good in it." Ann bit her lip with a smile, not bothering to hide the blush this time.  How unfair it was to tease her like this.  A silver tongue to match his brilliant eyes.

"Sucks for you that we're not alone," she taunted, lowering her voice.  Gently did she raise her hand to toy with his blazer collar.  "Because I'd smother my little Joker with so many kisses for how sweet he is to me." Now it was Akira's turn to redden from affection.  She always had a way to get him back.  And with the proper touch too.  It was no wonder she had stolen his heart so easily.  "I'll miss the outfit too.  You look so damn sexy in your trenchcoat.  A total hottie." Akira held a hand to his chest and cockily sauntered his head from side to side.

"What can I say?  I try my hardest."

“And yet you make it look so easy~”

The two shared a laugh as the final performance began winding down.  At the back of the room, they went unnoticed by the crowd.  Ann found it a welcome reprieve to just blend in for a change. Standing out was not something that normally concerned her. Because of her mixed ethnicity, she always drew some sort of attention. But with Akira now a major part of her life, she was more than grateful for the times out of the spotlight. To monetize him all for herself. Such desires made her feel a touch spoiled. Not that Akira would complain. He'd spoil her endlessly if he could, and lord knows he tried to. "Let's forget about Akechi for now, alright?"

"You're right," Ann said adoringly.  "We should have fun here while we can." Her affectionate beaming warmed the cockles of Akira's heart.  A smile of the purest degree.  He would even say it could turn anything into gold.  After all, she made his life feel golden whenever he was around.  "You know, Halloween is Monday, right?  You… wouldn't happen to have plans, would you?"

"For you, my schedule is always open." Ann clasped her hands excitedly, and her mind began racing at the possibilities.

"Good.  Because we're spending it together.  Couples costumes.  And you can't back out." Akira felt the excitement rising in his chest.  He hadn't dressed up for Halloween since he was twelve.  The prospect of dressing up after so long made him feel incredibly giddy.  Not to mention that he and Ann would be dressed up together.  A romantic flair to a spooky holiday was right up Akira's alley.

"Ooh, I can't wait!  What are we doing?  What are we dressing as?"

"Uh-uh-uh," Ann taunted with a wag of her finger.  "The costumes are a secret.  And as for where we're going, there are always costume parties here in Shibuya we can go to.  Shiho and I would go every year." Akira's mind raced at all the possibilities.  Television shows, movies, manga, video games.  Anything and everything he could get a grasp on, but nothing stood out in particular.  Knowing Ann and her immense creativity, it could be anything.  What he did know for sure was that she would go all out on making it as perfect as possible.  She was the stock of fashion designers, after all.  No half-assing it when it came to clothing.

"All right, that was a great performance by the dance club!  Everybody gives them another round of applause!" The dancers left the stage, gracious to have been able to perform while the student body clapped in appreciation.  The young boy on stage chosen to be the post-festival MC was doing his best to keep the crowd excited.  Akira personally felt he was trying too hard to be charismatic, but after all they had been through, a touch of school spirit and levity was welcome.  "And now, it's time for your favorite Shujin tradition: the Student Sharing Special!  Round of applause, everyone!"

"They're really doing this again this year?" Ann asked with a sigh.  Akira merely looked to her with a blank expression.  The blonde found the tradition to be very forced and awkward, but the student council deemed it a necessary part of the festival lineup.  Encouraged discussion and built confidence.  At least, according to Makoto.

"What is the student sharing special?" he asked.

"Sometimes, I forget you haven't been here as long as the rest of us have.  Okay, so it's when you're called to the stage and asked to answer some questions about yourself.  It can be about anything."

"So it's like show and tell for teenagers."

"Yeah…" Ann gave an exasperated sigh.  Akira's description of it somehow made it feel more of an embarrassment.  Such an activity would have resonated better with smaller children instead of the budding youths on the edge of adulthood.

"All right who has something to say?  Anyone, anyone?!" The crowd kept their hands down, no one wanting to be the first.  Yet they all shared the desire to see someone else take the plunge.  Either to inspire confidence or be a source of unintentional comedy gold.  Whatever came first.  "No?  I'll just have to pick someone then…" Now the tension was fairly palpable.  Like it or not, someone was headed for the chopping block.  They all awaited the unsuspecting choice for questioning, each one hoping they would be spared.  Akira and Ann were oblivious to the goings-on around them, instead lost in their own conversation.

"Barely anyone's paying attention," Ann noted.  "I guess this disorder really makes the post-festival party what it is."

"You think we can get Shiho to come down for Halloween?" Akira asked.

"That would be really nice," she said with a smile.  "But it's a long way back for her, and we have school the next day.  Plus…" The blonde's expression faltered and revealed a crestfallen girl to him.  "She still isn't comfortable about coming back yet." Akira sighed and gave a weary nod.  After all that poor girl had been through, he couldn't blame her for being apprehensive.  No one hurt more than Ann did.  Akira's warm and comforting presence brought her immense joy and happiness.  But in spite of everything, there was still the hole in her heart caused by Shiho's absence.  "No matter what, we just can't seem to put Kamoshida behind us.  I have the power of Persona on my side, but Shiho has nothing.  She's so vulnerable.  Sometimes, I wish we could…" Ann let herself trail off and focus on the stage.

"Could what?" The girl paused and pursed her lips apprehensively.  She felt Akira's eyes lingering on her, awaiting a response.  But she didn't want to say.  Not at the risk of sounding terrible.

"How about… the girl in the hoodie with the super bleached hair?" The both of them felt the hairs on their neck stand solid.  As the spotlight fixated on Ann, the crowd turned expectantly to greet her with cheers.  She had been wanting a distraction from the conversation at hand.  But she supposed she should've been more careful with what she asked.

"Huh?  Me!?"

"Ah, shit…" Akira hissed under his breath.

"Well then, come on up!" Akira's eye twitched at the MC's enthusiasm.  The boy regretted seeing Chihaya for a card reading earlier today.  The upside-down fortune card.  Apparently, the tarot deck had power on this side of reality as well.  The eyes of the expecting crowd lingered upon the both of them searchingly.  Ann rubbed at the heat building upon her neck as her stomach squirmed uneasily.

"What should I do?" she whispered nervously.  Akira's mind raced for some sort of solution.  Part of him thought of just grabbing her hand and running off.  But people would talk and before long would start investigating their relationship.  "Akira!"

"I'm thinking!"

"Come, come!  Everyone's waiting!" As the crowd cheered for her to ascend, her blue eyes remained fixated on Akira.  Akira ran his fingers through his hair, wincing painfully as his mind went blank.  He was better suited to dealing with shadows, not impromptu questionnaires.

"I mean, it would be rude to decline, right?  I guess?" Ann lifted her hands up in exasperation at his meager attempt at a solution.  And the worst part was that he was ultimately right.  The blonde groaned in agreement and trudged towards the stage.  The spotlight that followed her path felt scalding.  Ann was not one to typically suffer from stage fright.  She was a model, after all.  Couldn't afford to.  But her modeling gigs usually were scheduled in advance, which left her time to prepare.  Improv had never been her specialty.

As she took her stance before the microphone, the MC gave her a sly flirtatious grin.  Ann politely returned with a smile in the hopes the outside visage she put forth would cause her inside feelings to match.  The room looked much more packed than it did from the back.  And so many eyes fixated upon her.  Conveniently enough, none of the other Phantom Thieves were to be found.  How she envied them.  A vacant seat remained at the front of the room, and one young boy sauntered to the front and sat before her with a smile.  Her Akira.  Somehow, seeing him take center stage before her made the situation all the more tolerable.

"And what is your name?"

"Takamaki…" Ann did her best to sound as enthused as possible.  Her discomfort was blatantly obvious to Akira, but it went unnoticed by the crowd that cheered her on.  A few boys declared their adoration of her while some girls complimented her looks.  Various nice comments that helped take the edge off.

"You stole my heart!"

"Aww, you're so cute!"

"I'm your biggest fan!"

 _At least they're enthusiastic, I guess_ , Akira thought to himself.

"Ahh, Takamaki-san!" the MC declared smoothly.  "Good looks, smokin' body… You don't look like you have a complaint in the world!" Ann narrowed her eyes a smidge at him through her peripheral.  Not being on stage, Akira had no qualms of displaying his disdain for him.  Just eye candy with no worries in her life.  Ann was used to being looked upon as such.  The only comfort she took from his comments was that at least Akira seemed equally unenthused about them as she was.  Her shaggy-haired lover folded his arms and glowered lowly at the MC as he subtly eyed her slender frame.  "Now then, on with the show!  What would you like to share with us today, Takamaki-san?"

 _I got a few things I could share…_  Akira thought to himself as his mood soured a bit.  Just a few months ago, everyone at Shujin was badmouthing Ann behind her back.  Just a mere foreigner slut sucking up to Kamoshida for attention.  Now, everyone had turned around and acted as if nothing had ever happened.  Ann paid no heed to any of it.  She brushed off the rumors and trudged boldly on.  And a few students even apologized for the rumors they spread.  Akira could give them some credit.  He surmised it was a bit more than just Ann's unjust treatment that miffed him.  After all, hers was the only reputation uplifted.  Even Ryuji's improved somewhat after helping bust the replacement track coach.  Yet here he was.  The criminal.  Actively avoided still but tolerated.  Jealousy.  It left a bad taste in Akira's mouth.  He wasn't supposed to be a jealous person.

"I-I don't know!" Akira blinked as his thoughts returned to the waking world.  Ann looked to him for some degree of guidance.  He reached for his phone to text her something to discuss.  But as his thumb hovered over the keys, his thoughts emptied.  Running on empty at this point.  Now he was looking up to her for guidance.  Only a bewildered comical shrug could be offered.  The MC chuckled while he adjusted his grip onto the microphone.  Her flustered disposition provided some degree of amusement to him.  Akira could hardly blame him, though.  Ann was adorable when embarrassed.

"Here, I'll give you a question: do you think the Phantom Thieves are really Shujin students?" The sound of shattering glass echoed in Akira's ears.  Ann held a hand to her heart in surprise, eyeing the MC nervously.  As though this couldn't be any more stressful for the both of them.  "We're all dying to know what Akechi-kun was going to say about their true identities." His question had certainly gotten the crowd riled up, who actively chatted amongst themselves.  This whole situation had gotten way to close to home.  Akira was kicking himself for agreeing to let Akechi be the special guest.  But from what he knew, they would've come together sooner or later.  Yet it had to be Shujin?  "So, are they from Shujin?  What do you think, Takamaki-san?"

"Wh-what do I think…?" For once, Ann missed being only seen for her body.  At least then, she didn't have to answer questions about her own organization while feigning ignorance.  All while her leader and teammate were sitting front row.  Who also happened to be the love of her life.  "Umm…."

Akira held a fist to his mouth, nervously biting his finger.  There was no way Ann could act her way out of this one.  She tried her best to keep her eyes on him for too long.  But she couldn't help it.  His silver smooth gaze offered great comfort to her in stressful times.  The MC kept gazing flirtatiously at the nervous Ann, who merely brushed them off.  She was too nervous to focus on his advances.  Akechi's words had all of them on red alert for any clue about the Phantom Thieves.  One slip up, and the fingers would be pointed at them.

The youth with raven hair furrowed his brow while his mind raced for a subject.  Any subject.  As long as it drew away from the Phantom Thieves.  Something relevant, something applicable.  What did Ann have that could steer the conversation elsewhere?  Akira doubted that discussing her modeling career would be more interesting to them.  Most boys here only valued her for her looks anyway.

_Wait a minute.  "Good looks, smokin' body…"_

"Do you have a boyfriend?  Ask her if she's got a boyfriend!" Akira shouted as he swiftly rose from his seat.  The cheers of many excitable boys behind him rose up in agreement.  Ann stared at him with wide-eyed surprise.  Akira offered a meek shrug while he watched her squirm onstage.  At the very least, the focus had been shifted away from the Phantom Thieves.

"Actually, I was wondering that myself," the MC purred with amorous eyes.  "Guess I'm not the only one who can appreciate a real beauty…" Ann shelved her hands in her hoodie pockets, glancing away with an embarrassed pout.  She was a complete and total mess.  Face redder than her latex suit, jaw agape, and blue eyes fixated upon Akira in total disbelief.  This festival couldn't end fast enough.

"Whoa, Transfer is interested in Takamaki-san?"

"For real?  Oh, wow, way to go!"

"If he gets it, you know I have a shot."

"Oh, come on, Takamaki-san.  You can do better than him…"

All the students buzzed excitedly among themselves while the MC reveled in all this activity.  The unexpected turn of events was proving to be a major hit.  The student sharing special had never been so lively before.  And he was more than determined to keep the ball rolling, remaining completely oblivious to the secret lovers' dreaded the influx of flirts and come-ons Ann would receive in the approaching days.

"H-hold on a sec!" she declared, attempted to get herself together.  All this attention and focus was more than what she was used to.  Her head was spinning from the whiplash of being pressed about being a Phantom Thief to being hit on by nearly every guy in the room.  Though, it seemed the MC had no plans on obliging her.

"Sooo, Takamaki-san!  What's your relation to  _this_  guy?" Akira nearly choked as the MC gave him a wry teasing look.  Ann fared less better, reduced to bashful stammering.  Both their reactions only served to fuel the rumor mill brewing among the students in the audience.  Boys and girls alike chattered amidst the cheers and hoots.  The blonde of the MC's affections was in no condition to speak and was merely blubbering at this point.  "My, she's red as a beet!  But I'm a gentleman.  It hurts my heart to bully such a sweet girl." Akira's embarrassment was then swiftly replaced by a feeling of nausea.  The boy rolled his eyes, nearly gagging on the MC's words.  "Well, did you enjoy our blushing beauty?  Thank you very much, Takamaki-san!"

The crowd applauded Ann as she swiftly departed the stage, head kept down to avoid eye contact.  The blonde was contemplating how she could face anyone tomorrow.  At least the others weren't there to see.  The boys complained among themselves at Ann's departure while the MC began selecting another person to toy with onstage.  After Ann's performance, there was a lot more excitement in the crowd to join in on the student sharing special.  Akira casually slipped away from the crowd, remaining as aloof as possible about following Ann.  The student body would be keeping them under a more microscopic lens after the little display onstage.  His phone vibrated in his pocket, and Akira shifted to an isolated corner at the back to read.

**_[Ann: I'm on the roof.  Meet me up here.]_ **

Without hesitation, Akira made his way to the top.  The MC was in the process of questioning another attractive girl about the Phantom Thieves.  It amounted to nothing more than inane rambling and speculation, but the crowd ate it up.  The metal door swung open to reveal the rooftop obscured by darkness.  Old desks and the plants Haru tended rested contently beneath the stars.  Ann was rubbing her brow fervently.

"It's finally over," she groaned.  Akira shook his head and gravitated towards her.  The blonde took quick advantage of his presence and warmly embraced him.  "Ugh… that was so embarrassing."

"What a shitshow," Akira said, gently twirling her hair around his finger.  She buried her face into the small of his neck for comfort.

"No thanks to you."  She teasingly poked his ribs with a solitary finger.  "You helped feed that fire, you know." Akira chuckled and rubbed his neck sheepishly.

"Sorry.  All this talk about the Phantom Thieves had me skittish.  But at least they were distracted from the Phantom Thieves.  Now they'll just be talking about... us…" Ann's face flushed as she nestled herself into her boyfriend.  They were in two sticky situations at once now.

"How are we gonna keep our relationship secret now?" She was not looking forward to the other students poking their noses into her business.  The distraction from Phantom Thieves discussions was quite welcome.  But now they'd be watched more closely by gossiping teenagers.  "I can't believe you had the courage to stand up and say that in front of everyone." Akira sighed and gently wrapped his arms around her.

"It was the first thing that came to my mind.  I had to take the heat off you from all the Phantom Thief talk." Ann listened intently to his ramblings while being cradled in his soft embrace.  "You know, in hindsight, I could've pulled that off better.  But I panicked.  Improv clearly isn't my specialty."

"So you did it to help me…" she uttered aloud.  More to herself than to him.  "If you hadn't said anything, I probably might've cracked."

"I don't know about that," Akira said with a teasing feline smile.  "I mean, you do a better job remaining secretive than Ryuji does." Ann snickered, leaning her head against his chest.  She had been quite curious where their friends had gone to but had never been more thankful for their absence.

"At any rate, I had really frozen up for a second there.  So… thanks.  You were a huge help." She beamed warmly before planting a kiss to his forehead.  Akira giggled and response in turned by pulling her into his lips.  A notion she took great comfort in.

"Well, I couldn't leave my favorite partner-in-crime out to dry, could I?" That low gritty purr graced her presence once more.  Like kisses of velvet did they tickle her inner ear, sending a shudder down her spine.

"Good to know I'm in good hands," she said with a soft smile, nuzzling his neck.

"You mean  _these_  hands?" Ann bit back a soft surprised squeal as he cupped her rear, lifting up her skirt to graze her thighs in the process.  Akira found her red leggings to be quite attractive.  Ann's keen eye for fashion never steered her wrong.  In retaliation, she nipped his earlobe.  The surprised hiss through his teeth earned her a devious smile.

"You know, you're actually a pretty dependable guy…" As a Phantom Thief and a friend, Akira had gone above and beyond the call of duty for her.  So many defining moments she had endured since April, and he had been in all of them.  No one save for Shiho had such an impact in her life before.  Stopping Kamoshida, comforting Shiho, helping her discover her inner strength, becoming serious as a model, and stopping the wicked and corrupt as Phantom Thieves.  None of it would have been possible without him.  Her friend, her mentor, her leader, her boyfriend.  Her hero.  Any time spent with him was like heaven.  So much fun and memories were had, so many things learned.  She wanted to feel that every day for as long as she wanted.  Months from now.  Even years from now.  "I think we'll be good together…"

Her heart seized, and her face grew red hot.  Too late had she realized that was not her inner thoughts.  By complete accident had it slipped out.  Betrayed by her own emotions.  The blonde leaned back to face her boyfriend and was greeted by an inquisitive look.

"But we're already together, Ann," Akira stated.  Ann pursed her lips.  He hadn't caught what she had implied, thankfully.

"Uh… i-ignore that!" she stammered, rubbing the back of her burning neck.  "T-talking about the future… That's a bit too heavy for right now, huh?  Ahahaha… ha…" A sinking feeling emerged in the bit of her stomach as Akira and Ann locked eyes.  She had done it again.  Twice in the span of less than a minute spilled her inner thoughts to him.  The blonde prayed that his inner eye ability didn't allow him to read thoughts or work in their reality.

"The future?" Ann winced awkwardly while her boyfriend began piecing together what she had uttered.  The rate at which her blush was burning completely eclipsed what she felt onstage.  A knot began rising in her chest to match the rising heat on her face while she watched the gears in Akira's head begin turning.  "Do you mean…"

"A-anyway!" Ann stammered, waving her hands with alarm.  "Wh-what were we talking about before?" Her nervous laughter betrayed the smile she sported.  Any topic was a welcome change from the rather heavy subject of their future together.

"Shiho." Quick as a flash, Ann's bubbly nervousness was replaced with a sobering silence.  Again, she needed to be more careful with what she asked for.  As she recalled how their last conversation had ended, the tension began surmounting itself upon the blonde once more.  Between the future and Shiho, she wasn't quite sure what she wanted to discuss least.  "You were talking about her and Kamoshida.  And how you wish you could do… something." Ann sucked her lower lip in, teeth sinking into it.  Akira lingered over her with an inquisitive look.  His attentiveness had been an incredibly useful tool for the Phantom Thieves, but right now she didn't feel too appreciative of it.  "What's bothering you, Ann?" The promise they had made to discuss their problem at length stared her right in the face.  Betrayed by her own words.  Though, she knew what he would say if she told him what troubled her.  A heavy sigh left the frail blonde as she resigned herself to the obligation they made.

"She… she says that she's doing fine," Ann began, glancing aside with a solemn look.  "School is fine, the students aren't giving her trouble.  Grades are average, and her parents are very involved." Akira gave a perplexed blink.

"That's… good.  Isn't it?" Ann shelved her hands in her hoodie pockets and continued while pushing through the walls she kept trying to erect.  She couldn't shut things out anymore.  As a Phantom Thief and as a girlfriend.  But it didn't make the process any less difficult.

"But she doesn't want to be here.  It's not like I don't understand why.  Fuck, I understand her more than anyone.  If Kamoshida raped me, I'd want to be as far away from Shujin as possible.  But… I just…" Ann's cheeks pinkened with embarrassment as she felt her eyes dampen.  There she was again.  Getting emotionally compromised in front of her boyfriend.  Her leader.  It wasn't as though Akira had never let his defenses down either.  But she had to be strong.  Who knew it was so hard to be strong?

"You miss her." A sniffle escaped his blonde lover, nodding at him while she wiped away a tear with the back of her hand.

"I just want to help her is all," Ann answered, blinking away more tears.  "Help make all this go away, but she won't let me.  She keeps saying she can deal with it on her own, but I just feel so useless." Akira gave her a deliberate slow nod and beckoned her forward.  Ann needed no prompting, nestling herself in his comforting embrace.

"You can't make people get help if they don't want it," Akira said while stroking her hair.  Even in the dark, the blonde locks glowed before him.  "All you can do is be there for them and offer support." Just as she expected.  Not that he wasn't wrong, but it hadn't been what she wished to hear.

"Sometimes, I just want to…" Her throat seized up once more, the tension and anxiety forming a knot that stifled her words.  Surely it couldn't be that unreasonable to want what she imagined.  It was for both of them, after all.  "Sometimes, I wish I could just trigger a chance of heart in Shiho.  Like we did with Futaba.  Is that bad?"

"Of course not." He shook his head while twirling a golden lock around a solitary finger.  "You care a whole lot about her, Ann.  That's what makes you such a good friend.  But like I said, we can't make her get help." Ann shelved her hands into his blazer pockets.  Something about using another's pockets felt so intimate to her.  She couldn't quite explain it.  "From what I've seen, trying too hard to help other people only ends up pushing them away." Ordinarily, she valued his level-headed wisdom.  Just this once – however – she wished he'd indulge her.  Help her go into the depths of the Palace Ann had concocted in her head and purify Shiho's weary heart.  Just the two of them on a romantic and daring adventure against the odds for a friend.  A nice fantasy but not truly the right thing to do.

"Dammit…" She dried her dampened eyes.  It was all so unfair.  Their powers had allowed them to put Kamoshida in his place for all his transgressions, but they could never truly make things right again.  It always came back to this.  "Do you think we'll ever end up putting this behind us?  For good?"

"It's hard to say.  Everybody deals with trauma differently.  Some can, and some end up shouldering that burden with them all their lives." Again, not the words she wanted to hear.  Ann had wanted something more romantic, less pragmatic.  But he wasn't wrong.  "We all have our baggage to bare.  And we do all we can to make the load more tolerable the best we can." He always knew how to approach a subject with both empathy and logic.  One of the most level-headed individuals in their group.  "So far, I'd say we're doing a good job.  Shiho is safe, and Kamoshida is locked away.  It's not perfect, but it's the best we got.  And we take whatever victories come our way."

A smile wormed its way back upon Ann's face once more.  She missed that sense of comfort and optimism Akira could bring. As calculating and straightforward he was in dire circumstances, he always knew that one thing to say in order to bring forth a sense of hope.  That they could overcome anything, no matter the odds.  And the odds were quite stacked against them.  She sighed and gently laid her hand upon his soft cheek.

"Feeling more relaxed now?"

"A little," she confessed as Akira laid his hand upon hers, cupping his cheek.  "I'm still worried about Akechi-kun.  Just a bit.  Sorry about bringing the mood down with such serious talk."

"You don't have to apologize to me, Ann.  I'm your boyfriend, after all.  It's what I do.  Besides, would you rather be downstairs getting grilled by the MC?" Ann rolled her eyes and let out an annoyed groan.

"Smokin' body," she mocked in a highly exaggerated impression of the boy.  "You don't look like you have a care in the world, Takamaki." Akira couldn't help but snicker at her combination of silly voiceover and pouting while the blonde stuck her tongue out and nearly gagged.  "The boys at this school have such a one-track mind.  Girls and getting into our pants."

"More focused on getting inside rather than being effective inside, am I right?" His blonde lover burst into laughter, cupping her mouth in an attempt to contain herself.  Living up to his codename in typical fashion.  Akira felt himself getting swept up in her manic giggles at his own joke.

"It feels like forever since we caught a break.  This post-festival party actually turned out to be exactly what we needed.  And pretty fun too…" Ann's attention then darted to her phone.  No texts or missed calls, but she did suddenly take notice of how late it was.  The blonde softly cursed under her breath at the passage of time.  Their impromptu little side adventure with the sharing special had monopolized a good chunk.  "We should start heading home.  But before we do, I wanna give you something…" As Akira eyed her expectantly, Ann found herself unwilling to move.  The knot in her throat had returned, tightening up worse than it had been onstage.  It was just Akira.  But it was he alone that made her so anxious in this moment.  "I, um…" The blonde reached into her purse and removed a carefully wrapped item.  Fitting squarely in the palm of Akira's hand as she handed it forward.  "I-I want you to have this.  I, uh… made them myself.  I hope you like it…"

Gingerly did Akira remove the cooking wrap.  The raven-haired youth had absolutely no idea what to expect, but the look on Ann's face indicated great anxiousness.  In his hand and carefully nestled were several small round balls with frosting around the edges.  Powdered sugar and strawberry drizzle crowned the spheres of baked dough.

"Whoa…" Akira took a solitary one between his finger and thumb, scanning it curiously.  They looked so immaculately made that he didn't wish to disturb them.  But food was made for consumption after all, and he slowly sunk his teeth into it.  Within was a delicious and sweet creamy goodness.  Ann felt her stress melt away with a sigh of relief as she watched her boyfriend dine on the delectable cream puffs with gusto.  "These are delicious, Ann.  The outer decor, the delicious filling.  You make these yourself?"

"Y-yeah," she confessed with a hearty blush.  "I mean, you're always cooking for me, so I figured I'd make something for you for a change." Ann glanced away bashfully while fiddling with her twintail.  "I'm sure you could've made them better, but I'm glad you like them…"

"I've never made cream puffs before.  These are absolutely fantastic." Akira sucked the strawberry residue and powdered sugar off his fingers before going for more.  "Even I don't find my own cooking this delicious."

"St-stop that!" Ann piped, holding a hand over her mouth to obscure the forming blush.  "I've never actually cooked before, so I'm glad they turned out well." For a first try, things could not have panned out more perfectly for her.  Her mother had told her the quickest way to a man's heart was through his stomach.  Then again, Ann was just as easily persuaded by food.  "You go on about how much you like cooking, and it got me a little inspired…"

"Aww, jeez…" Now Akira felt himself reddening, struggling to swallow the bite in his mouth.  To know that he had motivated her in such a way was quite touching.  Very few had taken an interest in his personal hobbies outside of a free meal.  "Here.  Have one.  A chef should always try their own cooking." Ann needed little prompting to eat one of the cream puffs, cooing with glee as the sweetness graced her tongue.

"Next time, we can bake them together." Her heart gushed with joy at the thought.  The both of them cooking as a couple.  Ann handling sweets for dessert while Akira tended to meats and vegetables.  She wearing some sort of frilly apron.  A giggle sprang up in her throat as she imagined Akira's glasses fogging up when he opened the oven to check on its contents.  Every time it happened, and every time without fail, Akira could lurch back in surprise.  It never failed to get a laugh out of her.  They could learn so many recipes and surprise one another with them.  Maybe swap cooking duties, where he'd prepare the sweets and she tend to the main course.  Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners would never grow dull when together.  Each day, every day would breed a new meal.  Cover an entire food group in varying ways within a month's time.  Though Leblanc was far too cramped to really spread their wings and experiment.  Sojiro was accommodating, but he would not be too happy with them dirtying up his kitchen every day.  It had taken nearly an hour for her to clean her own kitchen.  For what they wanted, they'd need a place of their own.  A small studio apartment, perhaps?

Ann lowered her eyes and glanced towards the door through her peripheral with a pink tinge to her cheeks.  Thankfully, the dark obscured them from Akira's sharp eyesight.  There she was again thinking about the future.  Their future.  A little cozy area they could have to themselves.  Where they can cook, get dirty, laugh, kiss, and make love into the late hours of the night.  It all seemed so far away.  They were still in high school, after all.  They had a lot more to worry about before it got that far.  If it got that far.  Akechi, the Metaverse, and the real culprit for the mental shutdown of Okumura were still the real issues here.  That was their real focus.  Before anything else, the Phantom Thieves would need to solve this mystery once and for all.  That's what Akira would say.  And he was right.  Still, she couldn't help but get lost in the fantasy.  She deserved that for just a little while.

"Wanna head home together?" Ann didn't know why she bothered to ask.  Akira rarely voluntarily left her side.  But the risk of rejection at such a question and the reassurance she received every time he said yes.  It never got old.  As they ventured downstairs, the festival was winding down, and students began departing.  It took some deliberate movements to slip out together undetected.  And when they ventured beyond the borders of the school, he took her hand and held it with all his might.  Not wanting to let go even for a second.

* * *

 

"We're home!" Futaba ventured in with a content smile at returning to familiar territory.  She had certainly been improving in her efforts to leave her shell, but any sort of prolonged extrovert activities drained her after all while.  She was ready to get Sojiro home and sleep.  Thankfully, she had been too tired to inquire about Akira's whereabouts after running into him on his way from Ann's home.  She had talked his ear off endlessly about all the neat things she had done with the others, the students she met, and the food she got to eat.

"We had a great time, Boss," Akira said, raising his glasses to rub at his sleepy eyes.  Morgana perched within his satchel with an eagerness to nestle upon the warm blankets upstairs.  Sojiro was seated at the bar and looking down at the wood.  The television droned on behind him, still on the news in typical fashion.  He was awfully quiet for once.  Every time Futaba went out, he would ask about what she did, where she went, and if she had fun.  But he had not a word for either of them, and his expression was deeply troubled.  The wrinkles in his forehead had deepened vastly from the furrowing of his brow.  "Something wrong?"

"Sojiro?" Futaba asked hesitantly.  She too could sense something was amiss.  Gone were his usual quips and casual demeanor.  There was a palpable tension quite evident in the air.

"I was cleaning up… and found...  _this_." Akira nearly choked as he lifted his hand and held a piece of paper towards them.  Futaba clutched her heart out of fear that it might seize.  And from the jolt she had gotten upon its reveal, it nearly had.  A rectangular parchment stylized with red and black, the lettering done via calligraphy.  The Phantom Thief leader and his secret cohorts recognized it all too clearly.

It was a calling card.  Futaba's calling card.


	48. The Ultimatum

_10/26/17 – Wednesday_

_Why did you keep it?!_

_I mean… it was memorable…_

Futaba had blown their cover to the worst possible person.  Of all the things she could’ve kept as a souvenir from their adventures, it had to be the calling card.  Akira had never seen Sojiro this angry before.  Twice in one day had he been backed into a corner.  There was no point in keeping the blinders up now.  If Akira didn’t put everything on the table now, Sojiro would never trust him again.  All the progress made between the two – as well as the standing reputation of his friends – would be up in smoke.  And thus began a long and emotionally intensive conversation not had since his arrest many months ago.

Futaba was an emotional train wreck, fluctuating back and forth between crying and flustered.  Akira was the primary one doing damage control.  It couldn’t have been more awkward for everyone involved.

“Wait, are you saying that _he’s_ the one who changed your heart?  So, he’s not connected with the Phantom Thieves, but is one himself…?”  The young expelled teenager shacking up in his coffee shop was Tokyo’s most wanted.  Sojiro had often suspected Akira was no ordinary kid.  Smart, charismatic, hard-working, diligent.  He helped keep the shop clean, attracted business to Leblanc, and even helped his daughter come back into the world.  To think it was all the work of some renegade vigilante?

“I’m… the leader, in fact.  Founding member.”  Now Sojiro knew even less of what to think.  Who had he really taken in back in April?

“You’re pulling my leg, aren’t you?”  What Sojiro wouldn’t give for this to all be some sort of elaborate prank.  Or a fever dream of some sort.  But their expressions never faltered.  Dead seriousness remained in spite of his words.  Not even blinking.  “Are you serious…?  You… really are a Phantom Thief?”  An exasperated huff escaped the flabbergasted old man.  He was really hurting for a drink right now.  A stiff one.  “For crying out loud…”

“Sojiro…” Futaba managed to utter, softer than the coo of a dove.  It broke her heart to see him under such duress.

“So basically, I’ve been sheltering a Phantom Thief for the last six months?  And on top of that, Futaba’s involved too.  Is she a member too?  Are all of your little friends Phantom Thieves as well?”  The silence that followed combined with Akira’s uncomfortable grimace was more deafening than anything else.  The old man felt like he might just collapse.  “What the hell…”

“I… I wanna find the culprit who killed my mom!”  Futaba’s words felt like Sojiro was being speared with a knife.  He had never heard her speak with such fierce determination before. 

“Wait, killed…?”

“She was killed!  I remember it now…”

“Stop this nonsense!”  The old man was practically chanting in his head to wake up.  For this all to be some uncomfortable dream he could eventually forget.  Push it into the back of his mind like the unpleasant memories Futaba was attempting to dig up.  But she wasn’t having any of it.

“Why won’t you believe me!?  Are you the same as everyone else?  Didn’t you know already!?  The way Mom died wasn’t normal!  Didn’t you notice that her research was stolen by someone!?  Sojiro…!”

The old man had to hand it to her.  She had really come out of her shell since the summer.  Like she had been reborn through the Phantom Thieves.  As brave and wild-spirited as her mother.  After her tirade, all he could do was sit in silence.  Her words cut deep, deeper than she realized.  Wounds healed over had been torn wide open.  And Sojiro had no choice but to face them yet again.  But maybe that’s what he really needed this time around.  To see that his heart still bled.

“…When she passed away, I did think it was odd.  It was awfully fishy.  But what could I do?  …All I was able to do was run from it all.  And the outcome of that… was me spending my retirement here.”  He paused to collect himself.  It had been years since he let himself open in such a way.  To show the inner vulnerable self.  “Also the reason I took custody of you was… me trying to selfishly atone for what happened to Wakaba.  It’s basically my fault that you got burdened with all this crap.”

So there it was.  The whole truth.  Who Sojiro really was in his own eyes.  A tired old man that had given up, slunk away with his tail between his legs to hide away from the world.  A coward.

“It’s not your fault, Sojiro.”  The old man felt himself inhale sharply at her words.  A jolt went through his heart to hear Futaba say such a thing.  Even if he himself didn’t believe it.  “See?  Now you know what _you_ sound like.” 

She was looking at Akira, giving him a playful nudge in the ribs.  He couldn’t deny it.  Akira was rather thankful for her teasing.  A welcome tension reliever.  Watching the two of them forced a chuckle out of Sojiro.

“I acted all big, lectured, even yelled at you kids…  And in the end, I’m the one being consoled.  I’m hopeless and a laughingstock, aren’t I?”

“You’re too hard on yourself,” Akira said.  Hypocritical to come from him, of all people.

“He’s right!  I mean, the one who killed Mom is the one at fault!”  These two kids would badger him to death was positivity.  Maybe that was a good thing.  To help him get over his pride, ego, or whatever he was to call it.

“…I see,” he relented with a weary sigh.  His eyes fell back onto Akira once more.  Who knew that this kid he regarded as a chore he had to look after for a year would change his entire life for the better?  “Don’t worry.  Even if you are the real Phantom Thieves, I have no intention of reporting or kicking you out.  I mean, who would believe such a story?  Unless they caught you red-handed, it’s impossible to explain that you’re the Phantom Thieves.”  Akira and Futaba exchanged conflicted looks through their peripheral.  Neither of them had the heart to tell him how wrong he was.  “Let me just say one thing though.  Immediately back out of a fight that you can’t win.”

“Give up?”  Akira knew he shouldn’t have been as surprised as he was by Sojiro’s advice.  Since the beginning had he encouraged him to keep his head down and mind his business.  Stay out of the way and not cause trouble.  “That’s… that’s not really something I can do.  Not when the stakes are as high as they are.”

“Just do as I say.”  Sojiro was done listening.  It was time to be the authority figure and put his foot down.  “If by chance you pissed off the same guys that killed Wakaba…”  He felt himself freeze up yet again.  It was so hard to come to terms with.  To finally say out loud.  Wakaba was murdered.  And the ones responsible were still out there, coming after these kids.  Coming after her daughter.  His daughter.  “Then they’re not someone that kids like you can deal with.  Listen to reason, alright?  Now, we’re done talking about this.  Let’s eat.  I’m so hungry ‘cause I raised my voice so much…”  He didn’t even wait for a response as he rose from the table.

Tonight hadn’t panned out at all how Akira had planned.  He’d much rather have dealt with the Student Sharing Special again.  He still had a lot more he needed to say to Sojiro, but the old man had said the magic word.  Akira hadn’t realized just how hungry he was.  They could continue this discussion after food.

“Phew… at least we avoided the worst-case scenario of being reported arbitrarily.  Still, we should tell the others about what just happened.”  Another conversation Akira wasn’t looking forward to. 

“I’m tired…” Futaba grumbled as she splayed herself out on the table.  All Akira could do was sigh.  October hadn’t been their month at all, and it looked like November wouldn’t be much better.  What he wouldn’t give for things to become normal again.  They could just be teenagers, hang out, and stay up late playing video games.  He and Ann could spend more time doing couple things.  And mating like rabbits.  A normal life would be a Christmas gift for the ages.

* * *

 

_10/27/17 – Thursday_

“ _That concludes the speech given by Representative Masayoshi Shido, who may be forming a new party.  We now resume our coverage of the Phantom Thieves, the suspects for Mr. Okumura’s death and others.  The police have designated the Phantom Thieves as the country’s most wanted fugitives and have decided to reward anyone with information leading to the capture of the Phantom Thieves.  Those who provide information will be offered a reward of thirty million yen, and considering the high amount, it shows how extraordinary the situation has become.  Reward money will be supplied by the police and the families of the victims, further_ -“

“If I report you to the police and they arrest you, I supposedly get thirty million yen for it.”  Akira was watching the news unfold on the television with Sojiro.  What a great way to start off the school day.  A nation-wide incentivized manhunt.

“Christ,” Akira hissed through his teeth.  Everything was falling apart around his ears.  All they’ve worked towards – the good they’ve strived to add into the world – was fading before his very eyes.  “This is insane…”

“I hope you understand the situation you’re in,” Sojiro warned.  “Even people who didn’t have an interest before will be on the lookout for the Phantom Thieves.  And it’ll happen every day, even at school.”  The old man rested his weary head in his hands.  Not even time to open yet, and he felt utterly exhausted.  Barely garnered a wink of sleep last night.  Then again, neither did Akira.  “…Why did this happen?”  There was the question, wasn’t it?  Why.  Why did things pan out the way they did?  A question Akira had been plagued with endlessly since their return from Hawaii.  And every time, the answer remained the shame.

“Kamoshida.” 

News of the volleyball coach’s “misconduct” hadn’t gone unnoticed by Sojiro when it first broke out.  He was irritated by how such a thing could transpire.  But not wholly unsurprised.  At the time, he was thankful Futaba had been a shut-in.  Had she been a potential victim, Shujin would’ve had hell to pay.  “I couldn’t stand by and let it happen.  Not after what happened to Ryuji and Ann.”

“I see…”  It began to make more sense now.  All of his little friends had ties to the people whose hearts were changed in some way.  Those two were just the last in the puzzle.  It seemed Akira hadn’t learned anything from his expulsion.  “Well, how do I put this…?  I’m sorry I didn’t realize it.  It’s also my responsibility that this happened.  Maybe I should’ve kept a closer eye on you, kept you under my thumb a little more.  But it’s too late now.  All I can do now is give you shelter.  Just don’t become desperate and do something reckless, all right?”  Akira couldn’t help but huff through his nose with some degree of amusement. 

“A little late for that, don’t you think?” he remarked dryly.  To relieve the tension and worry that had been surmounting on him throughout the night.  Since Akechi had cornered them.  Sojiro didn’t seem to share his wit.

“This isn’t some sort of game.  Would you at least try to take this seriously?”

“Who says I’m not?”  The two had locked eyes, neither one blinking.  Both brows furrowed into a contemplative and irritated look.  “Sojiro, I’m truly sorry for accidentally roping you into this.  I really am, but there’s no going back.  This is bigger than both of us now.”  The old man huffed and dismissively waved a hand at him.

“You’re trying really hard to sound like an adult, but you don’t understand a single thing about how your actions influence others.  If you had just let the police handle all this-“

“If they could, we wouldn’t need to be here.  The Phantom Thieves only exist because the people we were supposed to trust were exploiting us.  Ryuji got his leg broken, Ann was nearly raped, Yusuke was basically a child slave, Futaba was suicidal, Makoto was being extorted by a drug lord, and Haru was being pawned off by her dad to appease some dickhead like she was cattle to sell.  What else was I supposed to do?”  Sojiro said nothing.  These kids had really been through the absolute ringer.  They were all so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed that he’d never in a million years imagine they were victims themselves.  “And no, I didn’t kill-“

“I know you didn’t.  You’re a good kid.  You’re not… that.”  Now Akira was rendered to silence.  To hear it from Sojiro of all people.  “I won’t sell you out.  As long as you’re here, there’s nothing to worry about.  But I’m asking you to back out of this.  Let sleeping dogs lie.”

“That’s not an option-“

“Well, why isn’t it?!” Sojiro huffed, slamming his fist onto the counter.  “Why can’t you just duck your head down and look the other way?!  Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?!”

“And what?” Akira shot back.  “Be like you?  Stick my head in the sand and pretend everything’s okay?  Be afraid of the world?  I won’t back down and tune out the world simply because you’re afraid.  If we all did that, then nothing would ever get done, and we’d all be miserable!”  Sojiro looked like he had just been slapped.  When around Leblanc, he had always been quiet and reserved.  But the kid not only had spirit but a mouth on him too.  The more he learned, the more Sojiro wished things were normal.

“Well, now you’ve gone and roped me and everyone else into it!  Maybe you’re not afraid of the consequences, but I am!  How am I supposed to protect Futaba and you if you jump headfirst into the wolves’ den like this?”

“Don’t act like you’re worried about me!  You said it yourself when I first showed up, that I could go and get myself killed for all you care.  Don’t try and turn this around like you’re suddenly doing me a favor in all this.”  Sojiro was stammering at his indignance.  To have his own words used against him.  Mentally, he was kicking himself for his lack of foresight.  Pushing Akira way because he viewed him as a burden.  He had forced the boy to this path because of his aloofness.  Now they were all reeling from the consequences.

“Pah!  You really are a stubborn son of a bitch, aren’t you?”

_And you’re a fucking asshole._

At least that’s what he wanted to say.  But Akira held his tongue.  Sojiro wasn’t a bad person.  Just scared and frustrated from being so helpless.  He’d be the same in his shoes.  However, he drew the line at Sojiro trying to recontextualize all their accomplishments like they were feeding a greater evil.  That this was all their fault.

“You kids really act like you know better than anyone else, and you don’t care whose toes you step on to get your way.  If you listened to somebody else besides yourselves, maybe-“

“Then if you know better than me, then you can help answer my questions.”  He checked the time on his phone.  Still plenty before he’d need to head out.  And this was a prime opportunity to ask now that Sojiro was riled up. “Who is Masayoshi Shido?”

The old man nearly choked on his coffee at those words.  He whipped around to face Akira from the counter, face having gone slightly pale.  It seemed Toranosuke was right.  There was lore here that he was beginning to uncover.  More than Akira was expecting if the sweat building on Sojiro’s brow was to indicate.

“W-well… he’s a member of the National-“

“National Diet, formed the nationalist United Future Party, started out at the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, had personal and business ties to Kunikazu Okumura.  I know all that jazz.  I wanna know about _him_.  Who he _really_ is.  And how _you_ know him…”  Silence and cold began to set into Leblanc as Akira’s steely gaze never left Sojiro.  The old man felt his breath catching in his throat.  As though his body itself was trying to quiet him.

“…What makes you think I know anything about him?”

“Toranosuke Yoshida.  He mentioned you by name.  I’ve been studying under him.  Like you, I know he knows Shido.  And he’s also very secretive.”  Sojiro’s eye twitched in anger.  Even after all that happened over the years, Tora couldn’t keep his mouth shut.  His political legacy would follow him in some degree no matter what.  Everyone else had forgotten, but of course the one person who hadn’t was still trying to be politically relevant.  Even when he himself wasn’t trying to be.  “Shido had a confidant involved in that little slush fund incident a while back.  Remember it?  A journalist had been investigating it and suffered a mental shutdown.  His confidant died as well.”  The sweat was building heavier upon Sojiro’s brow.  His neck shouldered a fine red heat from Akira’s pressing.  Twisting the knife further and further, and the old man wasn’t sure how much more he could take.  “All of this together makes me think Shido helped kill Wakaba.”

“ _That’s enough!_ ”  Sojiro slammed his hand on the table and looked away.  Physically incapable of making himself look at the boy.  His whole body was shaking.  Not in anger but fear.  The old man felt like he might just vomit.  “You are treading… some _very…_ thin ice right now…”  

“I haven’t told Futaba or anyone else about this yet-“

“And you’ll keep your mouth shut,” Sojiro demanded with a growl.  “You have no idea what you’re messing with.”

“So tell me.  If you won’t tell me why this is dangerous, how am I supposed to back out?”  Sojiro gripped a newspaper in his fist and crumpled it, hissing through his teeth.  Akira was relentlessly incessant.  Reminded him of himself in his younger days.  Back when there was a spark.  The old man inhaled sharply through his nose before slowly allowing it to escape.

“Please…”  His voice had grown deathly quiet.  Soft and weak like the strength had been sapped right out of him.  “Just go to school and forget about all this.  I just want to live a quiet life…”  Akira had never heard such prominent defeat in a person’s voice before.  Even hearing it made him feel exhausted.  A surge of guilt crept upon him.  But he needed to know these answers.  His involvement with Shido couldn’t be mere coincidence.  Someone or something was pushing the both of them into conflict.  And the Phantom Thieves needed to be at the top of their game now more than ever.

“…Fine.”  But not today.  “I’ll… see you after school.”  Sojiro didn’t look up from the counter.  Instead tending to his piping hot mug absently, not really even tasting the coffee.  When the bell rang as Akira exited, he retrieved a bottle of whiskey from beneath the bar and helped himself to a sip.  To calm his nerves.

Outside, Akira made his way down the city streets with Morgana picking up the rear.  The cat had slipped out earlier and had been awaiting Akira to finish whatever conversation he had with the old man.  From the look on his face, it must’ve been deadly serious.

“Went that bad, huh?”  Akira merely delivered a silent nod.  Now that his nerves had calmed and he possessed time to think, uncertainty crept in.  Whether what he was doing and how was right.  This wasn’t just Kamoshida they were dealing with anymore.  “I feel bad about what we’ve done to the chief.  I’m responsible too.”

“I never wanted this.  To get him involved in what we do.  But it’s too late now.  We need Futaba.”  Another casualty of his actions.  If something bad were to happen to Futaba, he could never forgive himself.  Even with Sojiro’s gruff exterior and aloof morality, he was still a good person at heart.  Akira could tell.  He had looked after him and loved Futaba with all his heart.  No one deserved this fate.  All actions have consequences, both good and ill.  Akira knew this full and well.  And innocent causalities were an unfortunate result of said actions.  It didn’t make it any easier to come to terms with.  “We need to have a meeting…”

* * *

 

Today just was determined to not be Akira’s day. 

The meeting in Leblanc’s attic only served to trouble him further.  It had fully set in for the group that they were criminals wanted by the law.  The true danger they were in had now spread to the real world en masse.  And Makoto had blown the lid off the whole ordeal by revealing her theory that Okumura was set up by outside forces.  The lot of them had been played like a fiddle, turned into attack dogs for those working in the shadows.  Rats in a maze.

“So much time and effort has been put into this… President Okumura probably wasn’t their only target.  Perhaps they intend to place all blame of past and future psychotic breakdowns on our group…”  Makoto was right on the money.  Akira had known this was how the press and government would plan it out.  After Okumura died, they would use them as a scapegoat for the mental shutdowns from before their formation.  A foolproof plan, and with no ways to defend themselves, it would go unopposed.

“That’s why I said we shouldn’t jump into things so carelessly!” Yusuke interjected.  Right from the beginning, the artist had been incredibly hesitant in going into this plan so quick after their return.  And with so little to back their advancement aside from the ravings of the public on the Phan-Site.

“What, so this is my fault!?” Ryuji huffed indignantly.  “Even you agreed to it in the end!  And there was that thing with Haru at the time.  How’re we s’posed to ignore that, huh!?”

“I’m sorry…” Haru breathed, barely a whisper.  Defeat painted so prominently on her face.  Defeat and guilt.  “This was all because I one-sidedly decided that my father was a criminal.  All I could think about was my fiancé.  If I had only been able to cope with it more calmly…”

“It’s not Haru’s fault,” Ann said with a shake of her head.  “You had every right to be upset at being treated like some toy to trade around.  Maybe I should’ve spoken up too when Principal Kobayakawa died…”

“Dammit!” Ryuji yelled before slamming his fist into the couch.  Anger and distraughtness evident in his voice.  The boy was holding onto calmness by bleeding fingertips.  “This is bullshit!  God! Rgh, fu-“

“Ryuji!  Taking out your frustration on things doesn’t help anyone!”

This was getting out of hand.  The group was falling apart from the squeeze the government was putting on them, and they were starting to point fingers.  At each other and themselves.  Ann was barely keeping her voice together, Ryuji was absolutely irate, Futaba was rocking nervously back and forth.

“ _That’s enough!_ ”

Silence fell upon the room as all eyes fell upon him.  Akira hadn’t said a word during the entire thing.  Instead staring at his Risette poster, as if trying to decrypt it for answers.  Having an object to stare at allowed his mind to focus.  He was just as scared and angry as they all were.  Perhaps even more.  But he let himself seethe in silence.  To give them a foundation.

“…What do you think, Akira?” Ryuji tentatively asked.  “Why did we lose?  What did we do wrong?”  The heaviest sigh he could muster escaped the boy.  Akira knew the answer full and well.  His pride just stifled his ability to say it. 

“…Because we forgot who we are.”  He let the silence linger.  Their attention remained undivided from him.  Not even glancing at each other for some sort of clarity.  As expected, he began to pace in front of them, hands behind his back.  “We were so caught up in our egos and what the public thought that we forgot what we started out to do.  So worked up about fame and afraid of the public’s pressure.  That’s not what we were about.  The Phantom Thieves were formed because we could do what nobody else could.  To do the right thing the right way.  Not for glory, for money, or revenge.  For the greater good.  And we forgot that…”

An air of defeat permeated over the group.  His words felt like weights tied around their ankles, and they were desperately trying to remain at the surface for air.

“…Agreed,” Yusuke said, head bowed in solemn reverence.  “At the time, we only cared about the opinion of the general public.”

“Yeah… that really is it.”  Ann’s twintails drooped down by her pretty face, blue eyes shimmering from the moistness that had formed.  To feel she let Akira down was heartbreaking.  “I was… so caught up in making a name for ourselves.  I’m such an idiot!”  She winced to hold the waterworks back, continuing through gritted teeth.  “I became a Phantom Thief because I hated those same kinds of adults!”

“To think we had begun clinging onto fame and a place to belong that our eyes had become clouded…”  Ordinarily, such powerful emotion would fuel Yusuke’s desire to paint.  But the melancholy hung so heavily in his soul that it robbed him of his artistic eye.  His shame made him want to snap his brushes as penance.

“We were meant to be the righteous Phantom Thieves, but we lost sight of our original cause…”  Haru had only been roped into this after being coerced by Morgana.  To help him spite the others.  She felt responsible for this rift that had been created in their group.  All because of her desire for adventure and freedom from Sugimura.

“I’m so irritated with myself!” Makoto snapped.  She herself had only gone down this path out of the raging insecurity she felt in Sae’s shadow.  To not just be seen as a little girl or helpless.

“Dammit!” Ryuji choked, punching the couch yet again.  “You were right all along, Akira.  Wantin’ fame and to be noticed.  I let it get to my head even when you tried to talk sense into me.  Now look at us!”  He was choking down the tears of frustration threatening to bubble up to the surface.  Weak and made a fool of yet again.  “I know that we’ve been set up, and that I was a complete idiot too.  But still… it’s so damn frustrating!  Of course I wanna do something about this…”

“Yeah.  We’ll be in deep water at this rate…”  Despite all his wit and knowledge of the Metaverse, nothing could’ve prepared Morgana for being backed into this sharp a corner.  He thought he had put his feelings of helplessness and being lost behind him.  How could he make it up to Akira now?  “However, we have no idea who we’re up against… and whether they’re an individual or an organization.”

“Furthermore, they must be in a position of power, or have powerful backers, if they can go so far.”  The artist was on the dot with his observation.  Akira’s suspicious about Shido were given more and more weight.  It had to be him.  Breaking the Phantom Thieves would hail him as a hero, especially if he planned to be Prime Minister.

“Are we really a match for this…?”  With Ann’s faint coo of distress did the rest of them begin to fall apart.  The blonde was the most spirited of all of them.  Possessing the most heart.  And she didn’t believe in themselves anymore.  Though she wasn’t the only one mirroring this sentiment.

“Should we… end this now?  I mean, things might get worse for everyone.”  They all knew who she was referring to.  Sojiro had no way to protect them or himself if things went any farther south.  And he’d suffer the most given his blood ties to the Phantom Thieves.  The lot of them exchanged glances of fear, worry, and heartache among themselves, looking for some eureka moment.  Some shining light to wake them up and guide them onto the proper path.  But none of them had the answers.  If one person did, then it would be…

“Akira, what should we do?”  The million-dollar question.  He had been waiting to spring this solution onto them since calling the meeting.  Ann had finally given him an in.  Though revealing what he had planned was the real hard part in all this.

“Here’s the plan.”  Once again, all eyes were fixated on him.  Barely a breath slipped out.  As if the simple act might interrupt and derail what he was going to say.  Their leader, their point on the compass.  Now more than ever did they need a guiding hand.  “I won’t lie to you all.  This is bad.  The worst it’s ever been.  You all have something at risk here.  A lot to lose.  You’re scared, and you want direction.  I do too.  A lot of people will be dragged into our mess because of our involvement here.  Sojiro is just one of them.  Which is why…”  A heavy sigh left his frail body.  Here came the hard part.  “I’m giving you a way out.  If you want to walk, I won’t stop you.”  They all stopped and exchanged shocked glances.  Their own leader – the bravest among them – was telling them to back out.  To walk away from everything they had worked to create.  It was hard to believe.  How could he encourage them to quit?  The one with the strongest sense of justice, the one of courage and heart.  Throwing in the towel.  It was more crushing than anything they could’ve imagined.

Perhaps this was for the best.  Perhaps it was the right idea.  To hang up the masks and live ordinary lives.  Let Akechi and the police handle things.  Fade away into the background so they can be teenagers again.  Reluctantly, it began to sink in that this was the way to go.  As they all prepared to make their leave from the Phantom Thieves for good, that was when Akira dropped the real bomb.

“But I’m gonna stay.”

Their stomachs sank like bags of sand at his revelation.  Again, they all looked to one another for confirmation.  Perhaps this was some sort of elaborate ruse that one of them was in on.  But nobody stepped forward to spring the joke.  And Akira’s race remained uncompromising.  He was dead serious.

“B-by yourself?” Ann stammered in shock.

“Just like you said when we were fightin’ Medjed…” Ryuji breathed.  Before, he had been enraged at the arrogance and martyr-like attitude Akira showcased to protect them.  But things were way different now.  He could completely understand where he had been coming from.  His head had just been too up in the clouds to notice.

“That seems incredibly dangerous…” Yusuke commented.

“None of you have an obligation to stick around,” Akira continued.  “You’ve all gotten the justice owed to you.  But I made a promise to Akechi to help catch the real culprit.  And I promised to help Morgana get his body back.  None of you guys did.  And you all have something to lose.  So you can walk and put all this behind you.  But I’m gonna stay and finish this fight.”

“But what about you?” Futaba asked.  He merely delivered a sad smile and shook his head.

“I lost everything when I was expelled-“

“You have us!”  Ann had to catch herself from saying “me.”  It almost slipped out.  But she desperately wanted to say it.  She knew his game.  Like Ryuji had said with Medjed.

“And I’m giving you the option to step away.  The same options Sojiro, Shiho, and many others weren’t given.  This is what they want, whoever they are.  To divide and break us.  Either to stifle us out or crush us in the public eye.  Well, they won’t get either.  I won’t back down, and if I fall, then you guys are still safe.”  Makoto let out a weary crestfallen sigh.

“You really have to be the damn hero, don’t you?” she uttered melancholically.

“It’s not about being a hero.  It’s about doing what’s right.”

“…Yeah.”  All eyes switched over to Ryuji as he rose to his feet.  “Running away with our tails between our legs is exactly what they want.  That’s the same as dumping our aesthetics again ‘cause we only care about our hides.  I don’t wanna go back to who I was and have to pretend everything is okay when it ain’t.  I sure as hell ain’t leaving you to throw yourself under the bus for us.  And I know better than to fight you on it if I can’t come up with a better plan.”  The determined glare then blossomed into a cocky grin as he walked over to their leader.  “So I guess you’re stuck with me.”

“…I see.”  Futaba hadn’t known about Akira’s true plan to deal with Medjed if she couldn’t pull through.  To sacrifice himself for her and Sojiro.  To be helpless and coddled yet again while others around her suffered.  “I take back what I just said!  I can’t let it end like this!  Absolutely not like this!”  She strode up to Akira and planted her boots firmly on the ground.  “Count me in.”

“Me as well,” Yusuke stated, the spark returning to his eye.  Now he had the desire to paint the most intense energetic piece he could ever imagine.  So full of adrenaline was he, that the artist swore he might snap his brushes in half from working them.

“Me too.”  Makoto stepped to his side.  “I can’t back out of this even if I wanted to.  My sister is involved in this.  So your problems are mine as well.”

“The awful men that killed my father are still out there.  I can’t in good conscience let them walk away and hurt more people.  I’m staying.”  Haru had proven to be no soft sheep like her exterior would lead others to believe.  This girl was made of sterner stuff.  They now all surrounded him, glares of determination worn like badges of honor.  The lot of them had earned their stripes, and by no means did they intend of giving them up now.  Especially when Akira had raised the stakes.  His eyes fell on one in particular.  The crown jewel of his Phantom Thieves of Hearts.

“Ann?” 

The blonde blinked in surprise at him, standing silently before giggles began to seep out.

“You have to ask?”  No way in hell would he ever get her off his back.  Her hero, her leader, her friend, her lover.  Her near everything.  For him to ask her to walk away would be like asking her to cut off a limb.  The blonde was as stubborn as he was.  And he knew it.  Triumphantly did she stride to his side, firmly gripping the collar of his school uniform.  “Was this your plan?  You really thought any of us would leave you behind?  Not a chance in hell.”

“Really dumb plan, I gotta admit,” Ryuji teased with a grin.  “We all made a promise to stick with you until the end.  If you don’t go, then neither do we.”

“The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.  And our blood courses thick and strong.”  Yusuke had a way with words and paint, it seemed.

“Looks like we’re settled on “what” we want to do.  All that’s left is “how” we go about it…”  Morgana hadn’t even bothered to give Akira an answer.  Because they all knew it.  The cat had pledged his loyalty to the Phantom Thieves and Akira on the night they rescued Haru.  Becoming human or not be damned, he now had an oath.  A promise to his best friend.  A brother.

As the lot of them discussed how they were to cooperate with Akechi and clear their names, Akira fell back into silence yet again.  Fixated on his Risette poster.  He knew the endgame full and well.  Who this was leading to.  Deep in his gut could he sense it, more than he had ever felt anything before in his life.  Their road was diverging into Shido’s even if the others had no clue.  He was the true final goal in all this.  Take him down.  For the greater good.  Not for glory, not for revenge.

Not for revenge…


	49. Snake

_10/28/17 – Friday_

Akira still wasn’t thrilled on the prospect of working with Akechi.  Their previous stance on one another was completely out the window.  The task at hand was of much greater concern that petty ideologies.  But he didn’t like having the detective in Leblanc.  Especially now that Sojiro knew they were Phantom Thieves.  Even worse now was the increasingly erratic methods of Sae Niijima.  Willing to fake testimonies and exploit innocent people – even frame them – to become the one who caught the Phantom Thieves.  Akechi’s plan was to change her heart and infiltrate her Palace.  A notion the detective himself wasn’t thrilled about either. 

“What if I told you that those around her would turn a blind eye to false evidence?”

“You sayin’ the police would do such a thing!?” Ryuji asked in genuine shock.  He found his answer in the form of an indignant scoff from Akira.  All eyes fell upon him, and the realization hit them simultaneously. 

“Cops’ll do whatever they want if they can fuck somebody over and get an easy case.”  Akechi glanced at him with a sliver of discomfort.  As much as his words stung, they were right in this case.

“Dead lead after dead lead has made them desperate.  Ravenous, even.  If they can make a victory look convincing in any way they can, they will.”  A defeated sigh of admittance left the young detective.  “It seems they’re more trusted than I thought.  Their priority is settling the situation.  They don’t care who the supposed culprit is.  My objective is to find the true culprit.  That must be the case for all of you too.  However, the current situation is extremely bad.”

“If worst comes to worst, someone unrelated will be set up as the culprit, huh?”  Akira sulked in bitter silence at Yusuke’s words.  He’d be damned if some innocent person ended up like him. 

“Our only solution to this is to make Sae-san come to her senses.  If she’s in her right mind, she can stop this situation.  Her sense of justice wouldn’t allow it.  If we don’t, the truth will be covered up, and an innocent civilian’s life will be destroyed.  I can’t allow such a thing to happen.  My own ethics won’t stand for it.”  His was a tale that sounded all too familiar to the rest of them.

“I mean, I guess I can understand how you feel,” Ryuji reasoned.

“And changing Sae-san’s heart will be to protect her as well.”

“How do you mean?” Makoto asked. 

“If the true culprit were to learn that she’s responsible for the investigation… what would happen?  I’m certain they’ll aim for her life.  She’s the perfect target to place blame on the Phantom Thieves.”  A chill ran down Makoto’s spine at the thought of her own sister being put in the crosshairs.  She already risked a lot at her job as is.  Her stomach sank even further down when Akira doubled down on Akechi’s words.

“He’s right.  It would be the biggest story of the decade.  Decorated police prosecutor gets killed by Phantom Thieves, and the whole country turns against us.  The manhunt escalates out of control, hysteria sets in, and the whole place becomes a dystopian shithole.  They’re already questioning people at schools.  Next, they’ll move on to stop and frisks just like in the U.S.  And just keep squeezing and squeezing until somebody cracks.  Or they crack someone.”

Akira’s salt was absolutely palpable.  Leaving them all nearly parched in its wake.  Clearly, something he had given a lot of thought on.  And for good reason given his position as leader and his previous history with law enforcement.

“I-It wouldn’t escalate to that level, would it?” Makoto asked in the hopes that the detective would bring Akira down to earth.  But his expression of forlorn uncertainty paralleled Akira’s embitterment.

“I’m afraid he’s not far off.  It has grown increasingly hostile at the station, and people are at this point willing to jump through any hoops necessary to put this case behind them.  They already came after Wakaba and Okumura so it’s only logical for them to hone in on Sae should this go public.”  Both Phantom Thief and Detective Prince were in agreement.  A twist for the ages.  “So how about it?  Will you agree to my plan?”  He extended his hand courteously for Akira to shake.  But the boy kept his shelved in his pockets.

“Here’s the deal,” Akira began, slowly narrowing the gap between the both of them.  “If we work together, you do what I say.  That lone wolf shit you do stays behind.  We work as a team.  You follow my orders to the letter and do them exactly how I tell you to.  And if I’m not around, Makoto is.  Got it?”  Makoto did a double take at his rapid-fire debriefing.  She had never heard him speak that fast outside of a roasting.  And he trusted her enough to have her be in charge in her absence?  A small sense of satisfaction wormed its way up into her chest.

“Certainly,” he simply replied.  And thus the pact was sealed.  The two administered a mutually firm handshake.

“Congratulations.  You’re a Phantom Thief now.”  Akechi’s eye twitched slightly at his words.  It was swift and wouldn’t ordinarily have been noticed.  But Akira caught it. 

“Even though you’re particular about being just, you’re willing to get your hands dirty?” Yusuke asked.

“It can’t be helped in order to ascertain the truth,” he relented.  It made his stomach uneasy to be so hypocritical in the name of justice.

“I respect that.”  Of all the people he had expected to hear that from, he hadn’t counted on it being Akira.  “Doing the right thing isn’t always popular or convenient.  But if you’re willing to stick to your guns and do it regardless, you’re clearly someone I can trust.  I… I trust you, Akechi…”  Akira nearly gagged on those words.  But it was true.  Albeit, partially true.  He still needed to figure out how he heard Morgana say pancakes.  But he could play nice.  For now.  “Who knows?  Maybe you might want us to stick around after you see us in action?”  Akechi couldn’t help but chuckle with amusement at Akira’s words.

“You really do have an active imagination,” the detective said with earnestness.  “But there is also one more merit in changing Sae-san’s heart.  One I think you’ll enjoy above all the others, Akira.”  The perplexed blink was the only cue needed to proceed.  He had him on the hook now.  “It will become a warning to not mess with us.  They can’t go public if someone in the investigation has a change of heart.  It’d show their corruption.”  As his words slowly sank in, a smug and sadistic grin formed on Akira’s face.  Followed by a low cackle, almost unnervingly so.

“You sly little son of a bitch.”  His vulgar words of praise thrilled the detective.

“Oh, you approve?  Excellent!  I figured that part would do it for you in spades.”

“You’re goddamn right it does.  You know, I’m starting to like you already.”  Akechi was smarter.  Smarter even than he was, he had to admit.  He’d be a hell of an ally.  If he was lucky, maybe the detective would rescind his decision to disband them.  Maybe even join their merry band of thieves.  It was a long shot.  But now, all bets were off.  As the others talked among themselves, Akira silently reveled in the plan.  He could not get over how good it was.  Change Sae’s heart and they bury the entire investigation in one fell swoop.  They couldn’t retaliate without throwing their entire organization under the bus.  It would all go up in smoke.  And the Phantom Thieves would have the government by the balls.

“All that’s left from there is for me to discover the identity of the true culprit.”

“You’re going to tell us to announce our disbandment once the real culprit is arrested… aren’t you?” Makoto interrupted with a sigh.  Though her frustration went unnoticed by the detective, who merely delivered her one of his signature trademark smiles.

“As expected from a Niijima.  So, what do you say?  I don’t think it’s a bad deal for either of us.”

“You sure you can pull this off?”  Akira pressed.  “What if you can’t?  What happens then?”

“I’ll… just have to think of something.”  Neither boys liked the idea of not having a sort of safety net under them.  But for different reasons.

“You want us to back off but can’t even guarantee an arrest?  If you can’t get them, who picks up your slack?”

“I see what you’re trying to do, and I’m adamant in my decision to have your Phantom Thieves disband once this is over.  I’m sorry, but your group cannot continue.”

“They’re your Phantom Thieves now too.”

It didn’t take long for the two boys to get into one of their ideological debates on laws and ethics.  Futaba designated Akechi as the Lawful Neutral and Akira the Chaotic Good.  Granted, her bias was fairly evident.  The others were preoccupied listening to them go back and forth, save Makoto.  The notion of targeting her own sister and having their fate in Akechi’s hands stung.  Like they were being strung along like marionettes.

“Hey, Makoto.  What’s your take on all this?”  She glanced over to Ryuji with a blink of surprise.  She hadn’t expected him to be as vigilant as he was today.  Though she surmised it was rather obvious, involving her sister and all.  The younger Niijima began to offer her two-cents on it all.  And Akechi offered further insight into his motivation behind all this.  Talks eventually winded down and the plan to scope out Sae’s Palace was made for tomorrow.  The lot of them dispersed but not before Morgana requested a secret meeting.  With Futaba.

It was an out-of-the-box request the cat made of her.  Futaba was requested to run recon on Sae.  Everything and anything that might give them an edge on the detective inside her Palace.  Sounded simple enough.  Rudimentary basic investigation, nothing too seemingly complex.  Though the real curveball came afterward.

“We need to find the angle on Akechi and how he heard me speak.  There’s still something he’s keeping from us.  So I want you to wiretap his phone.”  The news of Akechi’s lie was still fresh on their minds.  Nobody was sure what to think of it.  But Akira had made them swear to keep it secret that they knew something was off.  Something they had managed to pull off quite well.

“That’ll be tough...” she admitted.  “I did it with your phone easy, Akira, but Akechi’s is different.  I’d have to plant a bug directly on the phone.”  Morgana’s ears drooped in disappointment at her words.

“So it’s impossible even for you…”  Poor choice of words on his part.  She stomped her boot in offense at his assumption.

“I didn’t say it was impossible!”

“Speaking of which, I needed to ask you about that.  Can you like take that shit off my phone, please?  I don’t like the idea of being spied on.”  Futaba was an incredibly nosy girl.  How nosy specifically, he wasn’t sure.  And at this point was too nervous to ask.

“Oh, I can’t.”

“Why?  Is it coded too deep into the software or something?” Akira asked.

“No.  I just don’t want to.”

“Goddammit!”

It was decided.  They would wiretap Akechi’s phone as soon as possible to dig up more dirt on him.  Futaba would screen every text message and phone call he got.  Maybe there was something that they could use to get out of disbanding the Phantom Thieves.  Futaba even toyed around with the idea of making his phone short out or purge all data.  Or even have it explode.  Though given the important evidence Akechi had on the Phantom Thieves, it was probably tucked away somewhere else for backup.  The detective was a crafty one, after all.  It’s what Akira would’ve done.

“This is gonna be fun!  I can’t wait!”

“This is serious, Futaba.  No games!”  Futaba was flippant in regards to Morgana’s concerns.  It vexed the cat just how nonchalant and callous she was regarding this.  But it was Futaba they were talking about.  Unorthodox was her specialty.

* * *

 

_11/07/17 – Monday_

November 18th was the big date. 

The day their entire plan would kick into action.  It barely seemed like any time at all.  The days were flying off the calendar at this rate.  Akira was doing everything and anything he could to stay busy and not think about it.  All they could do now was prepare.  Truth be told, he hadn’t anticipated reaching the end of the Palace so quickly.  Ordinarily, it would’ve taken them a while.  Akechi was quite the combatant and tactician, having pulled their boots out of the fire plenty of times in there.  Their newest member Crow and his Persona, Robin Hood.  He had to admit, a welcome addition to the team.  His knowledge of Holy magic helped dash the enemies within the casino to ribbons.  And his extensive knowledge of the various gambling systems had proven to be quite a boon.  Even Akira felt he had learned something.  As much as he hated to admit it, Akechi’s charm was rather infectious.  Fighting together was the quickest way to really get to the heart of someone.  And he had swiftly found a camaraderie in the detective.

Not just inside the Metaverse but outside too.  They had started to hang out a lot more, at Leblanc and outside.  Their debates were less sparring matches and were now more friendly banter.  Akira had spent more time in November hanging out with Akechi than the others.  Both Morgana and Futaba were quick to remind him they were to be wary of the detective, especially now that they were spying on him.  And Akira still maintained that wariness.  But the phrase was to keep friends close and enemies closer, after all.  And being in such proximity to Akechi at an extended rate meant he could hopefully pick up on something.  But no such luck for either party.  Aside from understanding Morgana, Akechi seemed like a regular person.  Nice, charming, and accommodating.  Always excitable to hang out with Akira and do anything he suggested.

And today was no exception, as the both of them were dining at a neat little steakhouse downtown.  Akira’s treat.  Akechi had insisted he pay him back, but he would hear none of it.  The string of good luck inside the Palace and the foolproof plan Akechi had concocted gave Akira a sort of high.  An energy he had missed after Okumura’s death.  Or perhaps the Christmas spirit had struck him early this year.  Either way, he paid no heed to anything.  Instead, hanging out with his new friend.  As the two lounged at the back with their sushi, the detective was roaring with laughter at Akira’s stories.  Operation: Babe Hunt, Maidwatch, Yusuke in the church, Yusuke on the boat, Futaba and Yusuke arguing over action figures, Ann wearing twenty layers of clothes.

“Your friends sound like an absolute riot!” he managed between breaths.  “I’d say your adventures outside the Metaverse are almost more interesting than the ones inside it.”  The detective found it hard to maintain his composure.  Part of it was the soda.  He rarely partook in caffeinated beverages as they made him giddy.  But now he was given an outlet to cut loose with his friend.  Not have to be a staple of an authority figure in the public eye for once.  “I could use these moments of levity more often.”

“That makes two of us,” Akira said as he delivered a playful pat upon his shoulder.  “I swear, you don’t know how much this Okumura fallout has stressed me out.  I’ll be so glad to finally have all this behind us come the 18th.”

“Justice has been long overdue for both of us.  Though I do hope that after the Phantom Thieves disband that we can still be friends.”

“Of course.  Why wouldn’t we be?”  Akechi froze up for a second there, breath catching in his chest.  The shift from relaxed to apprehensive was so abrupt that he found it difficult to proceed.  This was all so overwhelming, this sudden burst of acceptance and having a group of his own.

“I just figured… I mean, given our past experiences that-“

“Oh…”  The memory of his tirade from after they had eaten sushi had come back.  What he wouldn’t give to be able to scour that off his record.  But that was the thing with words.  They couldn’t be taken back.  “I’m still really sorry about all that-“

“Oh, no!  I’m not holding it against you!”  The detective was quick to admonish his new friend from blame.  By no means did he want him feeling bad on his behalf.  Or to sour the mood so swiftly after their rate of success.  “I just felt that you’d still be harboring resentment towards me after all this.  Forcing you to cooperate.”  A reluctant sigh escaped the leader in question.

“Well, I’ll admit that I’m not thrilled about being strong-armed into cooperation.  But this is best for everyone involved.  Plus, you’ve really proven yourself out there.  You’re a good guy, Akechi.”  The detective gulped down a knot that had formed in his throat from Akira’s words. 

“I… appreciate that immensely.  More than you know.  I’ve… never really had friends.  Or somewhere I could belong.”

“Well, now you do.”  Silence set in between the two, eventually interrupted by sudden joyous laughter erupting from Akechi.  He hadn’t felt this rush of emotion and goodwill in forever.  And it was from the man that fascinated him the most, of all people.  This stranger from far off, leading this group in the shadows.  One that he was now part of.  “I gotta admit, I really misjudged you, Akechi.  You’re a hell of a tactician and fighter out there.  An asset to the team.  You know, it’s not too late to become a permanent addition.”  The detective chuckled at Akira’s words.

“Nice try, but you know as well as I how this has to end.  We made a deal.”  Though he wouldn’t deny that he’d miss the team.  Going back to an ordinary life didn’t have the adventurous appeal that the Phantom Thieves had.  But despite cooperating with them, he was adamant they needed to end.  Let the law handle justice instead of these vigilantes.  It felt good to live on the wild dubious side for a little bit.  “And you promise we’ll still be friends afterwards?”

“I always keep my word.”  It would take a lot to get used to once it was all over.  They still had to help Morgana become human again.  And not a lot of time to do it either.  But Akechi technically ordained that they couldn’t fight crime anymore.  Nothing about helping Morgana.  “Speaking of which…”  And thus, he began to explain their dilemma.  No sense in trying to work behind his back about it.  He seemed reasonable enough, and Akira had grown tired of secrecy.  With the end being so close, they wouldn’t have to hide things anymore.  Live a normal open life as teenagers again.

“Hmm…”  The detective seemed perplexed.  Police training hadn’t prepared him for a scenario like this.  Or anything to do with the Phantom Thieves or Metaverse, really.  “The search for the self.  The true self.  I’m all too familiar with such a journey.  Though I suppose you are all, given what you’ve been through.”  Akechi held a finger to his chin and tapped it in thought.  “Well… I suppose exploring the Metaverse isn’t necessarily tied to being a Phantom Thief since you wouldn’t be stopping crimes.”  Akira leaned in with an eager expression as he watched the gears turn.  “…Oh, very well.  I’ll allow it.”

“Nice!”  Akira vigorously shook his hand in gratitude.  He could now make good on both his promises.  Everyone came out on top for once.  With Akechi helping, they could make infinitely more progress into Mementos.  Where it led, what to look for.  “I hate to admit, but if you had said no, we might’ve gone behind your back.  Sorry to say, but I made a promise to help Morgana.”

“I assumed as much,” Akechi stated.  “It would be foolish to try and hinder your progress.  You’re quite the determined individual, after all.  Nothing would’ve halted your aiding of Morgana.  I admire that quite a bit, actually.  That commitment to your friends.  And that open air about you.  It feels good to not have to hide things.”  Akira’s smile faltered, running his tongue over his lips as he pursed them.  Not hiding things.  No more secrets.  They were on the cusp of being able to leave that behind entirely.  But there was still a lot more there.  Futaba wiretapping and spying on Akechi.  Which was only for one reason…

“…We’re not out in the open just yet.”  The detective quirked an eyebrow at him curiously.  Here was the moment of truth.  The leap of faith.  He had to figure it out here and now.  “I have a question, and I need you to answer it.”  A lingering silence set in as Akira paused to collect his thoughts.  Akechi sat as patiently as he could, fingers drumming against his knee.  “When we first met, you asked about pancakes.  The only one who had mentioned them was Morgana.  Only those who’ve been inside the Metaverse can understand him.  You were surprised when you heard him speak at Shujin, but you understood him before.  So the only way you could’ve understood him was if you had entered the Metaverse before.  _Before_ Okumura was killed, contradicting your established story.”

Akechi sat in silence with a bewildered look upon his face.  His skin felt pale, and his breath hung in his chest thus stifling his ability to speak.  Eventually, a chuckle rang out.  A hearty relieved chuckle straight from the detective himself.

“My goodness.  I was rather sloppy, wasn’t I?”  Akira didn’t seem to share his amusement.  Merely staring apprehensively in his search for answers.  Which Akechi himself was glad to provide.  He cleared his throat and regained his composure.  “You’ve caught me.  I confess that I wasn’t wholly honest with you.  Yes, I had been inside the Metaverse prior to Okumura’s death.  I wandered its halls, saw many… foul creatures.”  His frail form shuddered at the thought of such twisted abominations wandering about where the people should be.  “I had accidentally entered using the same app you all use.  Somehow, I had managed to escape, and I never looked back.  For a while, I had perceived it as some sort of fever dream brought on by stress.  Then the Madarame case drew my attention.  I did a little digging afterwards and began to see the Metaverse was no dream.  And I avoided it, far too fearful of what dwelled within.  Shameful, I admit…”  His gaze fell to his knees.  An admission of weakness.  Not suitable for a detective.  “Perhaps if I hadn’t turned away in fear of the unknown, I might’ve been able to catch Okumura alive.  Before that man in the black mask murdered him…”

“So that part was true.”

“Yes… I had awakened my Robin Hood after he shot at me and managed to escape.  But I fully admit that I knew of the Metaverse and avoided it because I was scared.  A coward…”

“…What were you expected to do?  You didn’t have a Morgana like we did to show you the ropes.  And you can’t blame yourself for Okumura’s death.”  A comforting hand found its way to Akechi’s shoulder, forcing a sigh of relief out from the boy.  Trudging headlong into danger like Akira did.  Braver than he was.  To wear his admittance of cowardice on his sleeve, it burned.  As though he had let him down.  But Akira bore no disdain or contempt.  Not like before.  Only acceptance and understanding.  “You didn’t have to hide that from me.”

“And now I no longer have to.”  The detective wiped the sweat from his brow.  “I truly do apologize for keeping you in the dark.  I must’ve looked rather suspicious.  But I only hid it to avoid looking weak.”

“It takes more strength to admit failure than it does to hide from it, Akechi.”  His words of wisdom earned another chuckle from the young detective.  Somehow, Akira always managed to put him in a jolly mood.

“You really are a shrewd one, aren’t you?  Sure you won’t consider joining the force?  We could use another detective out there.  With your knowledge and strong sense of justice, you could really help me make change.  Steer Sae-san and the others back onto the proper path.”  Now Akira was the one chuckling.

“You want me as your sidekick?” he mused with a dry smirk.

“No.  You’d be my partner.  My equal.  If you wished, I could put in a good word for you.  Granted, you’d have to do some training and schoolwork, but I have faith in you.  You saw right through my charade with cutthroat precision.  Though – to be fair – I was rather sloppy.  Underestimated you.”

This was a lot to think about.  By no means did Akira trust the police, especially now.  It was bad enough he had been swept under the rug by Shido.  But now they were willing to go on a witch hunt to convict anyone just to save their skins?  Reprehensible.  But Akechi was the outlier.  Someone willing to bend the rules to make things right.  Exactly what they were doing, even if their political opinions on the Phantom Thieves differed wildly.  And with Akechi at his side, he could make all the changes he wanted to that being a Phantom Thief couldn’t provide.  Legally.

“…I’ll think about it.  Now, enough about all that serious shit.  Let’s unwind.  I’ll order us some more sushi-“

“I’ll be covering this one.  Only fair since you did last time.”

And that was it.  The two proceeded to dine and talk about their interests.  As well as how to celebrate after Sae’s heart was changed.  This would be their biggest triumph yet.  Their last hurrah.  How they would one-up Destinyland was beyond Akira.  But he knew they had to.  For Akechi’s sake and their own.  While the two boys speculated wildly on how they’d sing their praises, something gnawed at the back of Akira’s mind.  A dissatisfaction.  Akechi had finally cleared the air.  No more secrets between them.  Yet he himself was still holding onto his.  Purposefully had he neglected to bring up the wiretapping of his phone.  A hypocritical notion of his, to expect truth and forthcoming only to spy on his newfound friend.

He had made a mistake.

* * *

 

“Dammit, dammit, dammit!”  Morgana paced back and forth on the bed apprehensively while the two girls stood over him.  They looked just as apprehensive as he was.

“This is bad, this is really bad.”  Futaba was stressing harder than she had ever before.  The revelation she had just uncovered in her files had chilled her to the bone.  And she couldn’t imagine what Akira would think when he found out.  “Where are you, Akira?”

“I’ve texted him twice, and he’s not answering.”  It took all of Makoto’s strength not to blow up his phone.  After what Futaba had revealed to her, the stakes were infinitely higher than ever before.  It wasn’t just her sister that was in the line of fire now.  Dead silence washed over them as they heard the bell downstairs ring.  Sojiro had stepped out for a bit to run some errands and left Futaba in charge.  It was just the three of them, not expecting any sort of company.  They awaited with bated breath to see who was climbing up the squeaking stairs.  None other than a forlorn looking Akira.

“You’re back!” Futaba exclaimed before racing over to him.  “Thank God!”

“Akira, we really need to talk.  It’s about Akechi, and it’s quite urgent!”

“I agree.”  He was glad Makoto had said it first.  Only she had been told about the wiretapping.  Akira figured it to be the right move, seeing how closely connected to her sister it was.  “I think we made a mistake.  Call off the wiretapping.  Akechi’s good.”  The girls exchanged worried glances with Morgana at his words.  Which only deepened after Akira explained the situation at hand.  “He’s a good guy that I misjudged.  There are no more secrets between us.  Which is why I can’t let this go on.  It’s not fair.”

“You… might wanna hold off on that…” Futaba sheepishly admitted.  Her eyes wandered over to the setup in the middle of the room.  Computer and phone at the ready, having been used endlessly throughout the day.  A few scattered notes sat on the floor.  “We found… something.  Something you’re not gonna want to hear.”  Now Akira was on edge yet again.  He was ready to make peace with his decisions and no longer be subject to paranoia.  Searchingly did his gaze drift over to Morgana for answers.

“How bad is it?” he hesitated to ask.

“Very bad.”  It was three against one.  And Morgana was not one to mince words.  The pale expressions on the girls’ face only further twisted the knife in his gut.  “It’s worse than we ever could’ve imagined.” 

“We haven’t told anyone else yet,” Makoto added.  “Truth is, we really don’t know what to do.”  Now Akira knew it was bad.  If Makoto of all people was stumped, something truly had to be wrong.  He shelved his hands into his pockets and stood by Futaba’s computer.  The young otaku wasn’t quite sure if she was ready to listen to what they had found yet again.  But she forced herself to press play on the phone.  It was a phone call between two individuals.  Resonating through the speakers was none other than Akechi’s voice.  Sounding much different than what they were all accustomed to.  Low, calculating, and quite menacing.  Akira himself had to admit he felt a chill descend down his spine.  Though what truly struck him in the gut was who he was talking with.  The smug dryness, the palpable disdain.  It rang through his body like lightning.  He knew exactly who it was the moment he heard the first word slither out.

_Shido…_

_“Things have been proceeding quite swimmingly.”_

_“Do they suspect anything?”_

_“Tsk!  Certainly not.  I fed them my sob story about being an orphan and disillusioned with the police force.  They ate it up like flies to dead flesh.  Especially their leader.  I just played the sympathy card and catered to his ego.  What a dolt!”_

_“Have you decided on a date?”_

_“The 18 th.  Two days before the investigation.  Hurrying them along seemed the best course of action.  Gives them less time to think of any backup plans.”_

_“I sincerely hope you’ve covered all your bases.  If they slip through our fingers, I’ll-“_

_“You protest too much.  My plan is positively foolproof.  The plan will pan out as normal, with the Phantom Thieves besting Sae’s shadow.  Then I’ll guide the police into her Palace and have them catch the Phantom Thieves in the act.  That would be the only way to arrest them, given their methods.  I’ll deal with them after that.”_

_“How exactly?  I need no slipups on this one.  Clean, efficient, quiet.”_

_“Let me see…  We could say he stole the guard’s gun and committed suicide during his imprisonment.  How about that?”_

_“You’re sure you can pull this off?  If even so much as a breath slips out those doors, we’re-“_

_“I have a specific room in mind I’ll assign him to.  The incredibly small interrogating room.  I’m sure you’re familiar with it given how you’ve sent some there to be “corrected.”  Public security questioning will occur on the first day… and with that room, my task will be simple.”_

_“And what about the guard stationed there?  There will be questions for him.  Questions he might not be able to answer without arousing suspicion.  Is he on our payroll?”_

_“Yes, the guard will be one of ours.  We’ll have to eliminate him after to destroy the evidence.  Well then, I will make the arrangements the day after the arrest.  And thus, the dangerous criminal responsible for the mass mental shutdowns shall end his own life.  When he does, you will become a great hero who saved Japan from evil.  As will I, of course.”_

_“You worry about sealing the deal for now.  Or otherwise, you’ll be Tokyo’s most famous prisoner if you screw this up.”_

The silence that set in afterward was more deafening than any explosion could muster.  And all the warmth had dissipated completely.  Like a ghost had sucked it all from the room.  Even after already having heard it, Makoto had chills. 

“I knew he was hiding something, but to think it would be this…” Futaba trailed off.  Part of her had seen Akechi as a somewhat kindred spirit.  A victim of circumstance, no confidence, alone in the world.  To think she had felt sorry for him at some point.

“We don’t know who he was talking to, but they sounded pretty serious, to say the least.”  Makoto looked to Akira for answers, but what she found written on his face chilled her to the absolute bone.  Even more than Akechi’s threats did.  His eyes had narrowed into complete seething anger.  Hatred in its purest form.  Teeth bared, fists clenched so hard, he was on the verge of snapping his phone clean in half.  “…Akira?”

“That… bastard.  That rat… fucking… bastard.”  Futaba tentatively slid behind Makoto for cover, knowing full and well what was next.  Something she had only heard of in myth described by Ann and Makoto.  “That no good, lying, two-faced, dickless, backstabbing SON OF A _BITCH!_ ”  Akira swung around and slammed his fist into the wall.  Absolutely irate and consumed by rage.  Angrier than he had ever been.  “That lying cunt!  That snake!  That filthy slime!  Filth, scum, sludge!  I offered him friendship and a place at my side!  And he spat right in my open fucking mouth!  Complete unabashed dickhead!”  This stung exponentially worse than Shido getting him arrested. 

Shido. 

He knew it.  Knew it all along he was connected to this.  The mastermind behind the entire plan.  Okumura, Sae, Ohya’s journalist friend, Wakaba, the train crash before he arrived.  That hairless politician had been behind it from the start.  It seemed no matter what Akira did, Shido was dead set to ruin his life in some way. 

“I’ve got half a mind to find Akechi and drag him out by his hair into the streets and-“

“No!”  Morgana pounced onto Futaba’s desk and stared his leader down.  Tail twitching erratically as he too was swept up in all the emotion.  “That’s just what he would want!  I know you’re angry, Akira, but we can’t lose our heads!  That’s how they got us last time!”  Akira turned around and leaned on his arm against the wall.  His fist was clenched, entire arm shaking in anger.  He couldn’t even speak.  Instead choosing to bottle his rage and stifle it.  Morgana was right.  Akechi would definitely not see it coming if he flipped out on him, but he could use it to his advantage.  They were already being strung along with his plan as is.  And he had the nerve to lie right to his face.  “My suspicions were true in the end.  Still, to think his true intention was to sell us out.”

“I feel like such an idiot…”  He had bought Akechi’s story out of an attempt to do good by him.  An act of kindness.  To put their pasts behind him.  But he had been right from the start not to trust the detective.  His chest felt like it was caving in.  He felt like his teeth would shatter from how hard he was clenching his jaw.  As he stewed in his anger, it all began to fall into place.  Akechi wasn’t trying to help them find the real killer.  He _was_ the killer, and he was setting them up to cover his own tracks.  The murderer of Haru’s own father and the would-be assassin of Makoto’s sister had been sitting in his own home.  Drinking his coffee, hanging out with his friends, breathing down his neck.  What Akira wouldn’t give to wrap his arms around Akechi’s neck.

Makoto and Futaba watched him with great worry.  Even when he had roasted her on the rooftop, the former had not seen him so angry.  So distraught.  Morgana’s ears drooped in sorrow at seeing his friend in such a sight.  Akechi had crossed the line farther than any before him. 

“Akira, we’re in a real tight spot here.”  Makoto apprehensively approached him, placing a shaky hand on his shoulder.  He tensed up at her touch but slowly allowed himself to relax.  “We need your guidance.  Now more than ever.”  A slow, sharp, and heavy inhale could be heard, his body rising and falling with his breaths.  Akira placed his palm upon the wall and forced himself off.  Sweat had built upon his brow from the sheer loathsomeness he permeated.

“…We’re gonna get him.  We’re gonna make him pay and then some.  Make him ever regret betraying us.  Him and his boss too.”  Makoto bit her bottom lip and nodded.  Futaba and Morgana nodded in tandem.  Even if they had a choice in the matter, there was no way they could back out of this.  “But we’re gonna need one hell of a plan.  The greatest plan in the history of plans.  And you guys are the best equipped to help me out.”

* * *

 

_11/08/17 – Tuesday_

Akira hadn’t slept a wink.  He had been up all night dwelling on Akechi’s betrayal, their plan, and Shido.  It was getting harder and harder to keep this not a revenge scheme.  That wasn’t how they operated.  This had to be for justice and justice only.

“Akira?”  He snapped back to reality.  They had all gathered inside the attic.  A secret meeting called after school had let out.  Without Akechi’s knowledge.  “Are you listening?”

“Yeah…”  He delivered a weary nod.  It was hard not to zone in and out from the exhaustion he felt.  But he could stave it off for the moment.  There was so much more at stake here.

The news of Akechi’s true allegiance was not taken lightly by the team.  A tense air hung inside the little room.  Anger, betrayal, fear. 

“Not only was he trying to frame us, but he was the true culprit behind the mental shutdowns.  His offer to assist us was simply a plot to frame the Phantom Thieves… and kill Akira-kun.”  Ann clenched her fist in anger at the words.  It shook them to their very cores just how close Akira had been to death.  But not her.  If Akechi had laid so much as a finger on him, she’d light the lying snake ablaze.  No one could be spared from her wrath if the man she loved had been hurt.  “If we go into Sis’s Palace as he suggests, we’ll likely be met by a large ambush of police forces.”

“To think he would be this far gone… I know now what it means to feel a chill down my spine.”  Yusuke’s face was whiter than his canvas.  He was grateful to have been sitting down as he now felt incredibly winded.  “Furthermore, he wishes to bring a police squad from reality into the Palace.”

“Can he really do that?” Ryuji inquired.

“If the eight of us can enter at once, it’s not inconceivable to think a larger group is possible.  He may even be able to bring in vehicles or other special pieces of equipment.”  The blond shuddered at Makoto’s words.  The thought of staring down an entire squad of armed thugs in riot gear was insane.  No chance in hell could they compete with such unconventional heavy artillery.

“So this really was just a setup to shift the blame onto us…” Ann muttered aloud.  More to herself than to the rest of them.  Even after hearing it straight from the source, it was hard to fathom.  They had welcomed him in as an ally and kindred spirit.  Now it felt like they were two separate people.  The venom in his voice was so palpable, it could be felt even in just a recording.

“He made us go after Okumura, then once we triggered the change of heart, he killed him…”  Haru closed her eyes and stewed as she let Morgana’s words sink in.  She wanted to spit right in Akechi’s face.  The girl could only imagine him, standing over her dying father’s body.

“And he told us he had seen the true culprit…”  The knowledge that she had ever bought into his sleight of hands trick made her want to gag.  That she had stood shoulder-to-shoulder and even respected her father’s murderer.  “But it was him the entire time!”  Ryuji slammed his fist against the wall in anger.  It was getting infectious.

“The whole time he was workin’ with Makoto’s sister, he was really just some homicidal maniac!”  He rose to his feet in a huff, worked up like they were facing Kamoshida in his office all over again.  “C’mon, we gotta take that bastard Akechi down!  Isn’t that recording we got enough proof to do it!?”

“No, Akechi is merely a tool.  His orders come from elsewhere… The grand mastermind behind this all.  An unimaginable fiend capable of arranging the murder of a suspect of a police station.”  Akira stared down at the floor, reflecting on Makoto’s words.  Shido’s face taunted him as he interlocked his fingers.  The smug detached look, tilting his head upwards to look down at him.

“Unless we find out who that is, we will continue being targeted even if we defeat Akechi…”

“But… what means do we have of learning his identity?”

Akira knew full and well who it was.  But he kept that card close to his chest.  There would be a time to reveal his hand.  Just not now.  One step at a time.  And he planned on planting his boot hard into Shido’s stomach once he took his step.  So lost in his thoughts, he had not realized Haru’s question had been aimed at him.  Thankfully, Yusuke took it upon himself to answer.

“We’ll have to make Akechi say it… though once we do, that mastermind will likely eliminate us.”

“I think that will be the case eventually regardless of whether or not we learn his identity.  The only reason it hasn’t happened yet is because we’re an easy target to blame for his crimes.”

“Makoto’s right.”  It swiftly grew quiet upon hearing Akira spoke.  His silver eyes shined with great intensity as he sat there.  Like he would suddenly shoot out lasers to cleave them in half.  “We have our endgame.  Now we just have to get there.  And we’ll get there through Akechi.  Literally, if I have to.  He already knows who we are and is just toying with us now.  We’re a nuisance to him but not enough for him to act too quick.  He’s still trying to keep this under wraps, after all.”

“Indeed,” Makoto said with a nod.  “If he realizes that’s no longer possible and abandons that plan, he may opt to kill us immediately.”  Akira would like to see Shido try.  So much as a single lock of hair leaves Ann’s head without her consent, and he’d lob all of his fingers off.

“Dammit…” Ryuji hissed.  Even with an ace up their sleeve, they were still being strung along.  “So we don’t got a choice but to go with that bastard’s suggestion.”  And they needed Akechi in one piece too if they were to have any hope of catching his boss.

“Do the puppet’s dance just for a little while longer…” Akira growled softly.  He loathed it even more intensely than Ryuji did.  Time after time, they had their back against the wall.  It had gotten old three times ago.

“But if we go into the Palace as told, Akira will get arrested and then murdered by Akechi…”  Her own life be damned, Ann was worried to pieces about Akira.

“There’s a way…”  As the eyes turned towards Futaba, she shrank down a little.  The orange-haired girl wasn’t used to being the center of attention.  She’d much rather it be Akira.  But she had to run her mouth, and it was too late to backpedal now.  “A way to get past Akechi AND get the mastermind to lay off of us, all while learning his identity.”

“Really…!?” Haru breathed in genuine surprise.

“You gotta be kidding me…!” Ryuji barked.

“Wh-what’s this all of a sudden!?” Ann stammered. 

With the room growing more energetic, Futaba felt herself losing steam.  They had been at work putting this plan together all night.  A lot of it had been her idea even.  But she was no public speaker.  She looked at Akira pleadingly for him to take the reins.  But he merely folded his arms and nodded.  It was time.  Futaba chewed on her bottom lip before continuing.

“If he wants to kill Akira, why not let him?  That is, inside the Palace…”

Perplexed looks darted all around the room before Akira took his place at Makoto’s side.  He had been ready for this the entire day.  Couldn’t focus once on schoolwork despite the heavy load they had been administered.

“We have a plan,” Makoto picked up.  “We have Akechi kill the cognitive Akira-kun, all the while believing he killed the real one.”

“Fellas, we’re gonna pull the rug right out from under our “friend” Akechi…”  Akira cracked his knuckles, feeling that smug Cheshire cat grin form on his face.  Words failed him to describe how eager he was to blow the lid right off that lying detective.  “It’s the plan of the century.  A long shot and incredibly dangerous.  But if we can pull it off, we got it made.”  The others leaned in close.  Hanging on his every word.  “Like Futaba said, we’re gonna have him kill a fake instead of me, all while he thinks I’m dead and gone.  To do this, we gotta get him inside the Metaverse after we get outside.  Anything outside of Sae’s Palace will look like the real world, just like Ryuji and I saw in Kamoshida’s Palace.  If he doesn’t think there’s a threat, then our clothes won’t change.  We’ll remain in our school outfits.  To pull this off, we’ll have to check the outside of the Palace.  Wall to wall, floor to floor.  Not a single detail can be out of place, or the plan goes up in smoke.  And us along with it.”

“We’ll also need to construct a perfect shadow replica of Akira,” Morgana stated.  “We'll plan an empty briefcase and masquerade it as the Treasure right under Akechi’s nose.  That way nothing looks out of place.  Since we need the use of Sae's Palace, we can't actually change her heart just yet.  Though the real crux of this plan is getting him into the Metaverse to pull this off.”

“That’s where I come in.”  Futaba stood on her own two feet, now feeling emboldened.  Getting sucked into their energy had reinvigorated her resolve.  “I’ve been working on integrating the Nav into my computer.  There’s only a little I can do, but with my hacking skills, I can make it work.  I can track active targets in the Metaverse from long range, but I can’t identify them.  I can also pick up conversations from inside at short range by locking onto the signal.  No video footage, but I can get all the audio I need.  Once I finish developing a heavily homebrewed version of the Nav, all that will need to be done is hand Akira’s phone to Sae.  And we can pull both her and Akechi into the Metaverse.  We just have to get them in proximity at the right time.  Then after Akechi makes his kill, we swap them both back into the real world before he is any the wiser.  And Sae can slip Akira out no problem.”  This was to be her greatest hack yet.  Blowing anything she had done for Medjed clean out the water.  A hack for the ages.  Everyone was counting on her.  Her friends, Akira, Sojiro.  Her mother.

It all sounded like the most convoluted plan ever conceived.  It would take nothing short of a miracle to pull off.  So many twists and layers at work.  The biggest match of 4D chess being played, and they were all pieces.  Either they won, or they died.  Anyone else pitching the plan, it would sound like a pipe dream at best.  And a suicide mission at worst.  But Akira, Morgana, Makoto, and Futaba were all in on it.  Not an ounce of hesitation or second-thought in their voices as they relayed it in totality to them.  Though there was one little part that ate away at Ann…

“Slip Akira out?  From where?”

Now was the hard part.  Akira hadn’t been looking forward to this section of the plan.  He knew full and well she’d fight him every step of the way on this.  But they had neither time or flexibility on their side.  Especially with Akechi breathing down their neck and the lot of them being forced into secrecy set again.

“In order for this plan to work, Akechi is going to have to believe it.  We gotta convince him it’s real on every level.  In order to do that…”  A heavy sigh escaped the boy.  The jumping point.  No going back now.  “…I have to get captured by the police and detained.”

“WH-WHAT?!”  Sure enough, Ann had been rendered into complete disbelief as expected.  The others were quick to follow.

“For real?!”

“Certainly not!”

“Mona-chan, is this true?!”

“Keep it together, everyone!” Makoto snapped.  She was just as scared about the plan as they were.  But she needed to believe in this plan.  For her sister, her team, and Akira.

“You can’t be serious, dude!” Ryuji exclaimed in protest.  “Throwin’ yourself to the wolves again?”

“I knew you had a martyr complex, but this is asinine!  Way too perilous!” Yusuke added.

“Listen to me.”  In typical fashion, hushed reverence fell over the room as Akira spoke.  “This is our best bet at catching Akechi and his leader.  We pull the wool over his eyes, and this gives us a chance to go cut off the head of the snake.  Even if we kick Akechi’s shit in, his leader will go into hiding.  We don’t have that luxury.  They know where we go to school and where we live.  No one’s coming to help us.  We are the first _and_ last line of defense.  Even if we could walk away from this, Makoto’s sister will die.  Haru’s dad already was killed under my watch.  I won’t let someone else die if I can prevent it.”

“But _you_ could die!” Ann protested.  Her blue eyes shimmered with panic, mind racing a million miles a second to come up with a counter solution.

“That’s a risk I take every day we do this Phantom Thief stuff, but I knew what I signed up for.  And if we can pull this off, then I come back in one piece.  Look, this is exactly what Akechi wants.  To divide us.  Remember last time with Okumura?  It almost worked.  We can’t let ourselves be weak again.  Otherwise, more people will die and be exploited.  Is that what you want?”

“N-no, wait!  Hold on, we can think of something else!  You guys are with me, right?”  Her eyes gazed pleadingly over to Ryuji, Haru, and Yusuke.  It was four versus four.  An even split.  Stalemate.  The four of them lingered awkwardly in silence, glancing at one another for one of them to speak up.  Ultimately, it was Ryuji who spoke up first.

“…He’s right.  This is our best shot.”

“Ryuji!”

“Ann, this is exactly what happened last time!  We were too hot-heated and still trying to keep ourselves together after Morgana walked out!  I ain’t makin’ that mistake again.  We gotta be calm and collected, all on the same page.”  The blond walked over to his friend’s side, shelving his hands into his pockets.  “I’m in.”

Now three.  And next to be caught in the headlights was none other than Yusuke.

“It’s true.  Our indecisiveness was what splintered us last time.  We were exploited by the avarice of higher men.”  He sized the opposing group up before he too joined them.  “Which is why I’m in as well.  We need to stand together now more than ever.”

Only the two girls remained.  Though not for much longer.  In time, Haru too caved.

“I-I’m in too!  If Mona-chan and Akira believe in it, it has to work!  They’ve never steered us wrong before.”

“Well, I’m not!”  Ann stomped her foot indignantly and remained all by her lonesome.  Her heart was aching at all of her friends taking Akira’s side.  To go along with this suicidal plan with no guarantee of a victory.  Only blind luck.  Feeling so helpless in the face of Akechi’s game made her feel small.  Like how she was with Kamoshida all those months ago.  It wasn’t fair.  After having grown so much, the world had pulled her back down onto the ground.  “Look, we can try something else!  This is just one plan!  I’m sure if we put our heads together, we can make something better!  Safer!”

“We don’t have the time, Ann!” Akira countered.  “This is a plan that requires extensive research and trial running.  We just don’t have the manpower or time on our side to have a plan B or C.  This is our plan A.  It’s all we have.”

“I can do it, Ann,” Futaba meekly uttered.  “We’re putting everything we have into this plan.  We can’t do anything else.”

“N-no!  No, that’s not true!”  The blonde frantically tugged at her twintails to hold back the tears of stress.  She couldn’t believe all this was happening.  Not when they’ve come so far.  “Y-you’re just not trying hard enough to find a better plan, Futaba!  You can’t even guarantee your hacks will work!”

“That’s enough!”  Of all people the otaku had expected to come to her aid, by no means did she expect it to be Yusuke.  “Futaba is the most skilled individual I’ve come across.  Her hacks will work.  Your franticness won’t help her.  Only demoralize her.”  The blonde stammered and stumbled over herself in an attempt to counteract.  They were all staring back at her from the other side of the room.  Among friends had she never felt so alone.

“Look, Ann…”  Akira stepped closer, holding his hands up.  He wanted nothing more than to embrace her, tell her everything would be okay.  In truth, he couldn’t promise that.  It was a heavy possibility that he might die.  But it was all they had.  “I don’t like this any more than you do.  But we don’t have any other options.”

“No!  No, I don’t support this!  I won’t!  You can’t make me go along with this!”  She couldn’t bear the thought of losing him.  They had a couple of weeks to find something else.  Anything.  It was like he was slipping through her fingers.  If they went through with this and the Palace was the last time she ever saw him, Ann felt like she’d fall apart.

“Ann, we need to do this.  I’m not going to argue with you.  This is happening.”

“Find something else!  Make a new plan!  I don’t care how long it takes, I’ll even help!  But please do something else!  I won’t help with this plan-“

“ _As your leader, I’m telling you this is our plan!  That’s an order!_ ”

Dead silence descended over the room, the temperature growing so cold that Akira swore he could see his breath.  The rest of the Phantom Thieves stood behind Akira.  Way behind.  Ann wore the most shocked expression she had ever sported in all her life.  From the way she looked, Akira may as well have slapped her.  He bore no quarter.  Instead staring her down with a fierce look of determination.  Slowly, her shocked expression lowered into an angry stare to counter his.

 _“…You wanna run that by me again?”_ Her tone was colder than any bufu Yusuke could cast.  Low, calculating.  Like when she had discussed why she let Kamoshida live.  The only sound in response was an apprehensive gulp from Ryuji.

“You got ears, don’t you?”  Akira was tired of this stalemate.  They didn’t need this divisiveness now of all times.  Not when Akechi planned to put a bullet in his head.

“No, I don’t think I heard you properly before.”  The blonde swiftly closed the gap between them.  Almost nose to nose.  “So how about you repeat yourself?”

“Uh…. w-we’ll be outside!”  Makoto swiftly began to herd the lot of them downstairs and outside into the streets.  It was cold out but nowhere near as cold as the tension created between the two secret lovers.  Ann and Akira locked eyes, not a single one blinking.

“You’re really gonna be like this now?  In front of them?”

“Yes.  I.  Am.”  Every separated word felt like she was hammering nails into his chest.  Not since Kamoshida had he seen her so irate.  But not wasn’t the time.  “You have a lot of nerve pulling rank on me like that.  Our decisions are supposed to be unanimous.  We all agreed to that!”

“You’re the one dragging your heels on this, Ann.  We can’t afford that now with Akechi breathing down my neck.  We have nowhere else to go.  Why can’t you understand that?!”

“Oh, I’m sorry I don’t want to go along with this plan to put you in the line of fire!  I’m sorry I love you so much, you… y-you jackass!”  A few tears slipped on through, much to her chagrin.  It was bad enough she had to hold back the tears in front of Akira, but now he was the cause of them.  It tore him up equally to see them.  He’d never forgive himself for it after all was said and done.  But right now, he needed to show her tough love.  “Why can’t you understand how scared I am?!”

“You think I want to do this to you, Ann?!  I’m sorry you’re scared and don’t like this plan.  I really am, but it’s all.  We.  Have.  We’re at the end of our rope here.  And it’s tied into a noose and about to wrap around our necks!”

“Did you even try to find anything else?!”

“What else can we do?!  He’s got us cornered!  A gun to our heads, which can quickly become a reality!  This is all I have!  We’re supposed to derail our whole plan because you don’t wanna cooperate?  How is that fair?”

“It’s not fair to me!  What about us?!  I might not even see you again!”  A sob choked out, forcing the girl to draw back and wipe her eyes.  “D-dammit!”  She couldn’t stop it now.  The tears were out in full force.  Helpless to protect him.  It was a nightmare, and he was forcing her to live it.  “L-look!”  Ann wiped her eyes on her sleeve and forced herself to face him.  “G-give me a week!  One week, and I swear I’ll come up with a better, safer plan!”

Akira pursed his lips and huffed through his nose in irritation.  Never had she been this stubborn before.  He had anticipated it, but nothing could ever truly prepare him for what Ann could do.  It was late, and he was dead tired.  He just wanted to fall into bed and pass out.  Thankfully, tomorrow was Sunday.

“Fine,” he said with a dismissive flick of his wrist.  “If you think you can make something better, by all means, go ahead.  But in the meantime, this is what we’re going with.  And you’re gonna help us work out our plan while you’re trying to put together yours whether you like it or not.  Understood?”

The gauntlet had been thrown down.  Concoct a plan to save Akira from Akechi and his own ego.  The hardest thing she had ever done.  Apprehension began to set in now that she had the ultimatum.  But after all that, no way could the blonde back out now.

“Understood, Joker.”  She didn’t even await a response as she hurried down the stairs.  Ordinarily, her referring to him by codename should’ve been exhilarating.  Instead, it felt so cold.  It stung.

“Wait!  Hold on, Ann!  J-just stop for a sec!”  But she didn’t listen.  The front door burst open, and she pushed right past the others.  Tears streaming down her face and the blonde scrambling to dry them.  Her head felt like it was about to explode.  It was a demoralizing sight for them all, to say the least.

“L-Lady Ann…” Morgana said disheartened.

“No luck in getting through to her.  Unfortunate…” Yusuke had always admired Ann’s passion.  It was a testament to her character.  And a detriment, it seemed.

“Wait!  Ann!”  Makoto ran right after the blonde, still refusing to look back.  Haru gave chase as well to offer comfort.  Akira’s heart sank in his chest at the sight.  He wasn’t unsympathetic to her suffering.  He’d be the exact same way had the positions been reversed.  But too much was at stake here.  Their lives, Sae’s, and getting to Shido.  They had to have it together now more than ever.

“Dammit!”  Ryuji kicked the wall in anger.  They were struggling for air out at sea yet again.  “Why’s she gotta be such a bitch now of all times?”

“Ryuji.”  The cold stare he received from Akira had him back down and reconsider his words very swiftly.  He would not dare let anyone speak ill of his woman.  Even his best friend.  The blond cleared his throat and offered a clumsy apology.  Akira let it slide.  He was just too tired to get into it at length after all that.

“Maybe Makoto can talk some sense into her.  Girl talk and all that.”

“Takamaki-san will come around,” Yusuke assured them.  “Blood of the Covenant, remember?”  It was true their bond transcended anything else they had.  Especially between the two of them.  The boys said their goodbyes and left for home.  Akira hit the lights and locked up before heading to bed.

“Poor Lady Ann…”  Morgana’s words kicked up anguish in his chest.  This wasn’t at all how he wanted this night to pan out.  Though what had he expected?  Did he really think Ann would accept this unchallenged?  In frustration did he bury his face into his pillow.  Now feeling just as helpless as she was for her.  The first rocky road in their relationship.  And it had been going so well too.  He thought about texting her.  Sending her a message to get home safe or to apologize for making her cry.  But he didn’t trust himself in that moment to avoid blowing up into an argument yet again and sending a wall of text.  He just didn’t have the strength in him.

It was going to be a long couple of weeks.


	50. Happy Birthday, Ann!

_11/12/17 – Saturday_

To describe the last four days as awkward would be a massive understatement.  Nothing short of a joke.  Made even worse when Akechi came around.  Sneaking through the various Palaces had made them all masters of subtlety at this point.  Even Ryuji managed to keep his mouth shut for once.  Though, Akira would’ve rather dealt with Akechi than the tension brought on by Ann.  She remained cold and distant, only doing what was expected to help with Akira’s plan.  The emptiness was quite noticeable whenever she was around.  As though they had lost someone in their group.  They had all been missing the bright ray of sunshine she used to emit.  Especially Akira.

He had been reeling from their fight.  Neither one of them had spoken after that night.  Time and again had he fought the desire to text her.  His pride halted him.  Akira couldn’t shrink back from this plan after all that.  They just didn’t have the time.   November 18th was fast approaching.  How the time had seemed to slip through his fingers the more they poured themselves into this plan.  It was all or nothing after all.

Though today of all days required the most meticulous planning.  Something imperative in tying the whole plan together.  So integral to it all that Akira couldn’t even show up to school that day.

His presence was quite noticeable to the entire class.  Ann bore the brunt of it, getting questions from Mishima, Mr. Hiruta, and many others.  As though she were his keeper.  But all she could offer was her lack of knowledge.  Truth is that she didn’t know either.  He hadn’t told any of them he would be absent.  Her fingers had been twitching all day as she resisted the urge to text him and ask.  She was still hurt from the other day.  And nowhere even close to coming up with a countermeasure for Akechi that didn’t involve Akira jumping into the crossfire.  It was proving to be such a miserable birthday.

Seventeen years old now.  No Shiho to spend it with, and now all of her friends were expected to show up to Leblanc.  A mandatory meeting called by Akira.  She hadn’t felt this low in months.  This wasn’t fair of him.  He had to do this on her own birthday?  Did he even remember?

“C’mon, Ann.  Cheer up!”  Ryuji had snapped her out of her meager sulking with his words.  The lot of them were on the way to Leblanc together.  The blonde was bringing up the rear along with the cloud that had been hanging above her head.

“I guess…”  The cheer she tried to rise in her voice was incredibly fake.  Even more transparent than her acting with Yusuke.  She would have rather just gone home and slept the whole day.  At least Baba had given her a nice birthday breakfast.  All sweets.  She needed a cheat day, and what better day than her own birthday?

“I can assure you that this meeting will be a good one.”  The blonde quirked an eyebrow at Yusuke’s words.  Working on this suicide mission didn’t sound like her idea of fun.  How could Akira make them do this?  Couldn’t they have this day off to relax?  She couldn’t have been the only one thinking this.  But all the others were as nonchalant as could be.  Ann felt like she was going insane.  Even more so when she picked up on the others avoiding eye contact for too long. 

As they approached the café entrance, Ann sighed and steeled herself for another long tense day of work.  Helping Akira get himself killed while she struggled to find a better way.  Maybe her gift could be a sudden burst of inspiration.  She’d take anything now.

“Um… would you like to lead us inside, Ann?”

The blonde had been so swept up in her sulking that she had completely blanked out.  The others were standing around her rather awkwardly.  Giving Makoto peculiar glances for her rather stilted asking of the question.  And what a question it was.  Ann had never heard such a request before.  Lead them in?  It was just Leblanc.  They weren’t storming a Palace or anything.  Even more confusing seemed to be the view through the glass.  The lights weren’t on, and everything was dark.  Yet the sign said they were open.  Perhaps this was Akira attempting to keep Akechi in the dark?  She merely huffed and opened the door.  The sooner they could square this meeting away, the better.

“Surprise!  Happy birthday, Ann!”

As the lights kicked on, the blonde was startled by all the decorations on the walls and ceiling.  Futaba and Akira were standing before her with energetic grins while Sojiro hovered over a series of drinks and a carefully crafted platter of breakfast food.  He took in her bewildered expression with an amused smirk.

“Y-you remembered!” she stammered with a beaming smile bursting on her face, giggles slipping out through the words.  The blonde turned and saw the others standing by the door with knowing smirks of their own.

“We gotcha, Ann!  Should’ve seen the look on your face!”  Her giggles only increased at Ryuji’s teasing.

“Akira arranged for this in secret yesterday between all of us,” Yusuke stated.  “It was quite the gamble making sure you didn’t find out.” 

“We had to sneak our presents over here early in the morning before we met up at school,” Haru added.  That explained their behavior all day.  Their leader had been pulling even more strings from behind the scenes.  Slowly did she turn back to him with a reserved smile.  It was hard to hold anything against him in the moment.  Especially when he sported that smoldering content smile.  Peaceful as can be, her own image taking center stage in his eyes.

“Oh, you,” she cooed before scooping him up into a hug.  He lifted her up and spun around in his tight embrace.

“What?  Thought I’d forget?”  How foolish had she been to doubt him.  After all they had shared and endured together, there wasn’t a chance in all the world he’d have forgotten or ignored it because of their fight.  She wanted to grab a fistful of his hair and kiss him right in front of them.  The joy that swelled in her heart vastly outweighed her anxiety.  Just needed that little inch forward.  He was right there in reach.  Would take only the smallest of efforts.

“Managed to convince me to rent the store out for you guys.  Told me you were rather down in the dumps.”  Sojiro’s relaxed voice brought her back to reality.  He leaned against the counter, arms folded with a smug smirk.  Which sent a creeping feeling down her spine.  Could he have suspected?  The others they had managed to do a decent job stumping.  “You kids better appreciate this.  I’m losing money, you know.”  Try as he might to sound tough and all business, he couldn’t stifle the smile on his face.  The kids doted and praised him for his sacrifice.  In truth, he would’ve done it regardless of how much Akira had begged the other night.  The old man just liked grilling the kid.  He really was something special.  “And I… might’ve chipped in and gotten you something as well.”

“Aww, Sojiro!”  The blonde embraced him and nuzzled his chest affectionately.  “You didn’t have to!  You’re so sweet!”

“How wonderful, Sojiro!” Haru cooed.

“What a pal!” Ryuji teased with a grin.

“That’s my dad alright!” Futaba boasted pridefully.

“N-now enough of all that,” Sojiro huffed bashfully.  A man of his age with such a large chip upon his shoulder wasn’t used to being doted on.  Especially by these young kids.  He had an image as a tough old store owner to keep.  But they were all good kids.  Sojiro had come to regard all of Futaba’s new friends as a family of his own.  Not that he’d ever admit it to Akira.  It would be a cold day in hell before he wore his heart on his sleeve like that.  The kid would never let him live it down.

“I got you a present as well, Lady Ann!” Morgana purred as he stood on the barstool.  “I insisted I pick out my own.  One from each of us.”  The blonde’s eyes lit up with excitement when they fell upon the gifts in question.  Even at her age, she still got giddy over the prospect of getting gifts.  Hence why Christmas was her favorite holiday.  That and Valentine’s.  All the gifts sat lined up in a row on the counter behind Sojiro.  Each of them wrapped differently, and Ann could tell whose they were based on the choice of paper.  Ryuji’s and Futaba’s stuck out like sore thumbs on account of the rather poor wrapping job.  Neatness wasn’t their strong suits.  But it was the thought that counted.  Morgana’s wrapping had little cat pictures on it.  Predictable but very charming.  Sojiro’s was very plainly wrapped.  Nothing fancy in terms of paper.  She found it rather amusing on her part.  A typical man through and through.  The other five gifts were eloquently wrapped with the utmost precision.

“Wait…”  She paused and counted the number present.  In totality, there were nine.  And they were from every person present.  “Nine… who else is here?”  Akira cleared his throat and looked behind her.  A creaking sound emanated from the stairs, signaling someone descending.  As she turned to bear witness, all the breath had left her in an instant.  Time came to an absolute standstill.  It was a girl sporting a uniform from a school she didn’t recognize.  Her hair done up in a ponytail with a pink hairband.  And the sweetest, most precious smile she could ever behold.

“Sh-Shiho?”

It didn’t seem real.  Like she had been swept up in a daydream.  Everything felt like it was before Kamoshida.  Where it was just them.  Her best friend.  Except now she had a whole room of friends as well.  Somewhere she could belong. 

“My parents let me skip school to visit you on your birthday.  Akira called me about it yesterday.”  The blonde clutched her heard as the tears began to form.  And Shiho felt hers rising in return.  The two girls embraced in the middle of Leblanc, holding onto one another for dear life as though they hadn’t seen one another in years.  The others merely stood back and beheld the spectacle with content smiles on their faces.  Haru cooed at their display of friendship while the two girls tried to keep their sniffling stifled.  And failed.

“Hoo boy, break out the tissues.  This is gonna be a wet one.”  Sojiro shook his head at their waterworks.  And his jest seemed to help lighten the mood as the girls burst into giggles, wiping their eyes.  “Now let’s eat.  Akira took over my entire kitchen so you guys have a lot of food to take care of.”  The magic words.  They all gorged themselves on the delicious feast their leader had prepared.  French toast piled with powdered sugar, butter, strawberries, and syrup all leaking down, nice steamy sweetened sausage, eggs both scrambled and in the sunny side up variety, and tons of bacon.  More bacon than Akira had ever fried in his life.  And more grease than he had ever seen.  So much grease.  And to top it all off, a chocolate cake adorned with buttermilk frosting and strawberries.  The one thing Akira couldn’t take credit for, unfortunately for him.  Baked goods of that caliber were still well above his skill set.  But now he had a goal to aim for.

Not since Destinyland had the lot of them been so happy.  So carefree and raucous with laughter, even in the face of great danger.  The reprieve from the world they had all longed for and deserved.  And what a day to have it too.  Taking time for themselves on Ann’s birthday offered the best of both worlds.  Shiho got the opportunity to meet and connect with all of them.  Makoto was a flustered mess from her admiration of being the student council president.  Futaba was doted on like the little sister of the group, fueled further by Yusuke’s teasing and Haru being swept up in Shiho’s cooing.  The little otaku was beside herself at being treated like such a small child.  Akira got a kick out of seeing her embarrassment.  Penance for spying on him unlawfully, he deemed.  Though Shiho never left Ann’s side, most of all.  They were practically joined at the hip the entire night.  Occasionally, she was able to steal a glance at Akira.  But they weren’t able to catch one another in time.  When one was looking, the other would be preoccupied with another matter.  Had Akira been lucky, he would’ve been able to witness the absolute pure look of adoration in her eyes for his deed.

Like all things, the end had come upon them.  The presents unwrapped, food eaten, and guests dispersing.  Sojiro offered to cover cleaning up Leblanc while Akira and Ann walked Shiho to the station.  A perfect setup for what else Akira had in store.  Plus, he could skip out on handling the dishes.  So many dishes.  Shiho and Ann tearfully embraced just like they were on the rooftop back in August.  Seeing her back after so long made her feel as though she had been reborn.

“Thank you so much for coming, Shiho,” Ann said, wiping her eyes as best she could.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Ann.  It feels weird to be back here, but I’d do anything for you.”

_I wish you could stay…_

What Ann wanted to say.  Even though it had been months, it still felt like part of her was missing with Shiho’s absence.  But she knew better.  She couldn’t keep herself here after Kamoshida.  Her mental well-being was more important than Ann’s satisfaction. 

“Next time I visit will be longer, I swear.  More than just a day.”

“I’ll visit _you_ next time.  It’s only fair!”  The girl talked among themselves, delaying the departure as much as they could.  All while Akira stood in the back and watched them with a sad smile.  Ann wore her bravest face so well, but he could tell right from her eyes that she was hurting.  To want Shiho to stay.  But time won as the next train’s departure was called.  Shiho hugged Ann one last time and gave Akira one of his own before boarding.  They watched her train leave the station until it was completely out of sight.  Akira put his arm around Ann, the blonde leaning into him for support.  It was less emotional this time around.  Seeing Shiho go.  The tears were there, but she wasn’t sobbing and overcome with despair.  It would be too quiet at Leblanc now, even if their party had only lasted the day.

Now it was just the two of them.  Standing in the station as the sun slowly disappeared over the horizon.  Akira tentatively leaned his head onto Ann’s, unsure if she would move herself away.  But she didn’t.  She let him rest there.  And she in turn leaning into him.

“Akira?”

“Yes?”

“…You’re the fucking best, you know that?”  In response, he kissed her forehead while she hugged his arm.  Snuggling the small of his neck and causing giggles to slip out from her blonde locks tickling his skin.  “Thank you… so… _so_ much.  You don’t know how badly I needed this.”  She inhaled sharply before hugging his arm tighter.  Pulling him into her, not wanting to ever let go.  “You’re the best boyfriend anyone could ask for.”

“Don’t thank me just yet.  I have one more gift for you…”

“Oh no, Akira!  You shouldn’t have!  I mean, you’ve already given me so much!  Bringing Shiho here, all the food you cooked.  And I already have a gift from you!”  No one had spoiled her this much outside of her parents.  It was almost embarrassingly so.  The love and attention he administered her was near overwhelming in how much it had flustered her.  “And we didn’t even celebrate _your_ birthday!  Don’t think I forgot!”  In truth, she had.  The new arrivals to the team and all the other events in their lives had slipped it out of her consciousness.  Something she was now kicking her for.  If she was to prove her worth, she was really going to have to go all out for Christmas.  And Valentines’ Day.  And his eighteenth.  My God was she going to have to become a sugar mama real fast.  Of course, he’d fight her every step of the way on it.

“No, I insist…”  He leaned in close, his voice falling to much softer levels.  Hiding his words from the world.  “Though we’ll have to go to the Metaverse for it.  That is, _if_ you want it…”

The blonde racked her brain to decipher his words.  Food, her best friend, a really lovely designer handbag.  With her name stitched into it and everything.  Her go-to carry on from now on.  Her parents had bought her many purses in the past but nothing compared to this.  A lovely item from the heart that would perfectly compliment her Plumeria bracelet.  Hadn’t taken it off save to bathe and sleep.  Otherwise, it was on her wrist at all times.  So what else could he offer to possibly compete?  And in the Metaverse, of all places?  Then slowly it began to dawn on her…

“Ohh… Oh~”  A fine blush sprung upon her pale cheeks, the blonde biting her bottom lip as she administered a coy little smile.  “Well, I suppose I can accept one more gift…”  The exact words Akira had been wanting to hear.  Graciously did he take her waist and guide her along with him, fiddling with his phone in his spare hand.

* * *

 

Back at the love hotel for a third time.  Sauntering through its dimly lit halls without a care in the world save for each other.  Even the shadows seemed to have taken a break for Ann’s birthday.  They found a new room this time, much more secluded and exotic than the last.  It was the white one with the red roses carved into the wall.  Definitely Ann’s type.  He eagerly shut the door behind him and guided her to the bed.  She hadn’t let go of his hand since the station, and the blonde found herself quaking with anticipation over what he had in store.  Knowing his streak of luck today and last time they were in here, she knew she was in for a treat.

“Take a seat on the bed~”  He practically purred his words, staring down at her with bedroom eyes.  A hunger, a great desire roared in his soul.  No matter how many times he had seen her in it, the latex outfit never failed to drive him wild.  Navigating the Metaverse with a boner had taken a lot of getting used to.  And he still wasn’t quite used to it.  Though with her, he wasn’t sure he wanted to be.  Her slender waist, the way it rode up on her rear, hugging her curves.  Akira could just run his hands along her body for hours on end, and it would be enough to satisfy him. 

Obediently did she sit on the bed, sinking into the soft mattress.  Leaning back on her hands did she look up at him and bite her lip.  Eyelashes fluttering faster than her heart.  He got her so excited that Ann thought her clip-on tail would start wagging with a life of its own.  The regality of his uniform was absolutely enchanting.  So much sex appeal did he wear with that trenchcoat.  The blonde fiddled with the zipper between her breasts before hooking a finger around it.  But his hand caught hers.

“Allow me~”  A shudder resonated out from her as his middle finger lowered the zipper inch by inch.  The cool air shocking her skin from its touch.  He was living for this opportunity, making the sensual act of undressing her a tease for both of them.  And from the sadistic smug smirk sported on his face, he was loving it.  Eventually did he get to the sweet spot which left Ann to inhale sharply as the air hit her lips.  Though she was quick to forget her shock as she saw Akira fall to his knees.  And inch himself between her legs before tossing his mask aside.  “Hope you don’t mind…”

No way in hell could she say no to this.  Especially as he propped her legs up on his shoulder, putting himself right in the middle.  He held her thighs in place as her legs dangled over.  The blush on his face scorching hot.  It was far too tempting to rip his clothes off right then and there.  But he wanted to make her wait for it.  Make himself wait for it.  It was her birthday, after all.  As his hot breath hit her lips, Ann’s blue eyes rolled in with a sharp inhale from contact.  Akira set to work fast by running his tongue over them.  Up and down, teasing the clit.  It was hard to keep her eyes open, but she could tell he was staring up at her.  With that devilishly handsome look of sadism.  Drinking in her pleasure while she squirmed around on the bed.  It was too much for her to take, and she fell back and sank her body into the mattress.

“Akiraaaaa~” she moaned, prompting him to up the scales.  Every little motion he did sent lightning down her spine.  Dragging his canines along the sides of her pussy, nibbling on the clit.  Even planting cute little kisses on her inner thighs.  And he would alternate back and forth between all of these.  Each motion a pleasant surprise while she was swimming in her own head.  Eyes watering from how good the pleasure was.  It became increasingly hard to believe his only experience was her.  Because my God did he eat her out like a divine being.  Moans cascading out of her like a waterfall.  Pleading desperate little coos mixed in with crying out his name.  Begging for him not to stop.  As though he would.  Though just as insurance, she took a fistful of his hair and held him down.  Now he had no choice but to keep eating out his beloved.  Woe truly was he this day.

He buried himself into his work.  Eyes closed and just allowing him to drink in her moans.  All while his black pants constrained his stiffer than steel erection.  Leaking like a faucet from the desperation for relief he was aching for himself.  In due time.  She was the apple of his eye this day.  Well, more so than usual.  His hands reached up to cup her bosom, and she in tandem held her hands over his.  The both of them groping her body together.  Ann felt like the sexiest woman alive.  Spoiled on her birthday and getting eaten out by the hottest boy in school.  The love of her life. 

Akira was quick to learn that Ann was quite the screamer in bed.  She couldn’t contain all the moans leaking out from her.  And had no desire to.  Her cries of pleasure were music to his ears.  And the relief from the slight pain brought on by her holding his hair.  It was manageable.  And also rather sexy how possessively she snaked her fingers through his black locks.  He belonged to her and her alone.  Wouldn’t have it any other way.  Looking up at her through half-open eyes, he finally saw her tear her head back and moan as the orgasm she had been chasing hit.  It felt like a blow to her stomach from the way it rushed up and down.  Spreading all the way up to her chest did the shot of adrenaline spike.  Her begging moans eventually died down into delirious stammering as she struggled to put her mind back into working order.  Shaking from the afterglow, she just allowed herself to lie on the bed.  Shaky breathing, fluttering eyelids, tongue slightly hanging out.  She must’ve looked like an absolute wreck.

But to Akira, she was his shining star.  His light.

“That do anything for you?” he purred teasingly.  Which prompted a flirtatious giggle from his lover, who looked down at him with such hunger and adoration.

“Thank you~” she breathed out, resting her hands on his shoulders as he trailed up from her pussy to plant kisses.  All past her navel.  Lightly brushing his lips once past it with his soft beautiful lips.  Crafted by the gods.  “…I want you to fuck me~”  The magic words.  Akira needed little prompting as he practically tore his clothes off, throwing them to the corner of the room with reckless abandon.  He had almost forgotten to put the condom on, he was so excited.  Ann had gotten her twintails undone before he pounced upon her.  Pinned against the bed as he went to town.  They sank deep into the mattress from the pounding.  Ann had wrapped herself around her lover so tight they might just fuse.  Holding onto him, never wanting to let go.  A sadistic shudder left her as she grabbed his tight shapely rear and heard him moan out in surprise.  He was so quiet when they fucked.  Having trained himself to suppress his moans over the years to avoid getting caught by his parents.  But she wanted to hear him moan for her.  Loud and proud in the private confines of the Metaverse.  Just the two of them.  “Ngh, G-God, Akira.  Fucking dick me down~”

All the encouragement he needed and the moans came slipping out.  Ann’s mind was swimming while her body was consumed by the lustful heat Akira washed over her.  Never had she been so perverse before, to speak and beg with such intense desire.  But damn she just couldn’t help herself.  Akira eating her out had thrown her into overdrive.  A hormonal machine.  She started rocking herself against his body to sync with his movements.  It allowed Akira to get nice and deep which only further melted Ann to mush.  They kept their equilibrium going until the very thing they had been chasing hit them all at once.  Even better than the last time they had made love, the orgasm tore up from their loins and to their necklines.  As well as descending down to the ground, forcing the two secret lovers to curl their toes in orgasmic bliss.  Ann remained wrapped around Akira with her head laying limply to the side.  Akira himself was too tired to climb off her, instead allowing himself to lay on top of her.  The both of them had sweat rolling off their bodies, the satin sheets feeling like heaven against their skin.

“Ssshhhitttt…” Akira finally managed to weakly moan out as he wrestled himself away to remove the condom.  After properly disposing of it in the wastebasket, he collapsed by Ann’s side onto his side.  This had been more intense than every shadow fight put together.  “God, Ann… Felt like I could go forever.”

“That was… s-so incredible…”  That’s when he took notice of it.  She had tears leaking down her face.  Worry sparked up in Akira’s chest at her condition.  At what he could’ve possibly done.  As expected, the first instinct was to blame himself.

“Y-you okay?”  She nodded before bashfully pulling him into an embrace.  Holding him close while burying herself into the small of his neck.

“I love you so much~”  This hadn’t been how she had planned it.  It was always a crude joke that a woman might cry during sex from how emotional she got.  Sure enough, she was proving it right.  It was too embarrassing to face him.  “I love you, I love you-“

“Ann…”  He gingerly tilted her head up by the chin to face him.  And she felt herself melt all over again as she saw herself reflected in his silver smoldering eyes.  “I love you too…”  The blonde finally fulfilled her desire and took his hair in her fist, pulling him in for a deep kiss.  It never failed to make her feel powerful, to pull his hair.  As they held one another in bed, all that could be heard was their soft breathing.  Managing to slow down as the afterglow drained their energy.  It was tempting to fall asleep right then and there with her in his arms.  Though he forced himself to stay somewhat awake, opening one eye to peer down at her.  “…So I guess this makes up for Tuesday?”  She giggled before lovingly nuzzling his chest and pulling him in for a deeper cuddle.  Charming, sexy, a heart of gold, brave, and a great body.  She couldn’t imagine life without him anymore.  All the things they had endured together, how they built one another up.  Saved each other.

“Guess I can’t now,” she said.  “Though I’m… still not looking forward to this plan.”  Akira fell silent, merely administering a solemn nod.  He gently caressed her bare back with the backs of his fingers as he stared up at the ceiling.  It really was just six more days, wasn’t it?  They had all been swept up in the party today and enjoying each other’s company.  Happy after so long of being under the microscope.  It felt like they had already won and that Sae’s Palace was a long-forgotten memory.  But it was still lingering upon the horizon.  Sae, Akechi, and Shido.

“I’m really sorry about all this, Ann,” he purred softly.  She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried herself deeper into the small of his neck.  He, in turn, stroked her blonde hair and delivered a kiss upon her head.  “I never wanted to snap at you like that.  I was just so tired and stressed.”

“I’m sorry too.  About not talking to you after we fought.  My feelings were hurt, and I’ve had no luck thinking of anything else.  I was just so scared and-“

“You don’t have to apologize, Ann.  I understand completely.  I’d be the same way if I were you.”  After such a great day, there was no way he’d have them relapse.  He just wanted them to be happy together again.  Before the storm came upon them.  And if there was a chance he wouldn’t make it back, he’d rather be on good terms with her.

“No.  I do.  I didn’t believe in you when you needed it more than ever.  I let you down and-“

“Ann, you’re being too hard on yourself.”

“Looks who’s talking.”  The two then giggled at one another.  Both of them convinced the other was wrong now both trying to apologize and admonish the other of wrongdoing.  They really were something.  “I missed this.  I missed you.”

“It was like torture not speaking to you.  Felt like I was going insane.”  The blonde couldn’t help but smile at his confession.  Getting a little payback for his macho bravado.

“You’re still committed to this plan, aren’t you?”

“…Yeah.  It’s all we have.”

“…Then so am I.”  Her response caught him legitimately off-guard.  What he wouldn’t have given for this headache to have been relieved earlier on.  “I trust you, Akira.  If anyone can pull this off, it’s you.  We wouldn’t have gotten this far without your leadership.”  Now the responsibility grew ever heavier on his shoulders.  Heavier than it already was.  If they were to stand a chance and get to Shido, he needed not to make a single mistake.  To be the greatest Phantom Thief there ever was.  Flawless in his execution.

“In case things go wrong… and I don’t make it out-“

“Don’t say that.”  She seized him fiercely and clung to him for dear life.  Face buried in his chest, eyes closed to shut out the worry the world tacked on.  “I don’t want to think about that.  I can’t.  If there’s even a possibility that you might not come back, I can’t go through.  I need you… t-to promise me.  Okay?”

As though the stakes couldn’t get any higher.  Not only did he have to protect their lives as well as his own but his word too?  If anybody could push him to achieve higher goals, it was definitely Ann.  She had always brought out the best in him.  The best in all of them.  The true heart and soul of this team.

“I promise, Ann.  I’ll be back.”


	51. The Setup

_11/19/17 – Saturday_

The fight against Sae’s Shadow had been less nerve-wracking than the one against Okumura’s.  Though by no means did it make things easier.  Sae’s Shadow had proven to be a dirty cheater.  It made sense given that she had been willing to skirt the law and accuse even innocents in order to finally close this case.  Well, it seemed her wish would soon be granted.  Makoto leaned down and attempted to reason with the defeated specter that represented her sister’s inner machinations.  This fight had proven to be more emotionally taxing than the last.  To see someone with such nobility as Sae’s sister be reduced to a twisted version of herself.  It whittled down the already little hope Akira had in the police.

“We found it!”

Ryuji escorted the briefcase over to the lot of them.  The treasure had been secured, and soon Sae’s heart would be purified.  Then the rest of the plan could proceed.  Both of theirs’.

“The investigation will now be able to proceed,” Akechi calmly explained.  “The suspicions against you will be lifted as well.”  He closed his eyes and delivered them a bow.  “This deal we made… was a great experience for me.”  Akira smirked to himself, eyes narrowed.  Dry and mirthless.  Took all his efforts not to curl his lip up and bare his teeth.  Even still, this snake was lying right to his face.  He had to give him credit where it was owed.

“Not too late to change your mind…” he said ever so subtly with a bat of his eyelashes.  The others’ shot him a quick glance of concern through their peripheral.  Akira was playing with fire right now.  Though it had seemed to go right over Akechi’s head.  He merely chuckled at his suggestion.

“Now, now.  Don’t beg.  It’s unbecoming of you.”  Akira merely closed his eyes and shook his head.  “To think that I, a detective, would act alongside the Phantom Thieves.  But it’s back to the real work now.  And you all shall lend this Phantom Thieves business.  That was part of the promise, after all.  Don’t forget.”

“How could I?” Akira dryly remarked.  Now more than ever did his face look punchable.  What he’d give to be able to snap the stupid beak right off his red mask.  But he had to keep everything inside.  Save it for the final reveal when they would pull the rug out from under both him and Shido in one fell swoop.

“All right, we don’t need to stay here any longer!” Morgana interjected.  They had a plan to commence, after all.  Now it was just time to wait for their cue.  And what better way to stall than to appeal to one’s emotional side?  “Are you all right…?”

“I am,” Makoto responded.  Only a half-truth.  Her sister had been close to death, after all.  Literally, they all had their backs turned to their would-be murderer.  There would be plenty of opportunity for her to reconcile with family later.  Once they got her on their side.  “Let’s go.”

“Enemy readings!  When did they…!?”  All eyes were drawn to Futaba as she clutched her visor in suspense.  “They’re gathering outside!”

“For real!?  The hell’s goin’ on!?”  Right on cue.  Akechi really had managed to pull it off.  Even acting shocked and surprised like the rest of them were.  But Akira knew the real man behind that mask and what he was thinking.  What he was truly up to.  They all did.

“Look at those numbers…!” Yusuke exclaimed as Futaba projected the holographic display out to them.  Prometheus had really amplified her abilities, it seemed.  Even though the artist had known it was coming, the sheer overwhelming force Akechi had fostered in was still boggling the mind.

“This doesn’t look good…”  Ann had definitely upped her skills in acting since Yusuke.  Though she wasn’t really acting.  Part of her had hoped Akechi was just bluffing or he was a triple agent.  Outlandish it was but she wanted that small inch of unrealism to take a mile.  So that Akira would be safe.  But they were in the thick of it now.  No going back.

“We defeated the Palace ruler and even stole the Treasure, yet the Shadows are still restless…” Morgana noted curiously, puzzling his chin with his paw in mock thought.  “It doesn’t make any sense… What’s going on here?”  On the display were Shadows materializing left and right throughout the scattered casino halls.  More than they had expected.  But not more than they could handle.

“There are more coming!?  This’ll be dangerous if we don’t do something…!”  Now radio chatter began to pick up over the stream.  Garbled and hard to make out but Futaba was honing in on the signal to better read them.

“We need to go now!  Those guys in black suits are almost here.  We’ll be done for if we get surrounded!”  Morgana was absolutely living for this.  Akira could tell.  Taking the spotlight and playing the theatrics for their unwitting host.  The cat then passed the proverbial baton off to Makoto to seal the deal.

“A team this large would be discovered immediately.  We had best split up for our escape.  Although, we’ll need someone to act as a decoy…”  And there was his in.  The plan had been set for both parties.  It took all of Akira’s strength to resist the Cheshire cat grin threatening to burst upon his face.  “No, that’s too dangerous…”

“Leave it to me.  I’m the leader so it’s only fair.”

“Joker!?  Are you planning on distracting them by yourself!?” Makoto reasoned in her best acting voice.  Very convincing even for a novice like herself.  Although her acting prowess wasn’t too infeasible.  She had done a great job playing his pretend girlfriend for their stakeout.

“Let him do it, Queen,” Ryuji stated, delivering him a somber nod.  “He’s quiet, but once his mind’s made up, he’s not gonna take no for an answer.”  Slowly did he stride over to his brother-in-arms to deliver the package.  Akira was rather impressed with his choice of speech as he took the briefcase off his hands.  Was he improvising some of this?  Or did he have a script in advance?  If so, it was probably Makoto who wrote it.  Or Ann.

“If I don’t make it back-“

“Oh, to hell with that,” Ryuji rebuked with a smirk.  “I’m sure you ain’t gonna die.  It’s you we’re talkin’ about here.”  Not an act on the blond’s part.  There was nobody else he had more confidence in than Akira.  Not even in himself.  Death was infeasible on his part.  The others didn’t share his sense of casualness though.

“Please don’t do anything reckless, OK?” Haru asked.  Ann felt her heart begin to tremble at Ryuji and Haru’s words.  It was growing increasingly difficult to maintain her composure.  He had made a promise to come back to her.  All of them were included of course but specifically her.  His Panther.  And he was her Joker.

“I’ll never forgive you if you don’t make it back!”  Not an act by any means.  She was speaking straight from the soul.  And delivering him an intense look of adamancy.  Now Akira had no choice but to come back.  Crawl out of his grave if he had to.

“You guys worry too much,” he said with a flick of his wrist.

“We still haven’t fulfilled our deal, remember?” Morgana goaded.  Akira could do this all day.  Playing Akechi like a fiddle with him being unaware of their true intent.  But like all things for the past month, time wasn’t on their side for fun and games.

“Even more are coming!” Futaba warned.

“This truly is a painfully reluctant parting!” Yusuke mused melancholically.  Did they all have their own little quips and phrases lined up for the occasion?  Akira would’ve prepared a speech had he known.

“It seems we had best hurry.”  For a brief second, Akira thought he had detected impatience in Akechi’s voice.  Again, struggling hard to fight the smirk threatening to curl his lips.  His fingers twitched with anticipation on getting to pull back the curtain and shine the light right into Akechi’s eyes. 

“…We’ll see you later.”  With Makoto’s words had the signal been given.  The alarms began to ring out through the halls, and shouting could be heard in the distance.  Akira took up the briefcase and ran while the others ventured in the opposite direction.  He didn’t even look back as he hauled completely out of there.  Not even bothering to look back.  Stage one of the plan had went off without a hitch.  Now they needed to commence the second act: rendezvous and trade off the briefcase.

Simple enough in terms of execution.  While on the run, the others would split into two groups and meet up once Akira pulled the heat onto himself.  It would be during said split that one of them would slip away to do a trade-off.  All that would be left then was to get caught and make it look convincing.

As Akira slipped through the vents and up the pipes, he heard cries of panic and shock as well as the loud tapping of footsteps on the floors.  It had become way too hot to traverse the ground floor.  Scenic route it was then.  Leaping from one of the rafters led him onto a chandelier.  Giving him an eloquent view of the entire floor.  Agents in black suits and sunglasses traversed the area, roughing up everyone I sight.  Akira knew they were just shadows, but seeing these authoritative types manhandle innocents really got under his skin.  A testament to his empathy, he surmised.  The lights, the rolling crowds of people, the sound of the alarm and slot machine.  It kicked up a real thrilling feeling inside his heart.

“Hey… up there!”  A person in a plain grey suit had pointed him out high above the crowd.  Not that he was really trying to hide.  Tall and proud did he stare down at the masses with the briefcase tucked beneath his arm.  The agents pushed past the crowds to get after him, but with no way to climb up the chandelier directly, Akira would be waiting a while.  And where was the fun in that?

“They got me in their sights, fellas,” he said over the comms.  It was amusing watching them scurry about like ants.  It was strange.  Towering over the agents, stringing Akechi along.  He was feeling particularly spry and cocky this time around.

“Good.  Now get running!” Morgana stated.  The longer he can lead them along, the greater window the others had to escape.

“This is our only chance!” Akechi warned.

“Stay calm!  You can get away now!” Futaba encouraged.

“This thing’s getting in my way just a bit,” Akira said.  Only somewhat true.  It would be annoying fighting and toting the case around.  That is unless he wanted to beat them with the briefcase.  Amusing sounding but it was such a nice briefcase.  Too nice to mess up.  “Somebody mind meeting up to scoop this up for me?

“I’ll send someone after you when we get the chance, and we’ll retrieve the briefcase on our end!”  Makoto did well playing the role of co-leader in this situation.  All according to their plan.  Muttering of unknown origin came over the comms.  No doubt it was interference from the police’s radios.  Akira raced along the tops, leaping from chandelier to ceiling fixture.  Not missing a beat, not skipping a step, not sliding on his heels.  Perfectly seamless, almost like a dance.  With grace that would put even Yusuke’s brush strokes to shame.

“I have to say, showing yourself above that crowd earlier was an excellent move,” Morgana commended.  “Nice work as always, Joker.”

“There he is!”  Across the way, several men in suits had emerged.  Right where he was about to leave to.  As Futaba yelled at him to escape, Akira took notice of a honeycomb-shaped structure dangling from the ceiling.  Down below, they were still chasing him as he led them along.  Trying to jump up and grab his coat as he raced along the archways lining the pathing.  It earned a chuckle out of him, which only escalated when he climbed completely out of reach and onto a platform with scattered slot machines.  He had to give them credit, they certainly were persistent.  Do shadows get paid for their work?  If not, these ones totally deserve it.

“Stop right there!”

“You won’t get away!”

The stairs he had planned to take were cut off by two men in suits.  Whose forms swiftly twisted into shadowy beings.  And a third one leapt onto the platform behind him.  Three against one.  Not exactly a fair fight.  For them, at least.  Backflipping into the air with a grin, Akira pounced onto the isolated one’s back and ripped the mask clean off.

“Take ‘em down, Joker!”  None other than Ann’s voice graced his ears over the comms.  He must’ve been in a position where they could see him.  Now he had to work twice as hard to look good.  The audience demanded it.  Before it could reveal its true form, he had unloaded an entire clip into its head.  It was reduced to a puddle of ink as it collapsed onto the ground.  Killing shadows was rarely pretty, but Akira wasn’t in much of a fighting mood.  Delivering a package and all that took priority.  Though the other shadows didn’t share his sentiment.  One lunged at him with a stun baton.  To which Akira graciously dodged with a flip backwards, climbing up the platforms and onto an elevated balcony.  He was loving this opportunity to make them work for it instead.  How the tables had turned.

There was now considerable distance between him and the shadows.  Part of him even thought of kicking back for a bit.  What a rush all this was bringing! 

“Split up!” he heard over the comms.  Step two was hot off the presses now.  His rendezvous was on their way while the other two groups continued their exit strategy.  Commencing as planned yet again.  Smooth as butter, sweet as candy.  Though he hadn’t planned on the rogue shadow before him blocking the doorway to the upper balconies.  But he himself hadn’t planned on being rendered to cinders by a mysterious assailant. 

As the smoke cleared and a figure stepped through, his smile grew content and longing.  How did he know it would be Ann?  Guess it only made sense.  They were just drawn to one another, after all.  Plus, if the roles were reversed, he’d make damn sure he was the one to retrieve the goods.  He wasted no time in sliding over to him to trade the goods, making sure he shut his comm off.

“Crow suspect anything?” he asked, waiting until she shut hers off too.

“Not a thing.  We’ve got him right where we want him.”

“Not yet.  Now here comes the hard part.”  The blonde glanced aside with worry.  Even though she had eventually come around to his plan, it didn’t necessarily make it any easier to face.  “Getting cold feet?”  His playful little jest settled the butterflies kicking up in her stomach, earning him a giggle.

“Little late for that, don’t you think?  Once we get you out, we’re gonna kick his ass.”  Akira delivered a dry cackle in response.

“Baby, I’m gonna plant my heel right in his teeth for all this…”

This phase of the plan had been completed.  The briefcase had been delivered, and now all she had to do was head back with the others.  Yet her ankles felt like weights had been fitted around them.  Halting her from moving.  This really might be the last time she saw him.  Even with everything going to plan, she still felt this pain in her gut that something might go wrong.  Some unseen variable or sleight of hand trick.  An ace up Akechi’s sleeve that he had kept hidden.  Ann just didn’t know what to do.  That was when it hit her.  What she needed to do.  With staunch bravery did she grab him by his trenchcoat collar and deliver a deep longing kiss.  Surprised but by no means was Akira complaining.  He closed his eyes and took her waist in his hands, holding her close against him.  For what might be the last time.  But it wouldn’t.  Not on his watch.  He still had Shido to deal with.  And he had made a promise to a certain special lady, after all. 

“Come back to me, Akira.  You promised, remember?”

“Yes, ma’am.  I love you, Ann.”

“I love you too…” 

Reluctantly did he let her fingers slide through his hands.  He wasn’t rearing to go either.  Now would’ve been a perfect opportunity to run away with her.  Escape to somewhere else and be free of the troubles being a Phantom Thief had brought.  But it was far too selfish.  His conscience wouldn’t let him.  And there was no way she’d let him either.  He had a job to do.  As a leader, as a man, as her lover.

With a sharp inhale did he tear himself away and begin sprinting for the hall.  Ann clutched at her heard and fought back the pain.  The deed was done, and she had the briefcase.

It was all in his hands now.

* * *

 

“This is bad.  This is really bad…” Akechi muttered to himself, pondering at his chin with his gloved hand.

The lot of them were gathered inside the sleepy Leblanc, the tension thicker than peanut butter.  It made sense as a suitable rendezvous point after their escape.  Only the light of the streetlamps illuminated the store as it drifted in through the blinds.  Ann commandeered the coffee brewer to make her something to take the edge off.  It lacked the sophistication and craft that either Sojiro or Akira would put into it.  But she didn’t care.  Nothing would really bring her comfort until she could see him again.

“How bad is it?” Yusuke asked from the counter.  From the look on the detective’ face, it was rather obvious.  Really, it was just a question to gauge his reaction.  They had all seen the announcement on television shortly after getting back.  It was all over the net as well, with the Phan-Site blowing up.  Ann couldn’t even bring herself to look at it.  The people saying vicious things and the people defending the Phantom Thieves’ actions.  Akira was right.  She wished Mishima had never made the damn thing.

“I used my connections to look into it,” Akechi stated.  “Akira is being held prisoner in an underground interrogation room.  Deep underground.  And I think I know the exact one they’re using too.”

“Interrogation room…” Morgana repeated aloud.  The words sent a chill down their spines collectively.  If the police were willing to frame innocents, who knew what they’d subject Akira to? 

“There’s a specific room they use down there.  Incredibly specific.  It has a reputation in the station.  If they’ve put him in there, then it means they’re desperate.  And angry.”  Ann clutched her knees for support.  Her only experience with interrogation procedures was through television shows and movies.  Despite being fiction, it didn’t paint a good picture for her.  None of it seemed to fit into Akira’s plan.  “I’ll say this… I’d refrain from doing anything reckless to try and help him.  We’re already in a tight enough spot as it is.  And they’ll be watching everywhere for even the slightest little occurrence.”

 _By “they” you mean yourself_ , Ann thought to herself, pursing her lips angrily.  He had Akira in his clutches and was just using this as an opportunity to play with them.  Further twist the knife.  It was infuriating to sit here and listen to him posture on before them like he was concerned.

“I got so many questions,” Ryuji said from the counter, scratching at his head.  “So much shit went down so fast, it’s hard to keep track.”

“I have many questions of my own,” Akechi confessed.  “And I discovered a few things after investigating.”  The eyes all turned to face him.  Now hanging on _his_ every word as they used to Akira.  “First, how did the riot squad appear at the Palace when they shouldn’t know it exists?”

“They stole my mother’s research.”  Futaba hadn’t looked away from her spot.  Instead still staring at the wall darkly.  “Maybe “they” discovered through that.”  The young girl did her best to remain subtle.  Though it could only go so far, to sit in the same room with a man who collaborated with Wakaba’s murderers.

“Perhaps,” Akechi had to admit.  “But it doesn’t explain how they knew about Sae-san’s Palace specifically.  There’d be no reason to investigate her if they had her in their pocket.  No, it appears someone leaked info about the Metaverse and Palaces to them.  Sae-san has already been removed from the investigation also.”

Not a soul was able to speak at this revelation.  Even Akechi seemed to find himself struggling for words.  Worried glances were exchanged between the lot of them.  This wasn’t part of the plan.  Not at all.  Sae was supposed to be their ace in the hole.  Now they were flying blind.  Without Akira.

“Why would they pull her off the investigation?” Makoto pressed, wringing her hands together with worry.

“I suspect her superior, the SIU Director, is involved.  If that’s the case, then it opens the door to even more problems.  For if the SIU has knowledge on the Metaverse, I can’t even imagine where that’ll lead.  Next question is how did the riot squad enter the Palace in the first place?  They obviously had to use a Metaverse Navigator.  Someone other than us with a Nav acted as their guide.  And there’s only one other person that could do that.”

“You mean…?” Haru asked tentatively.  Which earned a grave nod from the detective in question.

“The man in the black mask.  But I’m sure he’s just a pawn to the true mastermind.  It would make no sense to snuff out Okumura and then go in for Sae-san if he was a rogue element on his own.  Signs show that this person has major pull, with both the prosecutors and Internal Affairs.  In other words, this enemy of ours is someone who can manipulate the prosecutors, the police, and the man in the black mask.”

Ryuji slammed his fist onto the counter.  Hearing Akechi’s faux-sympathy was really getting under his skin.  He’d rather be gutted like a fish than listen to this charade.

“Keep it together, Ryuji,” Morgana warned.  The cat himself was fascinated by how Akechi acted.  He was playing right into their hands.  Or paws, in his case.  This all served as a really thrilling confession to what they had suspected.  There really was a bigger fish at work somewhere in this pond.  “Go on.”  Akechi nodded at his request.

“Metaverse aside, there’s a limit to what you guys can do in the real world.  Do anything rash, and it’ll just backfire.  We’ll have to really keep our cards close to our vest now.  Closer than usual.”

“If Makoto’s sis is out of the picture, how do we get him out?” Ann asked.  The question that had been on all their minds since the reveal.  She was their best and only bet to guarantee this as a success.  They had counted on her leading up his investigation.  Now only to be unceremoniously axed from the whole ordeal.

“That will be tricky.  Not impossible, but we can arrange for his exit if we play our cards right,” the detective stated.  Pondering his chin so fervently that he might just rub a hole in the leather of his gloves.  They needed Sae to be there.  Or they were toast.  It would be a foolish gamble to try and rush to him through the Metaverse.  Even with Sae’s Palace still active.  They still needed to pull the bait and switch with having Akechi kill the Cognitive Akira while making sure the real one doesn’t disappear beforehand.  “I’ll be the one to save Akira.  I can sneak into the police building and get him in secret.  Once they finish interrogating him, they’ll want to hold an “officially sanctioned” public interrogation.  A perfect opportunity for us to slip away with him.”

“How will we hide him once he escapes?” Yusuke inquired.  “No doubt they’ll collect information on him while he’s inside.”

“That you’ll have to leave to me.  I can cover his tracks, erase some records the best I can.  Though I can only do so much.  Once I get him free, my top priority will be the black masked murderer.  Rescuing him will be even more difficult if anything else happens.  So again, don’t make any careless moves.”

A veiled threat more than a warning for Akira’s safety.  They all could sense it.  Akechi thought he was so clever leading them on like this.  It was frustrating how smug it all came off as.  No one had any opposition to his plan.  They couldn’t interfere outside of what had been planned.  Now they were at the mercy of luck.  Ann rose to break the silence and approached Akechi.  She narrowed her blue eyes at him and jabbed at his chest with a solitary finger.

“If you can’t save him, I’ll never forgive you.”  Akechi merely pursed his lips in thought before delivering a curt nod.

“I promise I can do this, Miss Takamaki.  You have my word.”  This close to her, Akechi had to note that she was rather attractive.  And very exotic looking with her blonde hair.  Also smelling quite alluring too.  The scent of strawberry sweetness graced his nose.  As well as something else.  Something more peculiar.  Coconut and coffee.  A strange combination.  It might have just been her drink, but Akechi recognized it more as belonging to another.  It reminded him faintly of Akira for some reason.  He often had the scent of coconut and coffee about him.  That exact combination, in fact.  His eye twitched involuntarily as he found himself puzzled by this revelation.  He put the distraction out of his mind.  There was a goal he had to obtain and little time to do it.  “What about Sae-san’s treasure?"

“Right here.”  Makoto’s grip had never faltered on the briefcase since Ann had delivered their payload.  Like a bear trap did she remained latched onto it.

“May I see it?”  Akechi himself had never seen a Treasure before.  His curiosity was winning over his punctuality.  Not like Akira was going anywhere.  Not yet anyway.  Makoto tentatively placed the briefcase onto the table and clicked it open.  As the hatch swung, Akechi was greeted to a small polaroid picture of a young Sae and Makoto with their father.  The detective merely stared at it for a moment before silently nodding.  “I see.  A Treasure is representative of what one finds special.  Such a choice makes sense.”

“Yes…” Makoto glanced down at her knees somberly.  Even as part of the plan, it hurt to act out this charade.  Her mind burned with curiosity at what her Treasure might truly have been.  It did make sense for it to be something like this.  But they wouldn’t truly know.  Akechi merely cleared his throat and turned for the door.  “How long do you think it’ll take?”

“I’ll be working the entire night to try and get in, but I can’t promise anything immediate.  Definitely by tomorrow will I be able to do anything.”

“Tomorrow?!” Ryuji huffed indignantly.  “That’s the best you got?”

“It’s in my hands now, Phantom Thieves.  Just lay low and wait for the good news.”  The detective exited the shop without awaiting another word and descended down the darkened streets.  It would be a long night at the office trying to get permissions and shuffle paperwork around.  At least that was what the official story was to be.  In actuality, he would be biding his time until the interrogation team did its job.  And then clean up the mess.  All while Akira and his friends remained blissfully unaware of his true intent…

While Akechi himself remained blissfully unaware of _their_ true intent.

“Ugh, that son of a bitch!”  Ryuji gagged on his words, shaking his head with a shudder.  Never had he felt he needed a shower more in all his life than right now.  “I wanted to pop him square in the damn mouth!”

“The stench of his treason was a test of my nerves,” Yusuke added.  “I can hardly believe we ever referred to such scum as an ally.”

“Akechi can wait,” Makoto interrupted.  “We still have to worry about how my sister is going to get Akira out.”  There was the wild card in question nobody had planned on.  And nobody had a definite answer for her query.

“I might be able to pull some strings.”  Sure enough, Futaba set right to work on her laptop.  The dark room was now illuminated with the color of neon green.  “I can only hack so much, but there’s stuff I can manipulate from the inside.  Or outside, in this case.  But it will ultimately depend on your sister and how bad she wants to head this investigation.”

“Oh, she wants it bad, alright,” Makoto answered.  “It’s all she’s talked about since the Medjed incident, day in and day out.  Still, I can’t help but be worried.”

“Trust in your sis, Makoto,” Haru said.  “She’s resourceful.  More importantly, she’s your sister.  The two of you are nothing if not determined.”

While the others conversed among themselves, Ann found herself lost as she stared out the window.  Into the darkness of the city streets.  They had the man she loved underground out there.  And one of their very own was on his way to kill him.  She knew something like this would happen.  Something they couldn’t have planned for.  But it was far too late now.  Everything was up to pure chance at this point.  It was hard to remain composed.  If she fell apart now, the others would follow suit, no doubt.  She needed to be strong.  To believe in Akira like he believed in her.

_Come back to me…_

* * *

_11/20/17 – Sunday_

_Enemies, here!?  These readings… It can’t be!_

_What’s wrong!?  What happened!?_

_An ambush!?_

_Joker, can you handle this!?_

_Joker!_

_Oh no!_

_Capture him!_

_Stop struggling!_

_Suspect secured!_

_Didn’t expect to find some kid.  You have your teammate to thank for this.  You were sold out._

_Suspect confirmed!  Cuff him!_

Bright lights, the smell of smoke, a throbbing pain in his back, and the cold.  That was all he could remember. 

_Where am I?_

The room was so small.  Cramped.  Dimly lit and cold.  Almost freezing.  Even more so with the cold metal around his wrists.  Handcuffs, he determined.  It was hard to focus with his head being so heavy.  His right arm felt like dead weight from all the injections they administered.

Some sort of truth serum.  Or at least what they thought was a truth serum.  All it did was make his body ache and his mind swim inside his head.  He could barely recall anything.  Eyes heavy, shoulder in pain, mouth dry.  Never had he been as parched as he was.

“Guess the drug was too strong.  Wake him up.”

He found his refreshment in the form of a bucket of water being dumped on him.  His frail form trembled beneath his wet clothes as he was propped up against the chair.  The cuffs chafed and cut into his wrists.  As he raised his head to see who was responsible, his mind became a bit clearer.  He had a sense of depth and spatial awareness.  As though the world had just become real.  It was hard to see much of anything though.  Everything was blurry and lacked any solid definition.  They must have confiscated his glasses as well.  Very faintly could he make out a white device in the top left-hand corner of the room.  With the little flashing red light, he presumed it was a security camera.  Beneath it was a man in a suit staring at him.  Disapprovingly, of course.  Two other men shared his displeasure.  One stood in the back, looking down at him through his glasses.  The one closest to him was the biggest of the three.  Chin the size of a barn, rivaling that of… someone. 

Someone else had a big chin.  Who also pissed him off.  Was he drunk?  Did they just inject alcohol into his bloodstream?  It certainly felt like it.  The cocktail of whatever they had stuck into him only made him feel sluggish.  His whole body ached as though he had the flu.  Though it was probably better to assume it was from the beatings they had administered beforehand.

His whole face ached.  Bruises and scuffs under his cheeks, on his forehead.  Even a nasty looking black eye.  Someone had just completely laid him out.  He pinned the blame on the big meathead in front of him.

“No dozing off,” he gruffly rebuked.  Slowly did his arms regrow their sense of feeling, and he tested them out.  To make sure nothing had been broken.  The cuffs held him in place with vice-like attention even as he struggled.  “You still don’t get it, do you?  Give it up!”

The man planted his heavy foot right into his midsection.  And he fell onto the ground like a sack of potatoes.  Whatever chair they had cuffed him to was cheap as can be, nearly splintering to pieces when he hit the ground.  He landed right on his right cheek, chin tapping the floor and wrestling a wince of pain through his gritted teeth.

_My name… A-Akira… Kurusu…_

Slowly it all began to sink in again.  Little by little, at a snail’s pace.  Hard to make sense out of what he remembered in totality as he was still heavily inebriated by the serum.  God did he hate needles.  How he had let them stick him with those things was beyond him.  He scoffed to himself on the floor.  As though he had a choice in the matter.  He knew the cops would be ruthless once they had caught him, but to this extent?

The entire SWAT team armed with riot gear had taken turns pummeling him into submission until they could cuff him.  One seventeen-year-old teenager versus an entire armed military response team.  To describe it as overkill would be a gross oversimplification.

“Come on,” the man growled before planting his foot right onto his head.  Keeping him pinned as though he had any chance of retaliation in his state.  The drugs, the cuffs.  It was like kicking a kitten.  “Cooperate!  Or what, you want another shot?”  Akira spat onto the floor and was relieved to see no blood.  Thank goodness his teeth and tongue were still in one piece.

“Y-you feel proud of yourself, bud?” he weakly growled out, clenching his teeth.  “B-beating up a helpless teenager?  Big man like you?  Compensating for something on your end?”  The agent merely ground his heel into Akira’s cheek.  It burned to have the leather rub so coarsely against his bare skin.

“You got a real attitude problem, kid,” the agent huffed with growing annoyance.  “Lucky for you that I beat the attitude out of little shits like you.”

“Oh I’m sure you do,” Akira shot back as dryly as possible.  “Beating up teenagers to make you feel like a big tough guy, huh?  Since you like brutality so much, why don’t you fuck off over to America?  I hear they shoot kids all the time for sport there so you’d fit right in.”  The agent just continued grinding his heel while Akira kept digging himself deeper and deeper.  Even in his altered and roughed-up state, he wouldn’t lay down and take it.  Akira had spirit to him.  Spirit that would never be snuffed out.  From on the ground, he was able to get a better vantage point of the room.  The security camera was honed in on the both of them.  The agent roughing him up followed his line of sight to the device in question.

“Huh?  What about the camera?  Are you thinking it can be used as video evidence?”  He grabbed a fistful of his hair and forced Akira to face him.

“Of course not,” Akira scoffed.  “Don’t make me goddamn laugh.  I know you’re just watching this to get your kicks.  Then you’ll wipe it clean before anybody has a chance to snitch.  You cops are sneaky rat bastards, after all.  Rat… fucking bastards!”

“So you’re not that dumb.  Which is good, ‘cause we get to take as much time as we NEED!”  He slammed his head back down onto the ground, following it up with another kick in the stomach.  Akira was just thankful his groin was left unabused.  Though if he had his way, this guard’s certainly wouldn’t.  “You’ll learn real fast that there are no laws here that will protect criminals like you.”

“Th-they only… p-protect criminals on the p-payroll.  Like cops…”  He coughed up some more spit and found himself wheezing.  Someone less stubborn would’ve kept their mouth shut.  But Akira was the epitome of stubborn.  Though it was beginning to seem more like stupid.  While their captive writhed on the ground in pain, the lead agent was passed a clipboard by the one in glasses.

“Obstruction of justice, blackmail, defamation, possession of weapons.  Manslaughter too, yeah?  Talk about the works.”  He listed them all off like it was a casual talk at the water cooler.

“Guess we’re not so different, you and I,” Akira sneered through a toothy gritted smile.  Biting back the pain shrieking through his body.

“Do you ever stop talking, kid?” the agent in glasses asked, holstering his thumbs on his belt.  Akira let out a wheezing chuckle and tried to prop himself up by his elbow.

“Thought the whole purpose of this was to get me to talk.  Getting mixed signals over here.”  The lead agent shook his head as he looked down upon him.

“To think that all those crimes were led by a punk like this…” he mused to himself.  “And you seemed to be enjoying every second of it, huh?”  In all his years of service, he never thought he’d behold a sight such as this.  Tokyo’s most wanted criminal and terrorist a mere teenage boy shivering, wet, and beaten on the ground.  At their mercy, like a cornered little woodland critter.  Were this kid not so irritating, he’d laugh.  “You should know your place.”  He cocked his head to the agent in glasses who reluctantly shuffled over to him.  Akira was relieved to feel the cuffs finally be removed.  Though he could feel the bruises on his wrist from them.  It was a short relief as the other two agents threw him by his arms back onto the ground.  “Sign here.”  The lead agent hovered the clipboard in front of him like he was a dog being offered a treat.  “It’s a confession under your name.”

“Go to Hell.”  Akira slapped the clipboard out of his face with a flick of his wrist.  They certainly weren’t good for writing as of yet, having been rendered so limp from the tightness.  Circulation must still be weak.

“I see…” the agent said with an annoyed grimace.  Though in truth, he was starting to enjoy how difficult this kid was making it.  It made kicking the plaster out of him all the more enjoyable.  “I need your hand to sign this…”  He slammed his foot onto his knee and poured on the pressure.  Leaning into it with all his body weight while Akira winced and struggled.  Weakly did he try to lift the foot off, but that only served to make him press down harder.  “But I don’t care if you end up losing a leg.”  This must’ve been how Ryuji felt under Kamoshida.  Beaten, angry, humiliated, lost.  Akira tapped the side of the man’s knee in submission, prompting him to return the clipboard once more.  “Now let’s try that again…”

“My glasses… I need my glasses.”  Even this close, he could scarcely make out the typing.  The agent stared down at him with a quirked eyebrow.

“Funny, you didn’t have them on when we caught you…”

“Yeah, well I’d like to see the ugly mug of the guy I’m signing my life away to.”  Defiant even when beaten to a pulp.  The agent had to commend the kid on something.

“Just give him his damn glasses already,” the agent at the back of the room huffed.  He was losing his patience with this bad cop act and just wanted to be done with it already.  Let the other guy SIU was sending handle it.  The lead agent sighed and retrieved Akira’s glasses from his coat pocket.  Throwing them into his face like he was discarding a cigarette.  Akira closely inspected the lenses before sliding them on.  Nothing scratched thankfully.  And they still sat comfortably on his face.  With a smug smirk, the agent locked eyes with him and passed over a shiny pen.  Its silver sheen reflected light off its surface, hurting his eyes.  Part of him thought about just taking the pen and stabbing him in the eye.  Not that he would but it was so damn tempting to tear this thug down a peg or two.  But he wasn’t that kind of person.  Not even to someone like this.  Plus, his wrist would be broken before he could even get close.

“Don’t expect to walk out of here in one piece,” the agent threatened, grabbing him by his blazer collar.  “We’re going to make you understand.  One must take full responsibility for their actions.”  Akira scowled at him before snatching the pen up with two fingers.  He didn’t want to stain his hands by touching that man’s skin.

“I took responsibility for my actions long ago,” he sneered as he signed the dotted line.  “Why do you think I let you catch me?”  Now the agent really couldn’t help but laugh.  A boisterous cackle from deep within his stomach. 

“Let us catch you,” he repeated before snatching up the clipboard.  “Now that’s rich.  You really are a joker, aren’t you, kid?  Or should I say…”  He narrowed his eyes at the signature in question.  It was some of the sloppiest handwriting he had ever witnessed.  Chicken scratch would be too kind.  And too insulting to chickens.  “Akira Kurusu.”

_KNOCK KNOCK!_

“Oh, what now?” the lead agent asked with heavy annoyance.  He was just getting warmed up.  The agent with the glasses held a hand to his earpiece.

“It’s Niijima, sir,” he clarified, which earned an annoyed growl from their leader.

“What does that bitch want?  Thought she was kicked off the investigation.”

“Seems they put her back on, sir.  SIU Director’s orders.”  A heavy sigh escaped the biggest of the three, leaning his head back in exasperation.

“Great,” Akira growled with a smug grin as he tried to hold himself up.  “More new friends…”  The other two agents forced him onto his feet and guided him over to the chair by the investigation table.  Thankfully they didn’t handcuff him again.  And the chair was at least sturdy this time around.  Not much more comfortable though.  The guards traded hands with Sae Niijima, and now the third part of his plan could commence.  It would just require some time though.  Time and a lot of talking.

Makoto’s sister was quite the looker, Akira had to admit.  She wore a suit well, and her long silver hair shimmered in the lighting.  The older woman sat back in her chair with folded arms, sizing him up coldly.  Like she was about to dissect a frog.

“I didn’t expect it’d be you,” she admitted.  She had already known a little information on him from the records scrounged up in such little time.  Akira Kurusu, transfer student on probation and staying under Sojiro Sakura.  Crime was aggravated assault and was expelled from his previous school to live in Tokyo for a year.  Near perfect attendance at Shujin Academy with near straight A’s.  Found predominantly at Leblanc, Makoto’s little friend she had seen her around with from time to time.  This didn’t sit well with her.  Already too close to home.  “You’ll be answering my questions this time.”

“Don’t be afraid to take off the kiddie gloves,” Akira remarked dryly.  “Your friends didn’t.”  He craned his head down towards the floor.  Sae followed its direction and was appalled to see several syringes completely drained.  Truth serum was one of SIU’s little pet projects.  The results were incredibly mixed, but that never stopped them from using it.  Even as far as she was willing to go, Sae would never dream of entertaining such a notion.

“Those bastards…  Can you hear me?  It seems you’ve been through a lot.”

“Loud and clear,” he managed, head swimming a little bit from a sudden spike of adrenaline mixed with the drug.  It threw off his equilibrium something severe.  “You got some interesting friends here, Niijima.  Beating up minors, drugging them against their will.  Threatening to break their legs.  Tokyo’s finest.”

“I can assure you I had nothing to do with their barbaric methods,” she insisted indignantly.  She was a good cop and wouldn’t be judged by the likes of this vigilante punk.  “Almost anything can happen here, and I can’t stop them.”

“I’m not accusing you of anything,” Akira assured her with a dry mirthless tone.  “I know exactly what kind of person you are, Niijima.”  She narrowed her eyes at him with great suspicion.  He was already treading on thin ice as is.

“And what is _that_ meant to imply?”

“This isn’t about you, now is it?  It’s about me,” he coldly rebuked.  She merely shook her head and sighed.

“That’s why I need you to answer me honestly.  I don’t have much time either.  What was your objective?  Why did you cause such a major incident?  I didn’t think it was a prank from the get-go, but I couldn’t assemble a case for prosecution.  It’s because I couldn’t figure out the method behind it.”

“Of course you couldn’t,” Akira said, attempting to smugly rebuke her yet again.  But the drug came flooding back and rendered him woozy.  What was in this thing?

“True.”  Sae had to admit he was amusing in his own way.  “There’s no way I could be convinced of such a… “world” just by reading the reports.”

“Well, I can assure you it’s the real deal.  As far as how real?  Well, you’ll never know…”  His right lip curled up into an amused smirk.  Sae was a different animal entirely from her sister.  He needed to gauge her properly.  Figure out what made her tick and study her like she was studying him.

“It seems you’re coherent.  When and where did you find out about that world?  How is it even possible to steal another’s heart?  Now, tell me your account of everything.  Start from the very beginning.”

And so he did.  All of his endeavors and all the targets in ascending order.  Kamoshida and Madarame.  Back and forth had she gone through being flippant to wholly invested in his recount.  Discussing hanging out with his friends, the bonds they shared.  But consciously avoiding to give anything that might indicate them as involved.  He kept his cards to his chest as close as possible.  Though he didn’t make things interesting until he brought up Kaneshiro and the events surrounding him.  Lingering on Makoto a bit longer than the others just to test her.

“Don’t be ridiculous!”  The older woman slammed her hands on the table in anger and surprise.  “This new ally you gained was Makoto!?”  Sae was getting fed up with what she perceived as mind games.  Whoever this Akira truly was, he was way different than she had originally perceived.  A touch on the sadistic side.  “Just tell me the truth!”

“I haven’t told a single lie the entire time,” Akira countered.  “You’re just as clueless as the others.”

“That’s preposterous!  If what you say is true, was Makoto also running from the police when you were arrested!?”

“Why not ask her yourself?  That is if you’re not too self-absorbed?  If you actually care, that is.”  Now he was getting to the part he had been longing for.  The chance to really dissect the matter between the both of them.

“And what is _that_ supposed to mean?” she indignantly asked.  “I care about my sister deeply, I’ll have you know!”

“She was useless to you.”  Sae felt her heart stop and all time come to a standstill.  As though he had stabbed her right through the heart.  She even had to check to make sure that wasn’t the case.  “Isn’t that what you called her?”  Akira leaned forward, his cold stare growing angrier.  “Your own family.  Your own flesh and blood.  The only thing in the world you can call your own, and you treated her like trash.  Like she was just a nuisance, a leech on your belly.  Then once you hear she had been palling around with me, _now_ you wanna be her best friend?  When you regarded her as nothing but a chore before?  Another daily routine to endure instead of your own damn sister?”

“N-no!” she fumbled.  This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.  How was he managing to be a better cop than she was?  “That’s not true!”

“So you’re calling Makoto a liar?”  The prosecutor’s words choked her out.  There was no sufficient counterargument to what he had said.  Not without slandering her sister.  “That’s what I thought.  You don’t care about justice.  You just wanna drag everyone down to your level of misery.  All you do is eat away at everyone else’s’ lives!”  Now she felt all the wind leave her body.  Feeling like she had been punched in the gut.  It was hard to even focus, her head now spinning.

“…She told you that?”

“She tells me everything.  Because she’s my friend.  Because I actually care about my friends.  And I actually care about justice.”  He scoffed and spat onto the floor.  “You’re a real piece of shit, Niijima.  Just another dirty heartless cop on the streets like all the other goddamn bastards.  And you wanna pretend like you’re a victim.  Like you’re the only one who hurts.  We all feel pain, we all bleed.  What makes you so special?  What gives you the right to drag those who love you down?  Just for the crime of wanting to be there?”

“I-it’s just… all these years of no progress and corruption and-“

“We’re really gonna pull this card?”  Akira was going for the throat.  Sticking her right between the ribs.  Tough love was the only way she was going to see the light.  To come around.  He had to appeal to her humanity.  To her sense of dignity and honor.  Drag her down to help her climb back up.  “It’s not your fault?  You’re just a victim of society?  We’re all victims of society!  You’re not special, and you sure as hell aren’t exempt.  And you’re here acting like you’re doing me a favor?”  She slammed her hands on the table yet again and stared him down.

“I’m your only chance of getting out of here in one piece!” she yelled in his face.  “I’m the only one maintaining the rules in here!”

“So you’re doing your job?  What’s expected of you?  What you’re supposed to do?  What they hired you to do?  What the people trust you to do?  If the bar is that low, then bury me under it.”  Sae paused to collect her thoughts, pinching the bridge of her nose.  Just what kind of teenager was she dealing with here?  Arguing with him was like fighting a brick wall.  This could go on all night, and she only had so much time.  Besides, she had a job to do.  Separate the personal and the business.  Easier said than done in this case.

“Now that I think about it… she did start talking a lot about the investigation from summer onward.”  Reluctantly, she forced herself away from the Makoto angle and fixated on Kaneshiro’s words.  There was someone else at work inside the Metaverse.  Someone who wasn’t a Phantom Thief.  There was the real game changer.  But there was never a way to be sure.  It was time she played some mind games of her own.  “Those words could just be taken as you shifting blame to this other person, you know.”

“Then why would I have taken credit for Kamoshida when I could easily blame the black mask for it?”  Sae pursed her lips in thought.  It was true.  He had taken credit for all three targets up to now, and his story remained consistent in terms of how he executed a change of heart.

“There are two possibilities: either you’ve simply been trying to confuse me with your lies… or everything you’ve stated is true.”

“I never lie,” Akira said, leaning forward with each word uttered.  One thing he valued was his honesty.  Even to a cop, he wouldn’t lie.  Never had he spoken an untruth, and he planned to keep it that way.  It was integral to his character.  “What would I gain from lying to you?  Your buddy said it himself that I’m not walking out of here in one piece.”

Sae felt her eye twitch at his words.  Once this was all squared away, she was going to start cracking down on such extreme displays of police brutality.  They were officers of the law to protect and serve, not some hired thugs.

“Does that mean you’re placing your trust in me?” she inquired.  Akira licked his dried lips.  What he wouldn’t have given for some water right about now.  He hadn’t felt this thirsty since the desert in Futaba’s Palace.

“I may not like you, Niijima, but I don’t think you’re irredeemable.  You’re Makoto’s sister which means I’m contractually obligated to try and save you.  Doesn’t say I have to like it.”

“Save me?  From who?”

“From yourself.  And… well, we’ll get to that part in time, won’t we?”  Akira was starting to enjoy this game of mental chess they were playing.  It would be a lot more rewarding if every part of his body didn’t ache like an entire piano had been dropped onto him.

“You’re absolutely insane.”  Anyone else would’ve just thrown in the towel and left him for the wolves.  But not her.  She had been after this for too long to simply let it go.  And though his story sounded like the work of fiction, he always stuck by his guns and never changed his stance.  There was so much he knew about Makoto as well.  “Then again, I am investigating a “thief who steals hearts.”  Very well.  No matter how absurd it may seem, I’ll reevaluate my stance on believing you for now.”

“See?  Told you.”  His dry smirk of contempt caused her lip to curl up in irritation.  He really knew how to push buttons, didn’t he?  Like it was a natural talent.  “On the way to rehabilitation of your own.”

“In return, speak the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”

“Never said anything but.”

He continued with newfound steam.  Medjed, Okumura, and now her.  His story, his methods never changed.  Alibis all around.  Were it not for the absurd nature, it would be absolutely airtight.

“So that’s what led to your ending up here.  What a disappointing end to the hero of justice.”

“It’s not over yet,” Akira said, sensing the conflict in her.  It was written all over her face, the prosecutor playing ping-pong with herself back and forth inside her mind.  But time wasn’t on her side.  As much as she wanted to press him further for questioning, it would soon be time to let him go.  Back into the den of wolves for him.

“I do have a suggestion though.  Care to strike a deal?  If you cooperate with me, I’ll consider lightening your sentence.”  Akira scoffed at her attempt at leverage.  There was only one deal he was interested in making a reality.  But he wasn’t there just yet.  It needed more tooling.  More pieces needed to be moved around.  Though, being on a timetable was starting to make him shaky.

“This I gotta hear…”

“I have a responsibility to solve this case.  I will win, even if it means brokering a deal with you.  Your operation was leaked, and you failed to change my heart.  There’s no point in being obstinate now.  You’ve corrupted the order of this country and caused an uprising against its very existence.  You’ll most likely be given life imprisonment or the death penalty unless you accept my proposal.”

_Jesus…_

Life imprisonment he had expected.  But the death penalty?  For a minor?  Though, he supposed it made sense given how he had no proof to admonish himself of Okumura’s murder aside from his story.  The police force was out for blood.  Whether from Akechi or the bureaucracy, they wanted his head on a pike.  But there was no way he could give it to them.  He had made a promise, after all.

“Going forward, I will read a list of people who are closest to you and this case.  Tell me honestly whether or not the following are involved with the Phantom Thieves…” 

Ryuji Sakamoto, Ann Takamaki, Yusuke Kitagawa, Futaba Sakura, Haru Okumura, and Makoto Niijima.  One by one had she pegged them all based on evidence gathered.  Not like he did much to hide it as they were seen together nearly every day.  All that was missing was Akechi.  As expected.  No way he’d reveal his hand in all this.  Unless it was to use said hand to reveal a gun pointed at his head.  Which would be very soon if he couldn’t make this happen.

“Those are your accomplices in the Phantom Thieves case, are they not?”  Now here came the ultimate challenge.  How to skirt the question without lying.  Even in a life-threatening situation, he wasn’t sure he could lie.  His gut fought him on it every step of the way.  He needed to.  It would be so easy to.  But he couldn’t bring himself to speak.  Sae took notice of his hesitation and began to feel the gears turn in her head.  “Let me change the question.  I find it hard to believe that high schoolers could have pulled off these crimes by themselves.  Were there not others outside of your direct group who encouraged your crimes or lent their aid?  Not to repeat myself, but remember that your life will be forfeit if your sentence is not lightened.”

“My life is already forfeited, Niijima.  You of all people should know my criminal history.”

“So you won’t sell our your friends.”  Akira sighed and leaned back in his chair, shaking his head.  She was trying her absolute hardest to get this victory.  And her proposal was one hell of a bargain.  Go away and die in jail or throw the others under the bus.  Well, the choice was obvious to him from the start.

“You just don’t get it, do you?”  She blinked, perplexed by his words as he began to wind himself up.  Another big rousing speech from the heart to cater to her sense of humanity.  “Is that what this is to you?  Just something to win?  A trophy to conquer?  The lives ruined or in danger be damned?  Is that what Makoto would want?  What your dad would want?”  Sae grew quiet.  She felt like such a fool as this teenage boy was sticking her so cleanly through the ribs.  Damn his friendship with Makoto.  “Your goal was to do the right thing no matter what, no matter how hard.  To uphold the standards of society and protect the innocent.  Even if it was unpopular or hard, you were supposed to be a paragon.  You and every other cop who took up an oath, a badge, and a gun.  Now I want you to ask yourself this.  Say I end up carted off to jail for life.  Or maybe I do get the death penalty.  Lethal injection, electric chair, firing squad.  I don’t give a damn which.  After all you’ve done, tried to do, and what your colleagues have done, could you honestly walk away from this and feel the least amount of pride possible?  Satisfaction?  Could you honestly turn your back on all this and say with a hundred percent certainty that you did the right thing?  That you did your best?”  More silence.  Her tongue reduced to dead weight in her mouth while her mind tried to work some sort of retort into existence.  “Well, I for one can say yes.  I can walk away from all this knowing I always did the right thing.  That everything I gave and did was for a good cause.  That I never compromised my morals even when I was all alone.  I can say that I always did the right thing.  And if you can’t, then you don’t deserve to be here.”

“…I see.”  No one had ever spoken to her like that before.  Challenged her very foundation in such a way.  Made her peel back the layers to see who was really underneath.  She didn’t like it.  Not at all.  That was her job, not his.  “So you won’t speak a word about either your teammates or collaborators?”  Akira sighed once more and rubbed his sore eyes.

“Wasted my time, I see.  I really thought you could be something, Niijima.  But you’re just like everyone else.  A fake.”

“Do you even understand the position that you’re in?  This isn’t some game here, and you need to quit all this bravado and act like an adult about-“

“I’ve already said my piece, I’m not gonna repeat myself.”  Sae sighed through her teeth.  He could go from frustrating to invigorating at the tip of a hat.  Makoto had some peculiar interest in friends.

“Let’s discuss one other person – Goro Akechi.”  The man of the hour.  Akira’s eyes flared up in the darkness at the mention of his name.  It hadn’t gone unnoticed by the prosecutor.  “There are reports that he was acting alongside the Phantom Thieves as well.  Might he be a part of your team too?”

“He was no Phantom Thief, and he sure as hell wasn’t my friend.”  All true in his eyes.  No true Phantom Thief would betray his fellow man.  Akechi had only used them to further his scheme.  His codename should’ve been Snake instead of Crow, in hindsight.

“So be it,” she finally relented.  “You clearly have no intention of bargaining with me.”

“I don’t make crooked deals with crooked cops.”

“Even now, you’re still acting as though you’re a hero of justice?  Your teammates have sacrificed you in order to escape, yet you wish to defend their honor?  Why won’t you talk about them?”

“You understand jack shit,” Akira fired back.  “I made this choice of my own free will.  I sacrificed myself for the greater good.  There’s no justice in your way.”  She had endured just about enough of this posturing from this little upstart.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” she shouted, slamming her hands upon the table.  “You’re not the one to decide such things!”

“And you are?  Because you’re one hell of a judge of character, right?  Crooked cops allowed to act right under your nose and behind your back.  Even willing to throw somebody innocent under the bus so you can feel like a hero.  You call anything you do justice?  I call it a crock of shit!”

“Then tell me what is this “justice” you speak of!”

“You’re a cop, and you don’t even know what justice is?  Come on, Niijima.  What have I been trying to beat into your head for the past hour?”  Slowly did the prosecutor lower herself back into her seat.  Mulling over his words.  He had certainly said enough for the both of them and no doubt had a lot more with him.

“Sticking to the right path…?  That’s no different from us!”

“Back to square one,” Akira said flatly, spinning his finger in a circle to represent the look they had now reentered.  This was getting tedious even for him.

“You continue to stand firm too.  Are you implying that we have no evidence on you?  Well, you’re right – we have nothing.  And it doesn’t help that your story sounds like a fairy tale!  But many people have fallen victim to this!  We need to learn the truth!”

“You don’t even know what the truth is anymore.  You lost sight of the truth when you agreed to pin the blame on innocents.  Or when you tried to offer me that plea bargain.  And you keep deflecting any responsibility.  No matter how much I push or offer, you just can’t accept that you’re wrong.  That you failed.  Failed yourself, your unit, your city, your own damn family.  Even yourself!” 

What else could she say?  He knew just where to get her.  How to make it sting the most.  And she hadn’t been able to land a solid hit on him once.  He would’ve made a damn fine cop.  Strong sense of justice, unwavering, tough as nails.  What kind of kid was this kid?

“I don’t know what’s right anymore,” she finally confessed with a pained wince.  “And it’s all due to your strange story!”

“Then let me help you.  When I said you could be saved, I wasn’t lying.  You’re not beyond hope, Niijima.  Every time I stick you where it hurts and you wince, I see who you’re truly meant to be come out.  You feel bad and hate yourself for your corruption.  I can see it on your face, in your eyes.  The fact that you respond in such a way shows that you’re not too far gone.  But you gotta help me help you.”  Again, had he rendered her into complete silence.  He was an absolute enigma.  All over the place.  One second berating her as a terrible person, then appealing to her sense of honor, and now trying to reach out to her.  “Help me save yourself and catch the true culprit.”

“After all this, you’re still-“  Her words faded away as she took sight of the time on her watch.  It had all flown out the window straight through her fingertips.  Not a shred of progress had she made.  But they had caught one.  It was now just a matter of determining how he would be judged.  She sighed in defeat.  “Although I find your story to be quite interesting, I won’t be able to speak with you any longer.  No matter the results of this case, I won’t be receiving credit.  I even had to call in a large favor just to conduct this interrogation…”  Her only option now was to just walk away with her tail between her legs.  Accept defeat at the hands of this mere teenager.  But it couldn’t end like that.  Not after all she had sacrificed to achieve.   There had to be something to walk away with.  Just one little thing.  “Before I go, there’s something that’s been bothering me for some time now.  Recently I was removed from my post as head of this investigation and was told to remain on standby.  A short while later, I received word you were caught in the act… within some bizarre phenomenon.  But that was all I was told.”

“And you want answers from me?”  It was nearly there.  The moment was at hand.  His chance.  Akira knew he had her hooked.  There was no way she wouldn’t bite.  Not after all the toying with her he had done.  Not after all that lore he had divulged.  If Sae was even remotely as smart as Makoto was, she’d bite.  And bite hard.  “Maybe I can help.  But if you help me.”  The prosecutor scoffed.

“What do you think I’ve been trying to do?”

“Not _your_ way.  The right way.  The way that doesn’t involve selling people out.”  As Sae opened her mouth, she felt her words hang in her throat.  And let his linger in the air. 

“So you were told…”  His gaze darkened as he delivered a slow and deliberate nod.  They were completely out of time, but his words had her hooked.  Maybe she could walk away with something after all.  “If that’s true, who could it have been?  Don’t you have any idea?  If you know something, you must tell me!  I won’t allow things to end like this!” 

“What do you think I’ve been doing this whole time?”  Akira’s eyes drifted over her side of the table they were occupying.  A few papers, a clipboard, and the phone.  There it was, barely noticeable on the desk.  “I could’ve told you right from the beginning, but I needed you to listen.  Not just hear me.  But listen.  And you have.  You’ve stuck around this far, fought with yourself, and are digging for the truth.  The real truth, not the one you wanna fabricate for your convenience.”  The long con had gone on a big longer than he had planned.  But this toying with her was the only way he could properly gauge her.  To see the woman behind the badge.  Sae even reminded him of himself in a lot of ways.  Jaded, embittered, disillusioned.  All such synonyms did they share.  And equally stubborn.  “You see that phone there?”

“You mean this?”  Akira was glad he had backed up his data beforehand.  All those pictures of Ann were too valuable to be lost.  And since Sae was pressing him for answers, it was clear they hadn’t found anything in it.  “I’ve been told the lock on it is quite complicated.  But, it’s only a matter of time until it’s cracked.”

“It’s wiped anyway,” he clarified.  “The lock was just a little puzzle for you guys to play around with.  The phone itself has no value.  It’s who needs to see it that matters.”  Now the prosecutor was even more confused.  Completely unaware of the 4D chess being played with her right in the middle.  But not for too much longer.

“Then what’s so important about this smartphone if there’s nothing on it?  Why give it to anyone if it has nothing?  And who would you even give it to?”  Akira delivered his smuggest grin yet.

“I’m not giving it to anybody.  _You_ are.”

“To who?!”

“We have a mutual acquaintance.  And he’s on his way… _very_ soon.  And if you wanna find the truth you seek, you’ll help me.  So I can help you.”

* * *

 

“Akechi-kun!?  Wh-why are you here?”

“Why do you seem so surprised?” the detective asked while adjusting his tie.  He could ask the same question.  They had told him she was off the investigation. 

“I needed my director to step in to get access, and I was directly responsible for this case.”  He felt his lip curl up into an amused smile.  After he finished pressing the captive, he’d have to make one more stop before heading home, it seemed.  “How did you get approval?”

“For the same reason you did,” Akechi said with his winning softest expression.  “I am heading up the investigation team, after all.  It’s only natural I’d have the right to interrogate our culprit as well, don’t you think?”  Her surprise at his explanation was too rich.  Always did he take great joy in teasing her.  “That was a joke, of course.  I’m merely here to assist with the public security interrogation.  I am surprised it’s this far underground though… There aren’t any other incarcerated here, yes?  Nobody would ever know if things got a little violent…”

Sae found his words quite troubling.  Akechi was not one for extreme measures.  To see him subtly implying that he might rough the subject up was quite jarring considering his soft and boyish appearance.  If only that was all that plagued her…

“If I remember correctly… didn’t you say there was another culprit besides the Phantom Thieves?” she asked.  Akechi merely smiled and bowed his head ever so slightly.

“That was but a lie I spread to set them up.  Oh, I’m sorry!  I forgot that I had deceived you too, Sae-san.”  Her confusion tickled him pink as he chuckled to himself.  “After all, if you wish to trick your enemies, you must first trick your allies.

Akechi’s words.  Akira’s words.  Selling out.  Tricking enemies and allies.  A mutual acquaintance on his way.  It all began to put itself together now.

“So it was you.  You’re the one who sold out the Phantom Thieves.”

“Oh, you’ve heard?  Word certainly spreads fast around here, it seems.  Well, you know what they say about loose lips…”  His amused little giggle lacked any sort of charm it had before.  Sae only felt a great lingering darkness on the back of her neck.  There was so much more at play here than Akira had let her in on.  And here she was in the dead center of it.  “…Is there a problem?”

“Akechi-kun… Does this phone look familiar to you?”  Stick to the plan.  That was what he had asked her.  To show it to their mutual acquaintance and the rest would fall into place.  Her heartrate had picked up now that she felt herself on the cusp of realization.

“Hm?  Excuse me?  What is this phone?”  A fairly standard-issue little model.  Metallic protective casing on the outside.  It did look a little familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.  Just looked like a mundane little device like anyone else would have.  A swift flash of pain hit his head as he continued to stare at it.  Only to fade away as quickly as it arrived.  Perhaps he was just overthinking it.

“It belonged to the leader of the Phantom Thieves.  I believe you’ll need it for your investigation.”

“Not personally,” he said with a smile.  “I was acting alongside the Phantom Thieves myself, remember?”  Plus, he wouldn’t need any data Akira might have for this mission.

“True.”  Sae placed the phone back into her purse for safekeeping.  “This is undoubtedly a great accomplishment.  “I’ll deliver this to the evidence lockup while you press your “partner-in-crime” for information.  Good luck in there.”

“Sae-san, you of all people should know that luck is not a factor.”  He coyly smiled at her before she departed down the hall.  Though he planned on catching up with her soon.  As well as the rest of his former allies.  “Foolish woman…”  The ride down the elevator had proven to be exhilarating.  The moment was soon at hand, and it would only be the beginning.  His fingers twitched with anticipation.  As expected, the guard they had planted was standing outside the interrogation room.  Blissfully unaware of what role he was expected to play.  Akechi almost felt sorry for him.  Almost.  “May I ask that you accompany me?  Going in unarmed to interrogate a murderer makes me uncomfortable.”  The guard gave him a polite nod and escorted the young teenage detective inside.

In the center of the dimly lit room was a battered and beaten Akira Kurusu.  Empty needles of SIU’s patented truth serum lay scattered on the floor, and his face looked like he had been dragged through the mud.  A far cry from the confident and elegant leader of the Phantom Thieves he was used to seeing.  In truth, Akechi liked this change of pace. 

“H-hey, what’re you-“

Before the guard could even register what had just happened, he had been stuck up at gunpoint with his own pistol.  Against the wall with his hands raised.  Akechi smiled smugly at his captive audience, delivering a wink.

“Sorry it took me so long,” Akechi said as he removed a silencer from his back pocket.  “I’m here to rescue you.”  Surprise and welcome relief on Akira’s face switched to immediate shock and anger upon seeing the guard hit the floor as the bullet pierced his back.  Dead before he even had a chance to hit the ground.  The blood that leaked out from his wound shimmered in the dim neon lights of the interrogation room.  “That what you wished to hear?  Sorry to disappoint.”

“So I was right,” Akira growled, teeth bared as he glared daggers straight through the detective.  “You really did betray me.  Betray us all.  Couldn’t have been anyone else.”  The detective chuckled with dark amusement.  Even in his position, he was still putting up a brave face.

“Don’t be so surprised.  The truth is that this little game of yours was rigged from the start.  You and your little friends were vital to our plan.  And now, it will be completed.”

“So you’re a dog on a leash, is that right?  Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.”  Akechi leaned his head back and cackled softly to himself at Akira’s defiance.

“Ah, but I am the one holding the leash here.  And not just on you either.  You know, I owe you for all of this.  Thank you.  Your popularity truly was quite stunning.  That just made using you all the more worthwhile.”  Akira narrowed his eyes at Akechi in disgust.  He thought he might gag from his words.  How deep they cut, the anger and shame he felt at being roped into all this.

“It was all a lie, huh?  I gave you a place on my team, and you stabbed me right in the back.”  He spat the bad taste of betrayal in his mouth onto the ground.  “I truly must’ve been an idiot to think we were friends.”

“I was _never_ your friend,” Akechi gloated with a sadistic grin.  “Have you finally pieced it all together?  You were just a means to an end.”  Slowly did he approach Akira and narrow the gap between them.  “It must’ve been so mindboggling.  To have been done in by… what was it you called me?  A two-bit wannabe pretty boy?  Dickless, I think you described me as?”  He spun the gun around and clocked him twice in the jaw on both sides.  Eyes twitching manically as he put the vigilante in his place. 

“Y-you hit like a pussy…”  Blood leaked through his teeth out of his busted lip.  The taste of iron was quite strong.  It sprayed out all over the floor as he spat like it was a sprinkler.  “You’re gonna pay for fucking up my face.”  Akira wiped the blood on his sleeve, now even thirstier for a drink.  “When I get outta here-“

“But you won’t.  You’ll die here, and then your little friends will join you too.  Even that little cat…”

“His name is Morgana, and he’s _not_ a cat.  He’s more of a man than you’ll ever be!”  Akira just kept digging himself further and further in as Akechi clocked him once more in the mouth.

“You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do that.  To tear you down from your ivory tower.  The Phantom Thieves’ arrogance is sickening.”

“Look who’s talking,” Akira muttered, his words muffled as he cupped his mouth.  It truly was the end of his rope.  And the noose was closing in around his neck.  “I have questions about this plan of yours.  About who you’re working for.”  Akechi pursed his lips in thought, curious about what Akira could possibly want with his back against the wall.

“I don’t see a reason not to indulge you.  You won’t be leaving this room, after all.  Go ahead and ask your questions.”

“Who’s Masayoshi Shido?”

Akechi had to admit that he hadn’t anticipated that question.  Especially now, of all times.  It had almost made him drop his façade completely.

“How do you know about him?” he asked with lethal intent.  Akira leaned forward, wiping the blood dribbling down his chin.

“I’ve been researching him for quite a well.  I know he’s connected to the Okumura murder, to Wakaba’s, and that he’s the one truly controlling the black masked murderer at work here in the city.  And I know that you’re the true culprit here.”

“Oh, do you now?  Well you’ve been a busy bee, haven’t you?  And what proof do you have to back these claims up?”  For the first time, Akechi had stumped him.  All Akira could do was sit and glare at him while he remained glued to his seat from the gun pointed at him.  “Oh, you don’t?  So I guess all you have are insane conspiracy theories.”  He gloated and laughed right in his face.  As best as he could see without his glasses.  “Well, you’ll be happy to know that I confess.  I am the black masked murderer.  Yes, I do work for Shido.  Yes, I did murder Okumura and the train conductor back in April.  I even killed your principal.  All for Shido.”

“Why?” Akira growled through his teeth.  Akechi looked down upon him with the utmost contempt.  He was about to die anyway so why not indulge him?

“Because Japan is a sick country.  Behavior problems and disobedience in your streets and schools, a declining birth rate, waves of apathy propagated by mindless consumerism, corrupt officials, and gentrification of our culture from foreigners.  All problems Shido has pointed out, and all problems he will fix.  I’m just here to earn a slice of pie for myself.  Take what I’m owed.” 

“So a liar and a politician, huh?  They really do go hand in hand…“  Akechi scoffed and continued laughing at Akira’s expense.

“I don’t actually care about fixing this country or what Shido wants.  I just like parroting off the old man’s diatribes.  He’s just a means to an end like you are.  And speaking of the end…”  The barrel of the silencer was pressed against his forehead.  Both boys’ eyes were locked, unblinking.  Akira could now recognize what he had seen in the back of Akechi’s eyes months ago when they connected.  There was no light in those auburn eyes of his.  Only a cold reptilian stare.  Lifeless like that of a doll’s.  No care or love for anyone or anything.  A shark made human.  “Case closed.  This is how your “justice” ends.”

Akira’s body stiffened as he took the shot.  Completely still.  Even Akechi was a little put off by the sight, wondering if the gun had jammed.  But he soon found his answer in the form of blood trickling down his pale face.  Slowly did the light leave his silver eyes and he collapsed on the table with a loud thud.  A fine splatter of blood painted the metal surface.  Akechi smirked at his handiwork.  Clean, efficient, quiet, and not a scratch on him.  He even thought about taking a picture for his own private collection.  Something to admire.  Curiosity won out as he poked the boy’s head with his silencer.  Sure enough, not a trace of movement to be found.  Unblinking and staring out at the wall with dead fish eyes.  With his job completed, he unscrewed the silencer and placed the pistol into his open hand.  Fit like a glove.  And since Akechi was wearing his, the only fingerprints to be found would be from a dead man.  A SIG-Sauer P230.  What a beautifully crafted pistol.  A shame he had to let it go.  Perhaps he might buy one for himself, maybe even engrave Akira’s name onto the side.  A memorial to his favorite quarry.

The traitorous detective slipped out from the room like a ghost and departed down the hall.  With Akira out of the way, it would be easy sailing from here on out.  Maybe a few visits here and there, but Akechi could take it easy for a little while.  At least until the next part of the job came in.  Akechi would find more enjoyment in killing Akira were it not for his lack of reception.  Perhaps it was because it was too far down, but he couldn’t get through to Shido.  Again, he felt a slight pain hit his head at full force only to immediately pass.  The detective wasn’t quite sure what it was, but it was growing irritating.  Perhaps caused by a lack of sleep?  He hadn’t exactly adhered to a normal schedule for the past few days.  But as he saw bars finally pop up on his screen, he put it out of his mind.

“Shido-san,” Akechi said as the elevator doors closed behind him.  “My job is complete.”

“I’ve told you not to call me by name!” he coldly rebuked, causing the detective to curl his lip up in annoyance.  It wouldn’t be too much longer until he could be done with this business.  Just have to wait for Shido to become Prime Minister and the rest would fall into place.  “Regardless, all that’s left is to deal with the remnants.”

“The continued deaths of these teenagers would be a bit much, don’t you think?” Akechi warned.  “I considered making it appear they had a falling out… but that would only amplify public frenzy.  It would be best to have each of them meet with an unfortunate accident once the storm blows over.”  Too many deaths would derail their easy ride this far into their plan.  Shido was ruthless but by no means animalistic.

“Is there any possibility they’ll want to avenge their leader?”  Akechi couldn’t help but deliver a cold chuckle.

“No chance.  They’re nothing but cattle anyway.  They have no backbone without his guidance.  I will keep my eye on them just in case though.  They will live their lives cowering in fear of death.  An apt punishment for obstructing our work.”

“I’ll be counting on you,” Shido stated.  Even his confidence sounded like disdain.  “Make sure to kill that strange cat once you find it as well.”

“Understood.”  Pest control didn’t seem all that dignified of a detective.  But the idea of hunting down the little furry nuisance did sound fun.  “Though I doubt there is anything to worry about.  It’s merely a cat, after all.  More importantly, they should be dealing with the suicide right about now.  Things will become quite busy once the word gets out.  I’ll need to prepare my comments on the matter.”

“I must be prepared to deal with it on my end as well.  Beyond that… what of the director of the Special Investigations Unit?  I heard through the grapevine that he put Sae Niijima back into the fray after we pulled her out.”

“Perhaps he’ll be struck by a mysterious illness sometime soon…”

“Heart attack again?  Makes sense.  He was getting a bit on in years…”


	52. Reunion

_11/20/17 – Sunday_

The guard had given up rather easily.  Not that Sae was wholly surprised.  She was a rather intimidating woman, after all.  Once he had descended down the hallway, she opened the door to investigate.  Akira was still sitting in his chair but wearing a smug look of satisfaction upon his face.  Twiddling his thumbs and giving her a nod of approval.

“I knew you had it in you,” he commended.  It was a relief to see him alive.  Thank goodness Akechi had not gotten his hands on him.  After the message Alibaba had played over his phone, she had almost died on the spot from shock.  “Sorry I had to be so rough on you, Niijima, but I needed to knock some sense into you.  Get through that thick skull of yours and see whether or not you still were the paragon of justice Makoto believes you to be.”  He smiled and nodded at her once more.  “Guess she was right.”

“You’re lucky you have such good friends,” she said, handing him the phone.  “Alibaba had stashed this way in one of the vents as well.  How did you guys even get in here?”

“Don’t worry about it just yet,” Akira said with a chuckle as he took the device from her.  It was a little homemade piece of hardware Futaba had designed to be inserted via the micro-USB at the bottom.  The phone booted up, and sure enough, all of his data came flooding back.  Thousands of photos and messages flashing before his eyes, being placed back into his storage where it rightfully belonged.  As the screen reflected onto his glasses, he was greeted by the sight of the Nav app icon.

“So how exactly are we getting you out of here?  And where are you going to hide out?”

“Leblanc.  It’s the only place I can go.  We don’t have time to fill Sojiro in just yet.  I want out of here as fast as possible.”  In his current state, he couldn’t make it all the way back through the Metaverse on foot.  Those agents had really done a number on his body.  Plus, the drug still lingered somewhat in his system.  “I’ve got a set of spare clothes in the Metaverse.  I’ll make my way down through there and meet you on the outside.”

“Through the Metaverse?” Sae asked.  “Isn’t that dangerous, especially now of all times?”

“Well, I’m sure as hell not gonna go out the front door.”  She had to credit him on that.  It would be best to stay out of the public eye as much as possible.

“I’ll call us a cab.  They might be tracking my car.”

“Good idea.”  Akira rose from his seat and backed himself towards the wall.  “You might wanna stand back…”  As she was about to question what he meant, Akira disappeared before her very eyes.  Sae almost tripped and fell backward as she stumbled back in pure shock and surprise.  It was like he was a ghost or a hallucination.  Part of her thought it might’ve been a dream brought on by all the stress of her job.

But it was no dream.  Very much real.

Akira stood within the confines of the Metaverse and surveyed the room around him.  Sure enough, it looked exactly the same as it did in the real world.  And his clothes remained unchanged.  Still in the clear.  He exited the room and pulled off a ventilation shaft to reveal his satchel.  A grey hoodie and jeans sat neatly folded inside.  He’d have to get used to his shaggy hair cooking him alive.  Hoodies would now become his key item until they could put this all behind him.  Though December would be here soon so it would definitely keep him warm.  The ragged and scuffed school uniform was neatly folded up, and he swiftly changed into his new set of clothes.  Almost ready to head out save for one little detail.

He reentered the room and reached under the table hoping to find it.  Sure enough, it was there.  And still recording.  It had been quite the experiment he had realized nearly a day before the heist.  Digital technology didn’t work outside of the Nav.  But nothing about traditional hardware.  Clutched in his hand was an old school tape recorder.  The kind that used cassette tapes.  Archaic beyond belief and yet managed to work flawlessly.  Even greater still was that they had managed to construct a cognitive version of himself that followed his mannerisms, speech patterns, and even activate the tape recorder in advance.  Akira had to pride himself on his genius.  Or was it _his_ genius?

It had been a completely optional side objective and a gamble.  Just to see if he could get anything out of Akechi.  After all, if he were about to take down his archenemy, he’d take the opportunity to gloat just a little.  What he found confirmed all his suspicions and preconceptions.

Akechi’s voice sounded as arrogant and slimy as Shido’s.  It only furthered his desire to throttle the both of them.  Especially with each word Akechi spoke.  Reveling in the fact that he lied to his face, using his friendship as a means to screw them over, confessing to murdering Kobayakawa and Okumura, and being Shido’s errand boy.  Even threatening to kill all of his friends.  Akira had nearly snapped the tape recorder in his hand from sheer anger.  His betrayal would not stand.  And neither would the both of them when he wrapped his hand around their necks.

_I’m gonna get these bastards if it’s the last thing I do…_

* * *

 

_“And now we return to our continued report: this morning, the police have announced that they detained a suspect who may in fact be the leader of the Phantom Thieves group.  The suspect is reportedly a young man who is still a minor...”_

“Ann-chan!  Can I get you to look over here?”  The blonde snapped out of her trance and turned to face the shooting team.  Of all days she had to work, it had to be today.  They had to stick to the plan – and Akechi’s warning by association – and go about business as normal.  Pretend everything was fine.  Everything was fine.

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

But everything wasn’t fine.  How could it be?  They were all lost and spinning their wheels waiting for Akira to get back to them.  To her.  She put on her bravest face in the meantime.  She had to.  Their job still wasn’t done quite yet.  Though it was hard to focus on the task at hand.  Even if she was the center set piece for this shoot.  A notion Mika wasn’t too fond of as she grumbled in the background awaiting her turn.  This shoot was a simple enough one.  Just her posed on a bicycle in Station Square.  Even had the cutest little outfit put together.  A lavender blue button-up and white skirt, complimented by a white and red jersey jacket and cute sunglasses.  Though she found the combination of black fishnet tights and red high heels to be questionable.  Guess the photographers had to get their kicks somehow.  No doubt Akira would like it.  That was the only sort of comfort she could hold on to.  At least she could show him a little eye candy when he got back.

“Hm?  So he got caught?”  It didn’t take long for the crew to get wise to what Ann was paying attention to.  They had all been following the story of the Phantom Thieves rather closely.  Not a day had gone by where they hadn’t been in the spotlight.  It had captivated all of Japan and even other parts of the world too.  The blonde hadn’t even bothered to check the Phan-Site.  All it did was remind her of how Akira was out there in danger.  When he should be with her, safe and sound.  “That group sure was something.”

“Y-yeah…” Ann deflected.  It was driving her mad.  Not wanting to think about it while also keeping an eye open for any single solitary detail.  Things were going according to plan so far.  At least she suspected.  The blonde couldn’t even imagine what Sojiro was thinking.  None of them had even bothered to tell him about the plan.

“So the next shoot got me thinking.  How ‘bout we have you do an idol theme, y’know?  That cool?”

“…O-oh!  Yeah, that’ll be fine…”  The photographer took to her agreement with gusto and began working with the designers to put together an outfit.  Ann would ordinarily have been more excited to do an idol themed shoot.  Part of her had always wanted to be an idol.  Yes, she knew it meant she could never date anyone since idol culture was incredibly possessive and restrictive.  Hence why she’d never be one.  But the fantasy of it was what drew her in.  Maybe be someone like Risette or Kanamin and help be a form of moral guidance and reformation within the idol career field.  But her heart just wasn’t into such a flight of fancy. 

_“What a surprise to find the one behind all this is just a minor.”_

_“But considering how quickly they announced his arrest, the police must surely be confident in the outcome of this case…”_

_“Also, the young man continues to remain silent, refusing to implicate any potential accomplices.  However, considering the number of charges brought against him…”_

The two news anchors casually traded their two cents back and forth.  Callously judging Akira from the outside looking in like it was mere water cooler talk.  They had no idea about the kind of man he really was.  Braver than the both of them put together could ever be.  Seeing their image blown up on the big display in the middle of the city only rubbed salt in her already open fresh wounds.  The masses would eat it up without a second thought until they could counteract. 

_“He’s just a high school student.  How do you think he was contacting the others?”_

_“The police here can search any online communications.  His accomplices may slip up eventually.”_

_“Still, it seems the Phantom Thieves’ most recent targets have gone comatose.  Actual harm has been done here.”_

_“Given the lack of physical violence, their method is still a mystery.  Regardless, the police are looking into attempted murder charges.”_

There was no point in texting the others about what they knew.  She’d just get the same answer she already had.  Nobody had any new developments on Akira besides what the news was broadcasting.  And there was no way in hell any of them would text Akechi.

_“We also received information that the young man was placed on probation for assault.”_

_“Because of his previous record, he had to leave his hometown.  Perhaps his motive lies there…”_

All this uncertainty, stumbling around in the dark without their leader while undesirables out to kill them operated out of their line of sight.  The blonde wasn’t sure how much more she could take.  And it was greatly affecting her mood.  She was just glad it was Sunday.  No way could she concentrate on school in her state.  The one comfort she could take with his absence was that they were still free.  The police hadn’t broken him which means he was still holding out.  Still going strong against the opposition.

_“We have breaking news: the young man being held in custody has committed suicide!  The police have confirmed his death.  Although details have not been released.  To repeat: the suspect has committed suicide while in custody.  This station will continue to report any further updates as they arrive.”_

With those words did Ann feel her entire world crawl to an absolute standstill.  Time and the people around her seemed to freeze alongside her heart.  She couldn’t even breathe she was so stunned.  The blonde felt her legs give out and felt herself heave.  Ann clenched and prayed she wouldn’t throw up.  Sweat built up all down her back and upon her brow.  It felt like someone had shot her square in the stomach.

“Stop playing around already!”  The blonde snapped her head up to see none other than Mika standing over her, hands on her hip and foot tapping.  “Some of us have work to do here and would like our turn in the spotlight.  So if you don’t mind, either get it together or get out of-“

“Oh, will you give it a rest already for once in your life, Mika?!  Seriously, day in and day out everybody here has to pull up with your primadonna bullshit, and I think I speak for everyone else when I say I’m fucking sick and tired of it!  So if _you_ don’t mind climbing out of my ass and think about someone else other than yourself, we’d all appreciate it!”  Mika had been rendered utterly speechless.  She backed away and held her hands up apprehensively.  The entire crew had stopped and merely stared at her in awe.  Never had Ann been so vicious before.  The blonde felt her cheeks flushing from everyone’s eyes upon her.  Mika had just twisted the knife any chance she could when they had a gig together.  Ordinarily, Ann could brush her off like it was nothing.  But not today.  Not after what she just heard.

“Ann-chan, you okay?” the photographer asked.  “You’ve been out of it all day.”

“I need a moment,” Ann said, gently applying a hand to her face.  Once again, it was a struggle to keep the waterworks at bay.  “Let me take a breather real quick.”  The photographer nodded and called for a fifteen-minute break.  Ann wasted no time and headed for the building they had rented out.  Mika was left to her own devices, jaw still agape from being yelled at.

“Tsk.  What’s her problem?” she coldly rebuked before folding her arms.  The others ignored her and went about their business.  Dealing with Mika had become quite the chore, especially now that it was common knowledge that she had screwed over models over.  All while Ann’s reputation went up, her sunny attitude and charm that everyone got to be warmed by.  They all found themselves missing it.

“ _It’ll be difficult to uncover his methods now_ ,” one of the newscasters said over the radio in the back.  “ _Perhaps that’s why he decided to take this course of action._ ”  With the building rented out, there was no one else inside.  Leaving Ann time to herself in the back as she balled herself up and silently wept.  Curled up like she was when Kamoshida cut Shiho from the team over the phone.  Only this was somehow even worse.  She was shaking all over, chanting mentally to herself that this was the plan.  This was their plan, just all part of the plan.  Par for the course.  Akira had promised to come back to her, after all.  Yet she just couldn’t help herself.  The blonde was absolutely terrified to her very core that they had failed.  None of them had expected Sae to be cut from the investigation team so who knows what else had gone wrong.

**_Ann: Did you guys see the news?_ **

**_Ryuji: Hell yeah!  We got ‘em!  I knew he could pull it off!_ **

**_Makoto: I have to confess that I’m a little afraid of the worst._ **

**_Yusuke: You’re not convinced your sister came through?_ **

**_Makoto: I’m not so sure.  When she sets her mind to something, nothing can stop her.  But somebody higher than her was pulling strings.  There’s only so much she can do._ **

**_Futaba: You guys gotta have faith.  Akira will pull through!  I walked Sae through all the steps over the phone.  Now we just gotta wait._ **

**_Ann: That’s the hard part.  It’s killing me not to know.  I feel sick to my stomach._ **

**_Ryuji: Ain’t no point in worrying if we can’t prove nothing.  You’re gonna drive yourself crazy._ **

**_Yusuke: I don’t think we should be too casual about this, but Ryuji’s right._ **

**_Makoto: It’s okay to be a little afraid, Ann.  We all are.  I’m terrified myself, but he’d want us to stay strong._ **

**_Ryuji: Don’t say it like he’s gone for real!  I know he’s still out there!_ **

**_Ann: Has Sojiro said anything, Futaba?_ **

**_Futaba: Not yet.  I don’t think he knows.  Christ, I have no idea how I’m gonna explain all this to him._ **

**_Yusuke: We’ll explain it together.  We owe him that much._ **

**_Ryuji: You still looking after Morgana, Futaba?_ **

**_Futaba:  Hard to keep Kitty quiet, but I got him under control.  Gotta keep him hidden from Sojiro until he gets back._ **

**_Ann: Hey, Haru.  You’ve been awful quiet.  What are your thoughts on this?_ **

**_Haru: Sorry.  Can’t talk much.  Sugimura is sitting beside me._ **

**_Ryuji: That asshole’s still around?_ **

**_Makoto: One thing at a time, Ryuji._ **

They all seemed as lost as she was, save Ryuji.  What she wouldn’t give for his unshaking confidence.  Maybe he was really brave or really dense.  Both most likely.  But damn did his confidence not feel refreshing.  This was part of the plan.  He had told her this, and they all agreed to it.  Nothing was concrete to indicate Akira was dead.  But she was just itching to get any sort of confirmation.  Even a hair’s breadth on the wind that he was still out there.  On his way back to her.  The blonde thumbed through her contacts and saw his name.  She read the last few texts they had sent to each other before the heist.  Him calming her worries and sending selfies she had asked for in order to fill her collection of photos about him.  Some of them even decorated with little hearts and digital stickers added through the photo edit mode.

 _Just one text_ , she bargained with herself.  _One text just to see if I can reach him…_

But he had his phone wiped for a reason.  Any number in it could be traced back to them.  It would be a suicide move to text him now of all times.  Even just one little “You okay?” could bury them.  Maddening it was to force herself to avoid him.  But she had to.  They had a plan to stick with, and she promised to help him.  She had to be strong for all of them.  For her friends, for him, for herself.

But Christ, did it have to be so hard?  How much longer could she keep this up?

* * *

 

_11/21/17 – Monday_

_“…Ever since the death of their teenage leader, the Phantom Thieves have fallen silent.  However, the police intend on continuing this investigation until the case is fully solved.”_

Sojiro sighed to himself and shook his head as he watched the news on TV.  They may as well have called it the Phantom Thief News Network with the nonstop coverage going on.  Since April, it had never been a dull moment around Leblanc.

“What have you gotten yourself into, kid?” he mused to himself.  There certainly wasn’t anyone else to talk to.  His attention was diverted to the front door, the bell ringing in the arrival of Sae Niijima.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” she said.  “I had to finish a few things at work.  Where are they?”  He smiled and delivered a nod of content.

“Waiting upstairs.  Go tell them to come on down.  I’m gonna fetch him.”  Sae forwarded a message to her sister, and they all came funneling down immediately.  Finally had she gotten to meet Makoto’s little friend group.  There were so many people, each looking so different.  It was good to know she wasn’t lonely at school.  Though she certainly wished it had been under better circumstances.  Needless to say, the tension the lot of them shared was rather awkward.  Sae felt like she was facing Akechi in that hallway again.

“You’re… her sister, correct?” Haru finally piped up.

“The resemblance is fairly palpable,” Yusuke noted to himself as he framed Sae’s face with her fingers.  Aside from facial features, they even bore the same mannerisms and posturing.  She smiled at them all.  Probably the first time she had smiled in what felt like years.  For all she knew, it might have actually been that long.

“Makoto told me everything.”  What a conversation that was.  Having her sister back up every detail that Akira had mentioned during her interrogation.  Some of which she could even cross reference with other cases and previously acquired evidence.  But a lot still had gone over her head.  Maybe he could explain it in detail.  As her gaze turned over towards the shortest of the group, her smile faded into a somber expression.  “Futaba-chan… I’m sorry that I caused you so much trouble this past summer.”

“Eh, it’s ancient history now.”  Her nonchalance actually managed to net a giggle from the older woman.  She had forgotten just how kind-hearted, understanding, and carefree the youth were.

“But man, that goddamn detective!” Ryuji huffed.  “Still can’t stomach the fact we had to sit there and be spoon-fed his bullshit.”

“So if you’re here… does that mean that…?”  The big question they had all been dancing around.  Even with their relaxed demeanors, they were still too apprehensive to outright ask.  The very possibility that she might say no had kept them at bay.  Ann was the only one who had been willing to step up to her plate.  Albeit incredibly reluctantly.  The bell signaled the opening of the front door, and a smiling Sojiro greeted them.

“Look who’s here!” he declared.  And there he was.  Right behind them, plain as day.  Akira Kurusu in the flesh.  It was like a miracle.  Nearly two whole days of silently standing about in the dark only for him to emerge and cast the light to lead them back.  He was nearly bowled over from them swarming him.

“Hey, you big bastard!” Ryuji said with a triumphant grin, wrapping an arm around him.  Before he could respond, Ann pounced him with the tightest hug she could give.

“You’re back!” she cried out, burying her face into his chest.  “I knew you’d come back.”

“Well, I made a promise to someone,” he softly managed.  “So I had to.”  It took all of her energy not to just grab him by his hoodie and kiss him right then and there.  After them staring death in the face and coming out victorious, It seemed like she’d have no issues making her affections public to the world.  Though such was not the case.  The blonde kept her restraint in front of the others.  Funny how nerves worked.  Though her flustered joy began to shift to concern as she studied his face.  There were faint bruises all over his cheeks, and he was shouldering one mean looking black eye.  Interrogations were rather rough to her knowledge, but this just looked excessive.  Downright cruel.  They did all this to a minor?

“…How’ve you been?”

“I feel like death,” he confessed with a calm smile.  “Guess it’s only fitting since I’m technically dead.”

“You must be fine if you’re joking around like that,” she joked nervously.

“It truly is a relief to see your face,” Makoto said.

“What’s left of it,” Akira jested, hovering a hand over his blackened eye.  They all winced in response. 

“They really let you have it, huh?”  Ryuji wrapped an arm around his best buddy and nudged his ribs.  “Well, they’ll get theirs.  Don’t you worry.  Man, I bet that moron Akechi don’t even know we tricked him yet!”

“For your sakes, I would hope not.”  Sojiro placed a hand on his shoulder before offering a relieved smile. 

“It’s good to have you back, kid.  But still, how’d you pull this off?”  He looked over to the others for guidance.  “I mean, isn’t this guy considered dead?”

“You weren’t told anything?” Makoto asked, blinking in surprise.  “I heard my sister brought him here though.  Weren’t you supposed to explain to him, Futaba?”

“I forgot!” the otaku confessed, feeling their judgmental eyes circle you.

“How do you forget?”

“I got swept up in research!  Zip it, Inari!”  Sojiro sighed and shook his head.  This was the life he lived now.  The fate he was subjected to.  And honestly?  He wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Yeah, she came over in a taxi, dumped him off, and told me to keep him safe.  It was right after they announced he had “died” too.  Almost gave me a heart attack.”  He side-eyed the both of them with an unamused glare.  “I swear, I’m gonna grow old dealing with you guys.”  Akira pursed his lips to choke back the jest he had just prepared right off the cuff.  Let the old man live for now.

“I didn’t have time to explain,” Sae hastily apologized.  Though now they had nothing but time. 

So Akira and the others began to lay out their most convoluted plan to date and the miracle and gymnastics they had to pull off to pull it off.  Sae and Sojiro were both struggling to keep up.  How these mere teenagers had pulled off the ultimate bait and switch was beyond them.  Even Akira found it difficult to fathom, and he had been at the center of it.

“We are goddamn geniuses,” he said as he leaned back in his chair.  It was hard to believe that it had only been around two days.  It felt like a week in there.  “I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like here on the outside just waiting.”  He huffed with amusement at their looks of concern and relief.  They were infinitely tougher than he was.  “Sorry about all this.”

“It was part of the plan.  We knew what we signed up for,” Ryuji noted.  “Never doubted you for a minute.  I knew right away that our plan worked out.”

“it still freaked me out when I saw the suicide on the news though,” Ann confessed.  Understatement of the millennia.  He had been her foundation in all of this.  Her beloved and her despair.

“We made sure to live normal lives while he was being interrogated to avoid drawing any suspicion.  Even with that, I couldn’t help but worry for him in my heart.”  It was hard to keep composed around Sugimura.  Haru had to be extra careful in keeping him out of the loop while also keeping herself in the loop with her friends.  A couple of close calls here and there.

“I wanted to believe…  but considering what we were up against…”  His absence from their lives had robbed Yusuke of his artistic vision.  His drive.  Without his dearest friend safe and sound at home, was anything really worth painting?  Morgana giggled with amusement at all their bleeding hearts on display.

“Ryuji’s a bit on the dense and carefree side,” he teased.

“Can it, cat!” the blond rebuked.  Never had Akira thought he’d missed their bickering.  Anything was better than another beating.

“I can’t imagine how much it took for you to keep it together,” Akira said to his shining blonde.  She merely beamed at him before embracing the man that no one in all the world could compete with.

“I had to be patient and avoid this place until things settled down.  I finally feel relieved…”  Akira closed his eyes and bathed in the warm sunlight caused by Ann’s smile.  It was one he was dedicated to protecting with his very life.

“We knew he was alive, but it was difficult to not worry until we could confirm it in person,” Yusuke admitted.

“Now that I think about it… my interrogation was just a formality for the head commander.”  It all made sense now.  Taking her off just to put her back on again.  They did it just to shut her up.  Sae shook her head at how they had made her into their little dancing puppet.  “What a joke letting me interrogate someone who was meant to die.  They just wanted to avoid backlash…”  Well, it was clear what course of action she needed to take.  As though she really had much in terms of variety of choice.  “Very well.  From here forward, I will do my utmost to assist you.  You saved me, after all.”

“I’ll do whatever I can to help too,” Sojiro chipped in.  “Just let me know.  I owe you that much.”

My how the tables had turned.  Akira not only had Sojiro on his side finally but Sae as well.  A cop and an old associate of Shido’s.  Things were about to get very interesting come December.  Whatever happened, all Akira knew was that he was going to bury Shido and Akechi underneath their tower of Babel with his own two hands.

* * *

 

“Akira Kurusu…”

There was the name, plain as day on the clipboard.  Barely legible.  Whoever this kid was, he had abysmal handwriting.  Perhaps schools really weren’t teaching anything valuable anymore. 

“That sounds familiar…”  But try as he might, he just couldn’t place it.  Even the mugshot failed to help.  Something was tickling at the back of his brain.  An itch he just couldn’t scratch.  Where had he seen this boy before?  Just when he thought he had something, a knock at the door snatched his attention away.

“It’s me, Akechi,” the voice called from behind.  Shido’s eyes returned to the clipboard and mugshot only to be met once again with taunting unfamiliarity.  For a second, he thought he knew.  No sense in worrying about the boy now.  He was long dead at this point.  Good riddance.

“Enter.”  The detective made his way into the room and saw the plethora of items Shido had on his desk.  A copy of the confessional note Akira had signed, his mugshot, and…

“That’s the death certificate of the principal offender, correct?” he noted.  “Is there a problem with it?”

“No.  Nothing in particular.  Just using it as a little brain teaser is all.”

“Anything I can help with?” Akechi asked with a faint little mocking smirk.  There were things about Akira he knew that even Shido didn’t.  But the politician merely waved a hand of dismissal at him.

“More importantly, you’ve done well with regard to the prosecutors.”

“The cause of death for the SIU director has been settled as a “stroke.”  Heart attack just seemed too cliché.”  If there was one thing Shido had to give the detective credit for, it was pride in his work.  Almost a bit too prideful.  Reminded him of himself in an odd way…

“I had him work quite substantially on forging evidence,” Shido stated.  “His loss should be mourned.”  But it wouldn’t.  The two had known one another for years, but Shido had no such attachment to losing the man.  No attachments to anyone.  Only tools to be used and then thrown away when they bend or break too far.

“It was thanks to his efforts that I could enter the Phantom Thief’s interrogation room too.  Though he had to go after putting Niijima back on the case.  Too concerned about covering his bases instead of leaving it to us.”

“The SIU is in disarray with his death.  I’ll take my time choosing a successor after the elections…”

“At any rate, I’m now praised as a hero, and I owe it all to the Phantom Thieves.” 

“All possible hindrances are now gone.  There’s no doubt that this election is mine.”  He chuckled softly to himself at just how neatly things had panned out.  None of the other candidates stood a chance in the running.  Toranosuke would never have a future in politics after his legacy, and Shido made sure to frequently bury him.  The only other feasible candidate would be dear old Sojiro.  And he had been out of the public eye for a while now.  Shido had heard he owned some sort of little bumpkin coffee shop in the city.  Perhaps he should visit his old friend just to gloat.  Maybe even play coy and ask about Wakaba.  “I’ve finally made it this far.  To think it’s already been two and a half years since we met.”

“Like it were yesterday,” Akechi said with feigned fondness.  “Back then, you earned the media’s attention as a young politician who could rise up against bureaucracy.  Because of that, those who wanted to preemptively deal with problems tried to tie you up in scandal.”  Shido scoffed in offense at being forced to remember such impotence in his bureaucracy.

“To think I would fall for the ruse schemed by those decrepit fools in power,” he sneered.  “I recall that’s when you came to me.  You promoted yourself, saying you had “special powers.”  If it wasn’t for the research on cognition that I dabbled in, I would have thought you insane.”

“I made those troublesome opponents psychotic, and erased any trace of that scandal.  Some of my proudest work to date.  Though I think killing the Phantom Thief will always remain my favorite.”

“Who’d think that tampering with a person’s heart could trigger a psychotic lapse or mental shutdown.  And when someone like that said he’s supported me, I had suspected there’s been an ulterior motive.”  Akechi merely smiled with his beaming pop star looks at the older man.

“It’s because I sympathized with your aspiring ideology.  I believed that your ideals needed to be achieved for the sake of the country’s future.”  Shido couldn’t help but smile at having his ego be pandered to.  Though he still didn’t trust the young boy, but he was a sucker for being catered to without it devolving into shameless brownnosing.

“Well, my faith in you was precisely why I pulled the plug on that research.  I only need you using that power.  It’d be troublesome if someone else uncovered how it works.”

“If only more people knew how to toe the line,” Akechi slithered.  “That researcher.  Wakaba Isshiki, was it?  She wouldn’t have had to die if she just complied.”

“Any and all suspicions should be snubbed out.  Even the smallest doubt must be severed at the route.  After all, we had an active Public Prosecutors Office director on our side until recently.”  Now Akechi was the one chuckling to himself.

“Astounding, isn’t it?  To think the director himself often forged evidence to secure his promotion.  He was quite surprised when you confronted him about it.  He didn’t know who leaked that information.”

“I never found out exactly how you pulled that off,” Shido said, leaning forward on his desk with interest.  Fingers steepled.  Akechi gave a soft amused laugh in response.

“Well, I got that out of his Shadow, so technically speaking, he did it himself.”  Shido couldn’t help but chuckle.  What greater weapon was there than to turn someone against their own self?  To use their own knowledge against them?  He turned his leather chair around and stared into the darkened cityscape.  The streetlights and illuminated windows twinkling like stars.  Soon, it would all be his.

“This country’s affairs have become stagnant.  The political world is filled with old men who only act to preserve their own vested interests.  Dissatisfaction and apathy plague our schools, our streets, our offices.  Consumerism and disease of morality have made us paranoid and shut out others, watering down our culture and plummeting our numbers.  And now foreigners want to come in, tell us how to run and conduct our culture while they gentrify it as a commodity overseas?  The general public has forsaken such political affairs and don’t even bother.  We’ve been diseased by apathy and settling for the lowest acceptable bar.”  He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.  “Only ruin awaits us.”

“I must agree.”

“There’s no need to be ruined along with such incompetent fools.  I will lead this country to its revival.  Want something done right then you do it yourself, after all?  Those who get in the way must be eliminated at times – that’s the correct way to use the Metaverse.”

“Still, it would stand out if there were continuous deaths and scandals with your political rivals.  Which is why I made them “suspects.”  Prosecute the targets that I turned psychotic… and solve them as cases unrelated to you.”  Akechi could see what Shido was trying to do.  Gauge him for what type of person he was, what he believed in, what motivated him to get what he wanted.  Shido knew all of this but was just trying to catch him in something.  Poke and prod at him like he were a frog to be dissected on a metal tray.  “And, thus, the charismatic ace detective was born.”

Shido seemed to be satisfied, smirking to himself.

“Thanks to your efforts, my clean image remains untarnished, and I’ve monopolized public opinion.  Once I gained public sentiment, collaborators from all sectors began approaching me on their own.  The police were no exception.  With their management in my pocket, keeping them in check was easy.”

“When the Phantom Thieves emerged, I thought things might become somewhat troublesome.”

“And they were just brats once we looked into it.  All we needed to do was lay the blame on them…”  Even now, it was hard to believe he had been stumped by mere children.

“When you told me that, I knew then that you were the better man.”  Neither of them could afford to have the Phantom Thieves interfere in their affairs.  Their plans were far too important to be railed.  And so close…

“Their popularity was a bit beyond my expectations, but flipping it made the negative press stronger.  People are so fickle that way.  You can say nearly anything and put in on a headline to get them to march.  Even if they reveal a minute later that it was all a ruse, thousands have already doubled down on it.”  He scoffed and shook his head.  How far Japan had truly fallen.  “After that, all I had to do was openly berate them; I’ve been gaining more supporters since.  The current administration is dead with ongoing scandals… never mind the fact that they’re my doing.  Even the government parties have begun splitting up, and they’re dissolving just as planned.”  A laugh rose up deep from within his gut.  It was almost too easy.  “The time has finally come.  Just a little more, and I will take the seat of prime minister.  However, inauguration isn’t my goal.  That’s when everything truly begins.  I’ll make this country rich for the sake of its selfish and ignorant masses who can only rely on others.”

“In other words, you’re creating a powerful country that can compete with the world.”

“The world needs a better example to follow.  The public resonates with my ideals and follows me.  And for that, some “sacrifices” can’t be avoided.  That is my duty as the chosen one.”  He polished his tinted glasses as he sized the detective up.  It was strange someone like him would follow in his footsteps without asking for anything definite in return.  Surely, he must’ve had an angle.  “Your assistance has been very influential in making my plans proceed smoothly.  When I become prime minister, I’ll grant whatever wish you want.”

“With this most recent case, my name has become known across the country, perhaps even the world.  Surely my story will be passed down as a hero who won against monsters that could control people’s hearts.”  Glory, his name in lights, a household brand, loved and revered the world over.  Even feared.  He could taste it on his fingertips.

“What do you plan to do now?”

“I believe I’ll lay low and devote myself to my studies.”

“Have the others tried to contact you?”

“Not yet.  They’ve been rather quiet lately.  Tempting to stir the hornet’s nest and see how they’re faring without their precious leader.”  Perhaps another time.  After the election, maybe?  Would be a perfect time to get back in touch, hang out with his “friends” and private only to witness a horrific “accident” occur.

“I suppose with your age, you wouldn’t come up with debauched desires.  Finally, a teenage boy that isn’t some crazed degenerate and can actually control his loins.  You kids today, I swear…”

“…I am thinking about the future though.”  Oh was he ever.  And what a wonderful future it would be.  For him.

* * *

 

It had been quite the day.  The team had called it for the day and would continue their operations tomorrow.  It would soon be time to strike back at Shido and Akechi.  Very, very soon.  For now, Akira rested in his room while the others had gone out to grab food.  A big celebratory welcome back party.  Sojiro had even ponied up the money for all of them to eat.  Though he wasn’t quite sure he’d be ready to see the bill when they got back.  Despite being as well off as he was, he was still a bit of a penny pincher. 

Akira looked at himself in the mirror, shirt discarded onto his bed.  Bruises and scrapes permeated his slender form.  There hadn’t been a place left untouched by their assault.  Save for his groin, thank goodness.  It hurt to move.  Everything felt heavy.  Thankfully, the drag had been drained from his system.  And it didn’t seem to come with any lasting side effects.  Save for the red welt on his arm.  He scratched at it feverishly to no avail.  They had injected him several times with it in the same vicinity.  Did they just stab him with the needles?  Akira was beyond thankful he couldn’t remember that part. 

“Hope this isn’t permanent,” he growled softly to himself as he continued to scratch.  Felt like the most aggressive mosquito bite he had ever taken.  His entire right shoulder felt like dead weight.  Even fighting shadows hadn’t left him this sore.

“What is that?”

His heart froze in place as the feminine voice slipped into his ears.  Slowly did he turn to see none other than Ann standing in the doorway, wringing her hoodie nervously.

“Um…”  He placed a hand over the red welt in an attempt to clumsily cover it.  Akira had hoped to avoid revealing this to anyone.  Hence why he had told Sae to specifically omit that part of his interrogation.  He just wanted to forget that he had been drugged.  Such an unnerving experience to be swimming inside of his own body, barely coherent against his will.  Plus, it would only have stressed the others out.

“What did they do to you?” Ann asked, closing the gap between them.  She took his hands in hers and ran her soft little thumbs over the back of his hands.  His skin looked so pale in comparison to hers.  And his knuckles were so bruised from being stepped on.  Even worse were the cuts around his wrists from the handcuffs.  They had looked even worse before he had showered after his escape.  Akira struggled to tell her.  Lips pursed as the air stagnated in his throat.  Gently did she guide her hand over to his shoulder.  It felt hot like he had a fever.

“It was…” 

Nothing. 

He just wanted to say it was nothing and leave it at that.  But he couldn’t.  Not to her.  Slowly did the sigh slip out and he forced himself to speak.

“They, uh… injected me with some kind of makeshift truth serum.”

“Th-they drugged you?”  Yet again were his lips pursed, unable to speak.  Why did it seem like every time he opened his mouth about something, it brought her some sort of pain?  He just wanted to suffer in silence to keep her calm.  But that wouldn’t really help him at all, would it?  Her concern and worry made him know he was loved.  Wanted.  Yet it was also heart wrenching to see her ache because of his suffering.  The tears in her eyes began to form, and she gently cupped his face.  “How could they do that to you?  You’re just a teenager!  You could’ve almost died from the overdose-“

“Hey, hey…”  He gently pulled her to his bed and sat her in his lap.  Rocking her back and forth while cradling her head.  “It’s okay, it’s okay-“

“It’s not okay!”  She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed tightly.  “I was so afraid!  D-dammit!”  She thought she was past this.  Losing control and bursting into tears.  But this had all been so hard.  Having to watch him be out of reach, be dragged through the glass, and come back all battered.  Whoever did this, they would pay.  All of them for hurting her man, even if she had to hunt them throughout the Metaverse.  “You could’ve died!”

“Well, I didn’t, okay?  I’m here now.  And I’m not letting you go.  I’m not going anywhere…”  She sniffled softly in his arms, having never been more thankful to have him back.  And she’d never let him go again.  No matter what Akechi threw at them, she wouldn’t let him have him. 

Akira gently whispered in her ear, planting his kisses on her brow.  He definitely couldn’t tell her that they might’ve given him a life sentence if he couldn’t escape.  Or the death penalty.  Again, details he made sure Sae hadn’t divulged.  The more he could soften the blow they all had to endure, the better.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to help you, Akira.  Anything you want…”

“What I want is for you to be here with me now.  No more worrying about Akechi or the Metaverse right now.  Let’s just focus on us…”  He gently wiped a tear that streamed down her face, earning him a nod of acknowledgment.  His fingers found their way to her golden locks.  They felt softer than anything in all the world.  Some deep part of him within the very cockles of his soul genuinely feared that he might not have been able to feel them again.  Feel her again.  And if that fear had won out against his better judgment, he might not have.

Downstairs, Sojiro leaned against the doorframe while staring up at the ceiling.  Sae sat at the counter and sipped from her drink, sharing an equally melancholic expression.

“Drugging an innocent kid…” Sojiro muttered to himself before nursing his brow.  “What’s the world come to?”

“When this is all over, I will tear that station down around everyone’s ears to find the ones responsible for such an act and make them pay.  They won’t even be able to work at a Big Bang Burger when I’m done with them.  You have my word on that, Sojiro.”

The store owner had learned real quick that her word was good.  Sae was no one to get on the bad side of.  With her looking out for them, Akechi was done for.  And his leader.  Sojiro had slowly assembled it together in his head who they were dealing with.  Fueled only by all the things Akira had told him before.

It had to be Shido.


	53. Breaking Point

_11/23/17 – Wednesday_

They had his Palace.  They had even seen him personally in Station Square.  A detestable sort whose venom and ire could be smelled even on his breath.  None of the Phantom Thieves were fans of him, even factoring out his hand in all of this.  But none of them knew what Akira knew.  The true depths the man had sunk to.  They could only speculate.

All the Phantom Thieves had gathered in Leblanc once more, joined by Sojiro and Sae yet again.  They all knew the general information that Akira did from the past couple days of research.  Running for Prime Minister and part of the Diet.  Standard bits of information.  Sae herself had weighed in on information that correlated with his suspect, such as him profiting off the misfortune and slander to have fallen the current administration after the various psychotic breakdowns.  As well as the reveal that during her investigation, she had uncovered government research into the breakdowns.  Hence why she had arrived on his doorstep during the summer.  Futaba had still been listening in on Akechi’s phone when she heard him namedrop Shido.  So now they were all on the same page.  But not fully.  Akira was still biding his time before he made the reveal.

“So you were right…” The others fixated on Sojiro, who was staring at Akira somberly.  “You were right about everything, it seems.  I was just too stubborn to face it.”  Akira merely delivered a grave nod.  Finally, he was coming clean.  Just in time to help land the death knell to Shido’s upcoming reign. 

“What do you mean?” Ann asked.  Sojiro ran his hand through his hair, a hefty sigh escaping him.  Time to reopen some old wounds.  Not his first choice but he could no longer stick his head in the sand and pretend everything was fine.

“Masayoshi Shido.  Had his start at the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, formed the nationalist Unified Future Party, and had personal ties to Kunikazu Okumura.  Okumura had wanted to move into politics as the Administrator of Food Safety but Shido felt he was muscling in on his territory, hence why he had him killed off.  He also had a bureaucrat involved with a slush fund whose connections to him were uncovered by a journalist named Kayo Muramaki.  The journalist had a mental shutdown, and the politician died later on.  All evidence I had pulled from my own personal sources that correlates with what we’ve seen here and how he operates.  And I’d stake money on it that he was responsible for killing Futaba’s mom _and_ the SIU Director.”

A hushed cold silence fell over the room at Akira’s information dumping.  The look in his silver eyes was lethal.  They had little in the way of physical evidence save for testimony, but based on what they had seen and heard, it only made sense.  The SIU Director’s death had gone largely unnoticed by many, ruled off as a stroke.  But given Sae’s close proximity to him, it was very obviously not a coincidence.

“And Sojiro knew him.”

Futaba stared at him in stunned silence.  Shido having killed her mom?  What a bold claim.  Not that she didn’t believe him, but it was stunning to think that she’d actually find him.  And he was the one behind this all.  And he even had a close connection to her father.

“I didn’t want to believe it,” Sojiro forced himself to say.  “There was no way somebody could be that far gone.  But I can’t deny it now.”  A weary sigh of defeat left the old man as his past had finally caught up with him.  “Yes.  I knew Shido.  Not directly but I had been forced to cooperate with him a couple times.  Most of what I know is based on the connections I had from my previous job.  But from when I had been forced to work with him, I could tell he was a prick from the start.  Enormous ego, needed to be in control of everything, looked down at everyone else, and cut corners.  Anybody who reprimanded or crossed him, they were pulled.  He can’t sit still until he crushes whoever opposes him, no matter how trivial.  He’s always been that way.”  He paused, trading his coffee for a sip of his flask.  The stiffness of the drink helped calm his nerves.  “I had always thought that the one who crushed Wakaba’s research and confiscated her materials was probably him.  From the moment Wakaba died… I had a hunch he was involved.  But there wasn’t anything I could do, so I chose to protect Futaba and went into hiding.”

“Why didn’t you say that sooner!?” Futaba asked.

“You guys would’ve definitely gone after him if I had.  He would’ve just killed all of you, no doubt.  That’s what he usually does to people in his way.  The trail of bodies and testimonies.  It all speaks for himself that Shido isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.”  Akira scoffed with great disdain.

“You mean have other people get their hands dirty,” he sneered.  “The bastard couldn’t be bothered to do anything himself.  Just a snake who bites others when their backs are turned.”

“You have no idea,” Sojiro said darkly, trailing off as he got lost in yesteryear.  “That man’s full of ambition to rise in the world.  He only thinks of the weak as stepping stools for his success.”

“Oh, I’m well aware…”

“I would never have imagined all of this was connected…” Sae said to herself in disbelief.  “The mental shutdowns, psychotic breakdowns, Shido, and even the Phantom Thieves’ actions…”  This was the case of the century right here.  Greater than anything she had ever worked on.  Her father would definitely have been proud of her.

“Way back when, Shido kept saying he was going to be prime minister one day.  Nobody believed him though…”  Perhaps things would’ve been different had Sojiro taken a stand.  Maybe all of this would be different.  Or maybe he’d just have been another name on the list.  But the old man brushed off the hypotheticals.  The time was now to make things right.

“What’s going to happen to this country if Shido becomes prime minister?” Ann asked.  Knowing that he had sanctioned Akira’s torture and drugging instilled immense fear within the blonde.  “What about the world…?”

“Not a damn thing,” Akira growled.  “We’re gonna tear everything he’s built down around his ears.  And if Akechi gets in my way, I’ll beat him to an inch of his life!  Nothing will stop me from getting to Shido!  Not after all we’ve been through.  What I’ve been through.”  The drink in his hand nearly shattered from how hard he clenched.  Everyone around him delivered a look of shock.  Akira could be wicked when he needed to be, but this felt like something else entirely.

“I know this is personal to you now with Futaba, Haru, and Akechi.  But don’t lose your head over this,” Sojiro warned with great care.  “That’s just what Shido wants.”

“It’s more than that.  He’s not just a murderer, a liar, or a conman.  He’s the guy who ruined my life.”  It had grown further quiet with his words, Akira peering out at them with burning silver eyes.  Like balls of fire, ready to burst the store into flames.  “You remember that one guy who got me expelled?”  And that was when it hit them in full force.  Each and every one of their faces went white hot in shock at this revelation.  Hearts nearly seizing up in their chests.  But Akira remained as calm as ever.  Seething silently with deadly intent.  Ready to strike back at the snakes who had bitten him.

“He’s the jerk you told us about before!?” Ryuji exclaimed.  “The same guy!?  For real!?  Seriously!?”

“He’s the guy who set you up…”  Ann clenched her fist in anger.  With every detail fresh in her mind could she remember the story he had divulged inside the Big Bang Burger.  Turning the woman against him, getting him expelled, the fights with his parents.  All to spite one teenager.  “That… rat fucking bastard!”

“You’re sure… aren’t you?” Haru breathed, holding a hand to her chest.  No question.  Not a trace of doubt lingered in Akira’s eyes.  Only pure malice.

“Shido’s the one who ruined your life…” Morgana whispered to himself.  He could hardly believe it.  Nearly every night had Akira made some sort of comment about his expulsion, about how his future had been stolen from him.  It tortured their leader endlessly.  To think it would go this far up the grapevine. 

“Holy shit… I don’t believe it…”  Ryuji never doubted Akira’s word.  Even with all they had seen, it was hard for the blond to process.  As though reality was crumbling around them.

“What kind of fate brought you two back together?” Yusuke asked indignantly.  If this was a trick orchestrated by the gods or whatever force in the universe was active, he bore no amusement from it.

“Talk about a destined connection…” Makoto muttered to herself.  There couldn’t be another explanation for it.  Not after all they had seen.  Fate or something greater was bringing them together.  It only made the student council president even more nervous about what awaited them.

“God… what the hell’s going on here?” Sojiro grumbled to himself.

“Shido was already a politician then, yet he sued a student and ruined his future?”  Sae had known from years of working on the force that most politicians were dirty in some way.  The woman had always been wary of Shido.  Even though she had never met him, the vibes he gave off through his televised speeches made her feel something slither on her skin.  But the true extent of who he was, she could never have believed it.  Destroying a minor’s future for his own self-service, even ordering a hit inside a police station to kill him, her, and the other teens as well.  When the Phantom Thieves caught him, she was going to throw every single book at him in her collection.  Bury him so deep that even his ghost will be serving a sentence.

“What a piece of shit!” Ryuji growled, winding up his arm.  “What a damn clown!  “Children are the future,” my ass!  What he’s sayin’ and doin’ are completely different!  Just like effin’ Kamoshida.”  As they all ranted and raved together about the injustice thrown onto their leader, Ann was struck with a sudden spark of realization.

“Wait!  Now that we found out who did it, can’t something be done about Akira’s record!?”  The lot of them all turned to their resident law expert.  But Sae could only offer a defeated shake of her head.

“Once the courts have made a judgment, overturning that decision will be difficult.  It’d barely be possible even if proof of innocence is presented and Shido admits to his crimes.”  Akira merely sighed and leaned his cheek on his hand, shaking his head slowly.  He had a feeling she’d offer such a response, but there had been that little part of him that wanted to hear the opposite.  That it was still possible to turn his life around and take back what was his.  For the longest time, he himself had thought such feelings of optimism for his future were a pipedream.  He shouldn’t have been as disappointed as he was.  Though there was a difference between telling himself that and hearing it told to him from someone else.  This was a road he was destined to walk all alone, it seemed.  While his friends had some direction in where they were heading in their lives, he would be aimless.  Demoralizing and a bit frightening.  But if he had no future, neither would Shido.

Ann looked at him with great sympathy.  The knowledge that her man’s future was robbed from him no matter what broke her heart.  It also steeled her resolve to drag Shido off his pedestal by his ankles.  A sentiment they all no doubt shared.  Each and every one of them bore looks of fierce determination and an embittered resolve.  Nothing would stop them from finishing this, no matter what.

“Someone like him needs to be punished as soon as possible!” Haru rallied.

“Of course!” Ann agreed.  It would take the movement of both heaven and earth to stop her now.

“He will be a worthy opponent,” Yusuke stated with steely-eyed focus.

“Hell yeah!” Ryuji boasted with a wicked grin.

“Time for revenge!” Futaba added.

Revenge.

There it was.  The thing that dangled so tantalizingly close in front of Akira.  It made his fingers twitch, that was how close it lingered.  Like he could just reach out and snatch it.  Wrap his fingers around it like it was Shido’s neck.  Not just dethrone and humiliate him in front of all the world.  More than that.  Almost dangerously so.  But there was the problem. 

“Stewing over it won’t get anywhere.  We have to do this.  But a mere change of heart is too lenient a sentence for such an abominable criminal.”

Makoto’s words of reason helped soothe the fire that raged in Akira’s soul.  He couldn’t afford to hyperfixate on something like revenge.  It was just a neat side bonus.  Not their main goal.  It couldn’t be.  But what he wouldn’t give to make Shido suffer like he had.  This had to be above him and what he wanted.  This had to be for the greater good, not his own self-gratification.  He wasn’t sure how much he trusted himself with it.  If just the smallest taste of revenge would set him over and have him forsake his values just for his own desires.

Because Shido was making it harder and harder to toe that line.

* * *

 

_11/30/17 – Wednesday_

Akira definitely wasted no time in giving chase to Shido.  Once they had discovered his Palace, he put every ounce of his team’s strength into clearing the enormous cruise ship over the past several days.  A method with which to steer the country’s future.  Only fitting the ship would be as large as it was, in match with Shido’s massive ego.  But this boat was headed for rough waters, and Akira was the iceberg ready to sink it.  Barely sleeping a wink and training while they were at school to remain in peak physical condition.  Keeping himself refined for when he would obliterate Shido with his bare hands.  His physical stature hadn’t been the only thing that had been tense.

Despite the warm climate within the Palace, the other Phantom Thieves had felt a coldness permeate around them.  Silent as the night did Akira lead them deeper and deeper inside.  Absent were the usual quips and hearty jests to keep them calm and collected.  Even Ann was unable to garner any sort of emotion out of him.  Not a smile to be cracked or a wandering eye in her direction.  All business, focused like a bloodhound on hunting Shido’s treasure.  His typical methods of combat were more cutthroat than usual.  Shadows that once would’ve been spared when they begged for mercy were now beaten to a pulp and left to limp away.  Many more were dropped like flies with his itchy trigger finger.  More ruthless than any one of them could’ve thought possible.

“I’m gettin’ worried, man,” Ryuji muttered under his breath to the others as they walked down the ship engine room.  The Cleaner had certainly been cleaned up, that was for sure.  None of them had ever seen someone been pistol-whipped before until then.  No one questioned Akira’s bravery or hard-headedness.  But nobody expected him to beat the Yakuza agent square in the mouth with it.  At least he didn’t shoot him.  “He’s more intense than he’s ever been…”

“We’re tantalizingly close,” Yusuke whispered in response.  “I can hardly blame him, especially after the Cleaner threatened to tear open our insides.”  If there was one way to get under Akira’s skin, it was to threaten his friends.  The Cleaner had gotten clean under, but Akira ripped him out by the root and stomped on him.

“I hate to see how Shido will fare,” Makoto commented.  She was the hardest hitting of the mall, and even she caught herself wincing from his ferocity.  The student council president was feeling sympathy for shadows, of all things.  They had no problem dealing with them before.  But this was different.  Akira nearly monopolized the battlefield whenever combat popped off.  Slicing to ribbons, dumping entire clips.  The others could barely get a hit in edgewise.

Akira walked far behind the rest of them, trenchcoat flowing somehow in the nonexistent breeze.  His hands were in his coat pockets, but he was still trained on the desert eagle holstered.  Each foot hit the metallic floor like concrete from how heavy his steps were.  Silent and unresponsive, answering questions only when relevant to the task at hand.  Cold and deadly calculating like a predator on the hunt.  It was unnerving to see, as though a stranger had taken over leadership.  Asking about what he did to pass the time while they were in school, plans for the holidays, even lunch after hitting the Palace were all met with the frigid quiet.  Shido’s downfall dominated his mind as did anyone who stood in their way.

“Uh… Joker?”

Ann grew concerned when she saw him come to an abrupt halt.  The mask obscured his eyes in shadow which only made him more difficult to read.  And a lot more intimidating looking.  He bore no response to her query.  Instead, standing still and staring out behind him through his peripheral.

For the last couple of days, the ship had an uneasy feeling about it.  A tickling at the back of their necks that made their hair stand up.  It felt like they were being watched.  Most of them had dismissed it as nerves, merely jitters set upon them on the eve of battle with Shido.  But not Akira.  Akira had sensed something was amiss.  Another rat had stowed away with them on this boat.  Very faintly could he detect it from the corner of his eye, in the shadows.  A faint scuffling in the background, a soft isolated footstep, even the distant click of a gun.

“I was wondering when you were gonna show up,” he called out.  The others stared at him in utter confusion.  But he met none of their gazes.  Instead, he was staring up towards the top at an isolated shadowy platform.  Looking at something.  They all crowded close by and stared with him, but none of them could see what he saw.  Yet they all felt it.  That familiar creeping feeling that slithered up their spine and tickled their hairs.  The fearful feeling only escalated when a faint low cackle emanated out from the shadow.

A figure in white had pounced onto the ground before them, staring out through a red-beaked mask.  A saber hilted at his side.  The young lad strode toward them with ease and confidence, halting only when Akira drew his gun.  Aimed right for his head, finger resting on the side as instilled within him by Iwai.

At last, they had come to meet Goro Akechi again.

“Long time no see,” he said.

“Not long enough,” Akira growled coldly.  He could’ve gone his entire life without meeting him again.  The traitorous rat.  The backstabbing snake.  But a large part of him had wanted to meet him.  To settle the score, to put him in his place.  This time, he would feel no remorse for his actions.  The other Phantom Thieves stood behind Akira, poised for battle and weapons at the ready.

“You…!?” Ryuji exclaimed in surprise.

“Why’s he here…!?” Futaba stammered.  Akechi sized them all up and scoffed.  The others were of no concern for him.  Merely distractions.  It was Akira that was his true prey.

“Hmph… I’m impressed that you managed to deceive me.  It seems I underestimated your abilities.  You truly are interesting.  Quiet, yet possessing the courage and determination to take action.”  For a brief second, Akechi glanced aside to ponder all that had led them to this path.  All the twisting turns, the lies and truths told, the bonds broken and forged.  “Under different circumstances, we could have been great rivals…”  In his words, there was something more subdued.  Even sad.  It hadn’t gone unnoticed by the others.  “…Or perhaps even friends.”

“You gave up that opportunity the moment you stabbed me in the back,” he growled.  His display of ire earned a wicked grin of contempt from the detective.

“I believe I had shot you in the face if we’re being accurate.”

“Then perhaps I should return the favor.”  This was no banter.  It was a full-on threat.  Gone was any sort of charm, wit, or even agitation Akira usually had when he debated with Akechi.  What he spoke was absolute malice, contempt, bitterness, and loathing.  Akechi felt his eye twitch at his words.  It was more fun to see him banter and bicker with him.  Live up to his namesake as Joker.  Even the creative foul-mouthed insults were more desirable than such calculating coldness.  It irritated Akechi.  And yet, it also kicked something up in him.  An amusement at seeing his jaded bitterness.  His betrayal having rotted a hole in his heart.

“Ahahahaha!  How wonderful!  You don’t allow yourself to be enslaved by such things as human relations or past selves.  And so, your heart is always free.”  Freedom.  Such a filthy word to the detective.  Envious of the hope it gave others while it only left him cold.  “The exact opposite of mine.  To be honest, I’m envious.  I wonder why we couldn’t have met a few years earlier, Akira…”

“What, so you could stab me in the back then too?  If you think your little “woe is me” sob story is gonna work on me after all we’ve been through, you must be outta your goddamn mind.”  Though the others seemed to feel a bit more sympathy and remorse at how things turned out.

“Akechi…” Ann said softly.  Even with her distrust of him initially, he hadn’t been unpleasant.  He was nice and charming.  Fit right in their little group.  The detective in question couldn’t help but scoff at her show of concern.

“He’s right.  It’s no use talking in hypotheticals.  That didn’t happen in reality.  This is the fate we have made for ourselves-“

“ _You_ made this fate.  Not us.  You have no one else to blame but yourself for this path.”  Akechi felt himself somewhat bare his teeth at Akira for his comment.  A notion that seemed to net him some joy.  The detective hadn’t meant for his ire to slip through.  Something he had managed to pick up from Akira by osmosis.

“Akechi!  Why are you cooperating with someone like Shido!?” Makoto pleaded.  “Don’t you see what this Palace looks like!?  His true nature is-“

“Don’t waste your breath,” Akira interrupted.  His gun never once lowering or shifting aim.  Akechi remained dead center in his sights.  “He doesn’t care about the people he steps on.  They’re all just means to an end.  Even Shido.  This dickless wonder right here is just in it for himself.  Here to earn a slice of the pie himself.”  His seething words earned another amused cackle from the detective.

“He’s absolutely right.  I don’t care for Shido, or this country.  His politics or who he ruins.  Or you, for that matter.  All this is to make Masayoshi Shido… my father… acknowledge me.  Then exact revenge on him.”

A stunned silence settled in over the group.  They all felt as though they had been shot clean through the heart.  His words cut a hole right through them, and it seemed everything they had known came falling out.  The world turned upside-down in the blink of an eye.

“Shido is your father…!?” Yusuke exclaimed in shock.  Akechi brushed off his surprise and narrowed his eyes at Akira.  Who somehow managed to remain unflinching in all this.  Never once, his gun leaving its appointed target.  It was starting to really make his skin itch to see him so unresponsive.  He wanted to knock the wind out of him. 

“Remember I said before, how my mother had been in a relationship with some good-for-nothing man?”  Akira could never make himself forget.  It was the backstory that had suckered him in.  He had seen Akechi as just another lost misplaced soul like they all were.  Like he was.  “So I’m his bastard child.  My very existence is nothing but a scandal.  My mother’s life turned for the worst after she had me… and died.  I was a cursed child for her too.”

“That’s horrible…”  For all he had done, Ann couldn’t help but feel sympathy for him.  To be alone all his life and shoulder the belief everything was his fault.  Still did Akechi brush off the concern.  Too swept up in his inner boiling turmoil to accept such pity.

“I resented him, but he was already a high-ranking official by then.  A kid like me could do nothing.”  Slowly did the melancholic bitter look on his face turn to a sinister grin, followed by a shaky cackle.  “But that’s when it happened!  That’s when I learned about the cognitive world!”  He spread his arms out and stared up to the ceiling as though beckoning an angel.  Eyes widened and manic while he beheld the realm of no logic all around them.  Someone, be it god or demon, gave me a chance!  I couldn’t contain my laughter!”  His tone slowly rose in energy and instability, greatly unnerving the already on-edge Phantom Thieves.

Akira’s eye quivered in irritation at hearing him rattle off all this.  To hear him be so far gone as to deny accountability.

“That’s your excuse?  Your backstory?  You were mad at the world and decided to use these powers gifted to you to make others miserable?  To ruin their lives?!”

“Who cares?” Akechi spat in defiance of Akira’s lecturing.  “My targets were all doing the same damn thing in this eat or be eaten world.  All I did was remove their evil from society.  How is that any different from the Phantom Thieves?”

“We’re not murderers!” Ann yelled, fists clenched.

“So what!?”  Now Akechi had become completely unhinged, staring back at all the faces lined up to bury him.  Faces he once called allies before casting them to the side in favor of his succession.  “Masayoshi Shido is finally within my grasp!”  The deranged detective clenched his fist as though he were strangely the very man right before his eyes.  “Once he reaches the apex of his power and acknowledges me, I’m going to whisper in his ear…”  He could visualize it right there in all its glory.  See the color drain from his face as he at last – after all these years – is forced to face what he had left behind.  It fed the already roaring fire in Akechi’s soul.  “I will tell him the truth of who I really am!  And that’s when I – an utter disgrace to the world – will rule over him.  I will prevail!”

The Phantom Thieves were unsure of what to think.  Pity, disgust, fear, sympathy, sorrow, anger.  Each of them fluctuated back and forth on all of these.  But not Akira.  He had made his mind up the second Futaba had played him the clip.

“What a warped thought,” Yusuke head, tilting his head down.  He couldn’t even bear to look the detective in the eye.  As though his macabre lunacy would somehow be transplanted into his very soul.  “It’s almost pitiable.”  This only served to further enrage the detective, who now held his hands out at his sides with gnarled fingers.

“In just a few weeks, my plan would have come to fruition!  But no, you just had to interfere!  I can still take it back though.  I’ll just need to kill you all.”

“Hmph, we won’t get killed for something like that,” Morgana scoffed defiantly.  “You talk big, but you’re just really nothing more than a little kid throwing a temper tantrum!”

“Don’t lecture me, you piece of shit!” Akechi spat, now fuming in place.  “I need not hear such talk from a cat!  You’re just a pet, not even good enough to be real!”

“He’s more a man than you’ll ever be.”  Morgana stared up at Akira and nodded, touched by his words even in the thick tension they waded in.

“I am going to personally thrust Masayoshi Shido into a living hell.  So Joker… rest easy and die.”

“I don’t think so.”  The click of the hammer echoed in the metallic hall they occupied, an almost ear-piercing sound did it emanate.  “There’s not a layer of Hell deep enough for either of you.  So I’ll personally dig one and drag you both into it, kicking and screaming if need be.  But as for you… this is where the story ends.”  Akechi couldn’t help but lean his head back and chuckle with amusement.  That soft little mocking chuckle had haunted Akira since they had met in the studio.  And soon, he wouldn’t have to hear it ever again.

“You’re going to shoot me?”

“Why shouldn’t I?  I’d say I’d put you down like a dog, but that’s insulting to dogs.  They have loyalty.”  This only made Akechi laugh even more.  He was loving all the salt Akira was fizzling in.  Almost addicting in how far he could twist the knife.

“It’s not your style.  Not very “honorable.”  Not the Phantom Thief way.”  The way he sneered his words and threw what they stood for back into Akira’s face made him want to vomit. 

“You were never a Phantom Thief, remember?”

“But I’ve held up my end of the code.”  Akira narrowed a solitary eye at him searchingly.  But still kept his gun trained right on the detective’s head.  Slowly was he letting his trigger discipline falter.  Never had he killed a man before.  But whatever stood before him, it wasn’t a man.  At least not anymore.  “I’ve been watching you for a couple of days now.  Watching you all slowly progress through.  I could’ve killed you at any time I wanted, but I refused.  I wanted our reunion to be… extra special.”

“You sure sound confident, but don’t go pressin’ your luck.”  Ryuji wound up his swinging arm, ready to plant his baseball bat right between the eyes for a home run.  Or maybe in the groin to pop his fly.  “We already know all your tricks from back when you were workin’ with us.”  Akechi nearly choked from the laughter that kicked up.

“Joker… how could you be so successful while having such an idiot as your partner?”

“ _You watch your fucking mouth, or I’ll tear out your teeth – one at a time – and make you eat them!_ ”  Haru and Makoto felt their stomachs sink at his words.  His lethal tone and hissing words were not to be taken lightly.  Knowing how much things had spiraled out of control, he just might.

“You ain’t got nothin’ else to hide!” Ryuji pressed.  “Quit bluffin’!”

“It’s no bluff.”  The others save for Akira turned to meet Makoto, sporting worried looks.  “If he truly is behind the mental shutdowns, he’s likely only shown us a fraction of his strength.”  Once again, Akechi was forced to laugh.  They all were truly amusing in their own ways.  He hadn’t given Makoto enough credit.  She truly was Sae’s sister.

“I’ll tell you all about my true power… while you die.  You can take that knowledge with you to the grave.”

His words made their blood run cold.  This would be their most intense fight yet.  Do or die, kill or be killed.  But nothing remained as cold as Akira’s stare.  There would be no mercy or sympathy garnered from him.  The only thing he regretted was not bringing his pliers.  Guess Akechi would keep his teeth.  But Akira would find other ways to make him hurt like he hurt them.

* * *

 

Even now, Akechi was full of surprises.  The notorious black masked murderer had been Tokyo’s most beloved hero, driving others mad by using his Wild Card ability.  The power of Loki – the Trickster god – had been his secret ace in the hole.  In his rage, he had forsaken all grace and nuance in favor of pure unbridled rage just to try and kill them.  Even unhinging himself, driving him mad to eviscerate them completely in a last-ditch effort to avoid failure.  To avoid failing Shido but more importantly himself.

_I’ll kill you…_

_You’re all gonna die…!_

_Shut up, shut up, shut up!_

The others’ pleas and attempts at reason were all for naught.  Friendship, vengeance.  All were beneath him.  What he wanted now more than ever was to wipe that smug look off Akira’s face.  To tear him apart and show him he wasn’t better or more special than he was.  That he didn’t deserve his power or friends.  He had spent years carefully crafting himself as the perfect pretty boy for the masses.  Tokyo’s favorite teenage star.  Sabotaging others and taking credit for busting their foul crimes just to be the golden boy.  Then some exiled criminal had everything he had always wanted in the blink of an eye and robbed him of his ill-gotten spotlight.  Had all the things he wanted and deserved.

_Teammates!?  Friends!?  To hell with that!_

_Why am I inferior to you…!?_

_How does someone like you have things I don’t!?_

_How can such a worthless piece of trash be more special than me!?_

All his words, his insults and diatribes.  They now stung like lashes against his skin as he fell to his knees.  Defeated, exhausted, humiliated.  Loki’s power faded away.  He could sense his magic being drained.  The Wild Card within him stirred no more.  Abandoning him like Shido did.  And like the Phantom Thieves would soon.

“Damn you… J-Joker…”

The detective leaned on his elbows as he tried to hold his battered body aloft.  But the Phantom Thieves had borne him no quarter.  Akira had finished him with the planting of his knee into his chest.  Barely a breath resided in him as he wheezed.  On the ground to his left was the pistol he used.  Gifted to him by none other than Akira as a present.  To welcome him into the Phantom Thieves and to better equip him for combat.  Scattered around it were pieces of glass from his visor.  Akechi weakly reached out for the pistol, fingers gnarled and trembling as his body fought him every step of the way.  Barely a hair’s breadth away and he could still keep up the fight.  But opportunity was robbed from him once again when Akira planted his boot on his forearm, pinning it down against the metal floor.

“You’ve spread your wings for the last time, Crow.”

His voice was low and gritty.  Dry without a drop of moisture to it.  The detective looked up to face him, but his eyes were obscured by the shadow of his mask.  Such a simple detail that unnerved him as he was laid out on the floor in defeat.  Not being able to see his eyes.  To see the man behind the mask.  It was like he wasn’t human.  The others slowly gathered around him with their weapons in hand.  Ready for any other foul tricks he might pull.

“You ready to call it quits?” Ryuji asked.  He was eager for a brawl as much as the next guy, but there was no honor in this.  The blond had pleaded for him to see himself as his own person, not what Shido defined him as.  Even when he had been shut out, Ryuji still wanted them to walk away from this not as enemies.  To focus on the real threat that had pitted them against one another to begin with.

“I know… I’ve had enough.”  The admittance didn’t make the defeat any more palatable.  But it did seem to take a bit of the weight off his chest.  To let go and surrender control for once.  He’d fare much better under their mercy than Shido’s.  Akira still stood on his arm unflinching.  His eyes still obscured by shadow, but he could feel the gaze of contempt and disapproval upon him.  Of pure loathing.  Yet he forced himself to look despite wanting to avert his eyes.  “…You’re so lucky.  Lucky to be surrounded… by teammates who acknowledge you.  And once Shido confesses his crimes, you’ll all be heroes.  As for me, people will find out my past deductions were just charades.  My fame and trust will vanish…”  A solitary sob slipped out, mixed in with a pitiful laugh.

“I see…”  Morgana pondered his chin with his paw.  “So you were turning people psychotic, then solving the cases yourself.  And you did that by joining forces with Shido.”  He nodded, another laugh springing forward.  This time, of self-contempt.

“You could’ve stood by us.”  Akechi felt his heart stop at hearing Akira’s words.  To hear him speak.  He looked up once more but found his eyes obscured by the shadows.  “But you spat in my face for your selfish interests.”  Akechi’s head drifted down, hanging in defeat and shame.  This had been of his own devices.  Of his own plan and volition.  To go through with this plan to end Shido even if it meant sacrificing everything else he might’ve gained.  It shouldn’t have stung this badly.  It was only logical this would happen were he caught.  Yet the pain still stung.  He hadn’t expected to be caught.  But they were just so much better than he was.  Akira was better.  “Get up.”

His eyes opened in surprise at his words.  The Phantom Thieves backed away to give him space, and Akira took his foot off his arm.  But not before kicking the gun aside.  Even in his display of mercy, he wasn’t blind.  Akechi could hardly blame him of expecting underhanded trickery out of him even when he was down. 

“I said, get up!”

Slowly, the detective rose to his feet.  His stance wobbly from how battered his form was.  Akira pulled the helmet from off his head and threw it against the wall without even looking.  The visor shattered into pieces from the impact, and the shards scattered to the floor.  All while Akira remained staring Akechi down.  His eyes were now visible, no longer obscured by the shadow of his mask.  Though the look they had in them was not much better than not being able to see them.

“I suppose… this will be the time for the rousing speech the others told me about, huh?” he jested weakly with a chuckle.  “I could… surely use one of those.”  But there was none.  Akira merely stood in silence, staring at the man he had defeated.  Slowly did he turn around as if to walk away.  To leave Akechi behind while they went after the Treasure.  Nobody had expected the swift spin around and the resulting fist that flew into his cheek.

_POW!_

With a loud smack had Akira punched Akechi square in the face.  The others looked on in shock and surprise as Akechi’s head swiftly turned to the right, blood and spit flying out of his mouth.  It was an incredibly solid blow.  Akira had landed it like he was a champion boxer.  Despite sporting the strongest arms among them, Makoto winced at the resulting impact.

“Ack!” Akechi cried out as he cupped his face.  “My nose!”  Blood leaked down past his mouth while he clutched his broken nose, writhing in pain.  Akira didn’t stop there, as he grabbed the detective by the throat and dragged him over to the wall before slamming him into it.  And he let himself fly loose with another swing at the face.  Then one on the opposite side.  Followed by an uppercut into the stomach, then a follow-up with the knee before it descended to his crotch.  Finally slamming him against the wall once more, the detective weakly sliding to the ground.

Akechi clutched his ribs in pain while Akira stood over him.  Nothing was broken, but his whole body screamed as though he was on fire.  There was a lot more Akira could do and wanted to do.  So much more.  But despite his anger, he allowed himself to feel restraint.  Stay his hand before he went too far.  Even as big a traitorous bastard Akechi was, Akira was not without his mercy.

“Holy shit…”  Ryuji’s mouth hung slightly agape at the sheer display of force and brutality before him.  Never had he seen Akira so angry or worked up before.  Even the shadows they had fought inside the Palace were given more levity.  Ann cupped her mouth in shock while Futaba clutched her nose.  Vicariously could she feel the pain at seeing Akechi’s busted nose.  It made her stomach turn uneasily. 

Akechi’s left eye could barely open.  Only a small sliver of light peered through it to allow him to know it was still working.  Akira had left him a nasty black shiner.

“Hurts, don’t it?” he huffed with a sneer.  “I’ll be sure to leave your dad a matching one.  I trusted you…”  It was a soft growl, but its subdued nature didn’t make the venom in the back of Akira’s throat difficult to detect.  They all knew what was coming.  And nobody but Akira seemed ready for it.  “I took you at my side as a brother-in-arms.  I saw the Phantom Thieves as like family.  I saw _you_ as family!”  Saying that felt like a hot knife being prodded into Akira’s chest.  His fist trembled as he resisted wailing on the fallen detective.  “I was suckered in like everyone else on TV!  I made the mistake of trusting you, feeling sorry for you!  I was a fool.”  He spat on the ground next to Akechi before wiping his mouth.  “But you threw that all away!  You threw us away like we were trash!  You killed Haru’s dad!  You tried to kill Makoto’s sister!  You tried to kill _me_!  You were gonna kill all the others too!  Would you have killed Sojiro too?” 

Futaba felt her breath hang in her throat at the question.  Sojiro and Shido had known each other, and they all knew he was her foster father.  It wasn’t too out of the question to consider.  The otaku just hoped that Akechi wouldn’t have stooped to such depravity.  Even if she hadn’t trusted him, some part of him had to hold a shred of decency.

“Huh?!  Would you?!”

No answer.  Akechi pursed his lips and forced himself to face Akira, trembling as he did so.  In truth, he would have if the mission had demanded it for whatever reason.  All part of his quest for vengeance.  But he dared not answer that question now.

“No answer, huh?  Oh, that’s right.  Guess Shido would’ve made that decision, not you.  Because that’s all you are.  Just a puppet on a string, and you blame everyone else for when things go wrong for you.”  He planted his foot firmly in the detective’s stomach to keep him pinned.  Not that the detective planned on going anywhere.  Akira had robbed him of his will to keep going, let alone fight.  “You were given extraordinary powers thousands of others would’ve killed to have.  You had the power to make a real difference in the world.  To save people!  To be the hero you always wanted to be instead of just a worm!  Because that’s what all that was important to you!  Yourself and what you wanted!  You’re no different from Shido.”  He scoffed and craned his head upwards to more effectively stare down at the detective.  “You could’ve stopped all of this.  You could’ve protected them!”  He held his hand out towards the others, who merely watched in stunned silence.  “Where were _you_ when they needed you?!  You wanted to be the hero so bad, and you could’ve at any minute!  You turned a blind eye to all their suffering when you knew they had Palaces!  You could’ve even helped us help you!  We both wanted Shido to fall, and we could’ve taken him together!”

Akechi nearly choked.  His mind went blank at the thought.  Of both of them standing side by side to defeat his father, to grant him the justice he long sought.  As friends.  Even brothers.  His already crumbling heart began to fracture.

“But you threw that all away for your selfish interests!  You broke people and then discarded them like a little kid playing with his toys!  Used them and let them die!  And then you try and comfort yourself by saying it’s not your fault.! It’s everyone else’s fault, society’s fault!  You think you’re the only one who hurts?  The only one who bleeds?!  We all bleed!  You’re not special!  I could’ve been like you, just let anger and spite consume me.  Fuck over the world for my own self-benefit.  But I didn’t!  Because that’s not what you do!  You help people and don’t sacrifice their well-being just because you’re a selfish entitled little dick!  You do the right thing and think about someone else in this world besides your own damn self!”

The silence that set in after his yelling was more deafening than the noise itself.  Akechi slowly felt his chest caving in and the air leaving him.  Like he had just been punched yet again.  But Akira hadn’t laid a hand on him.  Slowly, the detective felt himself winding down, the walls he had erected crumbling.  Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, nowhere to turn to. 

“Well, you made one thing perfectly clear…”  Akira’s voice had fallen.  It was now quiet, softer and more subdued.  That made it so much worse somehow.  “You’re not a Phantom Thief.  You’re not my friend.  You said it yourself.  And I’m sure as hell not yours.  And after this is all over, I never wanna see you again!”

“…What happens… t-to me now…?”  A question Akechi had been dreading now after the whole tirade.  The vicious and unabashed thrashing of his character.  Everything he was, everything he stood for.

“That’s not my problem anymore, now is it?” Akira coldly rebuked lifting his boot up.  Akechi’s chest ached with such immense pain, far surpassing the blows Akira had administered to him.  This was worse than anything he could’ve imagined.  It already stung to know that Shido cared nothing for him.  But to know that he had made something wonderful only to destroy it by his own hand.  Why, it was absolutely devastating.

“You should get rid of me… if you don’t want me getting in your way.”  Akechi knew he wouldn’t.  Even as angry as he was, he knew Akira wasn’t capable of such cruelty.  Shido perhaps.  But not Akira.  His friend.  Or rather, he was.  He had thrown that away long ago without a second thought.  He just wanted to see what he would say.  See how far he had fallen in his anger.  Initially, he had wanted to drag him down with him.  Make him see the world through his eyes.  Now he prayed against it.

Akira’s eyes trailed off as they descended down Akechi’s body.  The weakened detective had not an ounce of strength to give chase.  Maybe not enough to leave the Palace and limp home.  This was far more severe than any beating shadows had given him.  Though, that didn’t stop Akira’s wandering eyes and mind.  Slowly did he narrow his eyes at Akechi’s knee, pinning his ankle with his boot.  From beneath the trenchcoat did he draw his pistol.  One shot from the desert eagle would be enough to shatter his kneecap entirely.  It was tempting.  So tempting to pull the trigger.  But he just couldn’t force himself to.  He may have deserved his beating, but this was too far.  Cruel and unusual torture.

The Phantom Thieves felt fear jolt through their hearts as he withdrew the gun.  Akira had been angry in the past but never this unhinged.  Panic spread among them as they exchanged worried glances.  None of them could allow this to happen.  It was wrong.  For all that Akechi did, to kick him when he was down felt unnecessarily cruel.  But nobody felt they could step in.  Akira was fast on the draw.  He might fire one off if they approached.  One managed to step up.

“Joker, stop!”  His eyes took hold of a single pink glove gripping his forearm, guiding his aim away from Akechi.  None other than Ann.  If any of them had to act as his moral compass, it would definitely be her.  After all, she knew him inside and out.  Perhaps better than he did at times.  “Just let him go.  There’s no need for this.  It’s over.”  She met his gaze with equaled intensity.  To match his anger and seething, she bore concern and worry.  The blonde couldn’t allow him to cross that line.  Even if – God forbid – she had to fight him.  “Please…”

Akira inhaled sharply through his nose, jaw locked as he read her.  He relented and withdrew his gun, holstering it back beneath his coat.  A weary sigh escaped, and he nodded graciously at her.  Now he had known he had made the right decision.  She had been his foundation to keep him solid once again.  That he wasn’t going crazy from his second-guessing and that this truly was the right thing to do.  So consumed by his increasing desire for revenge against Shido, it was growing harder to see what was right anymore.

For a brief moment, she saw the smile return to his face.  It was a small one but full of gratitude.  The blonde bit her bottom lip and returned his smile.  It calmed her heart to know there was still a kind heart in there after all that had occurred. 

Akechi looked back and forth between the both of them with his good eye.  Coconut and coffee with strawberry.  And she had the boldness to halt his hand while the others hesitated.  They were always in close proximity together when meetings were called.  Even in the Metaverse did she linger closer than others at his side.

_So it wasn’t a coincidence…_

And love now too.  Another thing he didn’t have.  A small comfort but it was at least a mystery he had uncovered.  To live up to his namesake as a detective.  Akechi merely sat there, slumped up against the wall while Akira and Ann stood over him.  No fight or drive left in him.  Satisfied, Akira turned, trenchcoat whipping behind him.

“Let’s go.  We got a calling card to prepare.”  As Ann watched him depart, her attention was turned back to Akechi.  A weak and pitiful battered mess leaning against the wall.  Everything had been so hard to watch after Akechi had been defeated in combat.  Even harder now to try and clean up.

“…What do we do about him?” she asked.

“Leave him.”  Ann was struck by how abrupt and cold his answer was.  Not even bothering to look back as he parted the other Phantom Thieves.  Unblinking and staring forward with his hands in his pockets.

“Wait, J-Joker,” Makoto stammered, glancing swiftly back and forth between the two boys.  “We can’t just leave him-“

“We can and we will.  He would’ve done the same to us.”

“Come now, Joker,” Yusuke bargained.  “Surely you can see that he’s a lost soul in need of-“

“Have you all lost your shit?!”  He stopped and turned to face them, arms extended in disbelief while he pointed out individuals.  “He killed _your_ father, he tried to kill _your_ sister!  And he tried to kill me!  Am I supposed to shrug this all off?!  Pretend like it’s okay and just go about my business like it’s the most natural thing in the world?!  Trust him and let my guard down again?  Do I need to be interrogated and nearly assassinated again to prove my point?!”

The others were at a standstill while Akira walked away.  Not since the Okumura case had they been so conflicted.  Akira wasn’t wrong in that Akechi had used his powers for ill gain, disenfranchising many innocent people by lying to them, betraying them, and threatening to kill his so-called friends.  As well as being within his rights not to trust him.  But he had been a victim like they all were.  Exploited by the rotten adult Shido.  No one to help guide him, to be there for him and act as a moral compass.  All alone in this big world with no one to turn to.  They could all remember those feelings vividly.

 “Go…”  The others turned back to face him.  Akechi’s head slumped down, the boy too weak to hold himself up.  “Just go.  Leave me behind like everyone else.  It’s what I deserve.  In the end… I couldn’t be special…”  He had been broken.  Defeated.  Crushed absolutely.

“You don’t really hate Joker, do you?”  Slowly, he lifted his head up to face the cat.  Morgana met his eyes with his solemn orbs.  “That smile before we fought.  The regret in your voice.  Isn’t that how you really felt?”  The cat had really seen right through him.  Akechi had thought he had buried that.  For a brief moment, he felt relief to see Akira still alive.  Which was swiftly supplanted by fear of failure, then anger of setback.  Then jealousy at those around him rallying to save him.

“It’s far too late for that now,” he breathed as he tried to get to his feet.  But he lacked the strength to hold himself up and just fell to his knees.  They all looked down at him with sorrow, pity, and regret. 

“You know… sometimes I think about that fake Medjed that you guys made up…”  Akechi managed to crane his head over to face Futaba.  Even with her huge goggles, he could feel the sorrowful emotion she wore on her face.  “That was the worst trap… but if not for that, I don’t think I’d be here right now.”  She paused to collect her breath only to clam up upon feeling all the eyes upon her.  Stage fright began to set in.  “Uhhh, basically… it doesn’t matter where you start over!”

Akechi felt his strength wither for a moment, forcing him to lean on his hands for support.  Makoto and Yusuke leaned by his side and placed their hands upon his shoulders for support.  Their touch felt strange.  Alien.  Something he hadn’t recognized in years.  Perhaps ever.  And it was coming from those he had set out to kill.

“…You all are truly beyond my comprehension.”  He had to admit that he was truly stumped.  “But why?  Why extend me this kindness?”

“You may not think so, but dude, you’re more than special…”  Ryuji’s kindness towards him caught Akechi off-guard.  Even more so with Makoto’s two cents.

“It pains me to admit… but your wit and strength far exceeds ours.  We only defeated you by teaming up.  I was honestly… envious of your natural ability.  It was frustrating to see how much my sister trusted you.”  Her insecurity and paranoia had made Makoto feel she was being replaced by her own family.

“I have no intention of forgiving you for what you did to my father, but… I sympathize with you.  I wholeheartedly understand wanting to get back at the adults who took from you…”  Of all people to be understanding, Akechi hadn’t expected it from Haru.  All this sympathy, being surrounded by those who understood or wanted to understand.  It was too much.  Through the small tears forming, he could see through his good eye that Akira remained unphased.  Still walking away with no slowing of pace.

“Joker, wait!” Ann pleaded as she gave chase.  Ryuji brought up the rear behind her. 

“It’s no use,” Akechi interrupted, slumped forward on his knees.  “It’s true, it’s all true!  I used all of you to gain vengeance on Shido and was planning on killing you after he became Prime Minister!  I lied to you, I used all of you!”  His gaze remained fixed on Akira, who still continued his trek even as Ryuji and Ann hassled him.  “When I first met you in the TV station, I wanted to be your friend because I thought you were interesting!  Then when you yelled at me at the train station, I thought I had ruined things!  But you tried to make amends, and I was so happy!  Happy to have one friend I could spend time with and talk to!  To feel less alone!  Though when I discovered your identity, I tried to choke out that friendship!  Keep dwelling on when you yelled at me to motivate myself to betray you, out of spite!  But I couldn’t!  You accepted me into your group, stood by my side, and even hung out with me!  All of you!”  He struggled to say more as a sob choked out of him, his whole body trembling from the mix of pain and anguish he was enduring.  He couldn’t hold it back anymore.  All this turmoil and pain he had stifled within.  “You gave me a place to belong and made me feel welcome!  I even wanted to help Morgana become human like you asked!  I had a home and friends, and I gave all of that up!  Because I’m selfish and a liar, a low traitorous human being!  And I ruined everything for all of you, and my misery and loneliness are all my fault!”

With that, he couldn’t stomach any more.  He leaned his head back and allowed the sorrow to wash right out of him.  Manic sobs left Akechi’s vessel as he cried an ocean of tears.  The others stood by him, heartbroken at seeing him collapse.  Even Akira was forced to stop in his tracks.  At the foot of the stairs, staring straight up them.  Ready to go, he could leave at any second.  But his legs refused to move.  He thought he was beyond such sob stories, such appeals to his empathy.  Akechi had long since embittered him towards any goodwill he could possibly feel.  Then he heard the sobbing.  Like the cries of a lost child.  If there was one thing he couldn’t stand, it was crying.  Never failed to move him emotionally.  Always tore at his heart to see someone else be moved to tears.  Just witnessing the act made him feel shame, as though he was humiliating the other person by witnessing their weakness.  He himself hated crying.  Very rarely would he let himself cry.  His pride refused out of fear of embarrassment.

“Joker… he needs us…”  Ann took hold of his arm pleadingly.  Begging him with her eyes not to walk away.

“Come on, man,” Ryuji reasoned.  “We’re not so different.  We can’t turn our back on him.”  To turn a blind eye to others’ suffering for his own self-satisfaction.  Akira himself had almost come to that limit.  Back in April when he first arrived and saw Ann being carted away by Kamoshida.  Ryuji had pressed and probed to find out more about Akira while the two stood in the rain.  For the longest time had Akira fought with himself to just shut the both of them out.  Leave them to whatever problems they had with Kamoshida and look after his own.  “Shido wronged him for all his life.  I know what it’s like not to have a dad around.  We gotta be that family for him now.”

The others had come to gather around him, each giving him a look begging him to reconsider.  To not let the world harden his heart.  The thing that had united all of them.  His unshaking uncompromising care for others.

“I know you’re angry, and you have every right to be.  But he’s a victim in all this too.”  Akira said nothing while Makoto attempted to reach out to him.  Not tuning her out but not listening either.  “Shido had wronged him long before you.  He’s owed justice more than all of us.”

“Even in his ill-gotten state, there is still decency within,” Yusuke added.  “You can hear it in his words how truly apologetic he is.  Like all of us, he had desires for a better life.  But when he gained the powerful to fulfill that desire, he only used it for his own self-benefit.  There was no one like us to guide him.  No one like you.  He excelled at everything over us, yet that was the one thing he lacked.”

“He never had what we did,” Haru implored.  “People in his life to help guide him.  To be his moral compass and be there for him.  Friends or a family.”

“The Phantom Thieves are a family,” Morgana offered.  “The only place I can belong.  Same with him.  Can we really turn him away after all he’s been through?”  The cat’s ears folded while he stared up at his leader.

“I may not trust him, but we’re all that’s left,” Futaba proceeded.  “You guys aren’t so different.  He had the same power as you, Joker.  To use multiple Personas, but because he went through life alone, the power he awakened was fueled by lies and hate.”  Any sort of hesitation she once felt when speaking was now gone.  Trying to turn him around was top priority.  “Some people just think that was enough.  That part, I totally get.”  One by one did they continue until his eyes fell upon Ann.  Who only stared back at him with her beautiful blue irises, wrought with pain and heartache.

“You can’t let anger and your grudges control you.  You almost did right there before I stopped you.”  The blonde wasn’t quite sure if he would take the shot.  Even as embittered as he was by what Shido had done and Akechi’s betrayal, he would never cross that line.  That part she had to believe.  But she had to make him see the line.  Keep him in line like he did for all of them.  “Akechi isn’t so different from all of us.  Angry at the world, lost, afraid, and lonely teenagers not sure of what to do.  We all were like that.  But we’re here now.  Here with you, because of you.  You saved us.  Can’t you help save him too?”  Gently did she extend a hand to cup his cheek.  To feel the warmth that still had to be there, not snuffed out by the cold bitterness Shido had thrust upon him.  “You don’t have to forgive him.  But do the right thing.  You’re kind and brave, willing to do what’s right no matter what.”  There was still a person under there.  Had to be.

On all sides did Akira find opposition.  While Akechi continued to wail in despair behind them.  They all turned to watch the broken husk of a human being, thoroughly convinced he was going to be left behind.  Forgotten and discarded to collect dust like Shido had done to him.  Akira had never heard a human being cry so hard and so long in his life.  It was already hard enough to watch as it was currently.  Within did he still feel that boiling anger.  That righteous indignation caused by betrayal.  It made him feel strong, drove him forward.  Akechi had caused him so much trouble and pain.  He hadn’t been lying about his pain.  In the brief time since he joined them, the two had become Phantom Thieves.  Akira had even been about to shut down the wiretapping on his phone.  It stung immensely worse than Morgana walking out on them.

But all of his friends’ words rang true.  Even with his estranged relationship with his parents, they still had provided comfort and love.  Instilled within him values.  Akechi had no such guidance.  No friends, family, or Velvet Room of his own.  Igor would never have guided him on such a path of malcontent, Akira was quite sure of that.  His life destroyed by Shido before it even had a chance to begin.  But did they make it okay?  Did it justify all the wrongs that had been done?  Not at all.

This was absolutely maddening.  Akira himself knew the world wasn’t a simplistic black and white dichotomy.  Near everything was grey to some degree and would leave him conflicted.  But he had never expected this.  To be pushed to the edge by anger but also be held back by sympathy.  How could he be sure this was even the truth?  And not just another ruse put in place at Shido’s behest?  Akira wanted to hold onto his anger.  To let it drive him forward until he pummeled Shido into dust.  Yet he couldn’t make himself move.  Not with Akechi there in need of his help.  He closed his eyes to let out a heavy sigh.  And heavily against his embittered judgment did he approach the detective.  Sighs of relief and soft words of encouragement followed him. 

Akechi had been completely oblivious to their conversation, having cried his eyes out.  The only noise he could hear was his own sobs.  His body ached from how hard he had fallen into despair.  Worse than any wound Akira had inflicted on him.  But the pain swiftly began to subside as did his sobs.  Vision restored itself to his eye, and the blood leaking from his nose ceased.  As he touched it, he could feel it be returned back to its prior state.  Skadi floated behind Akira, mirroring his motions.  They held a hand out towards Akechi to heal his wounds.  The Persona dissipated after the job was completed, but Akira’s hand remained.  Stretched out for the detective to take.

“…We’ve got work to do.”

Akechi could hardly believe what he was hearing.  Was this some sort of trick?  It had to be.  Someone like him – after all he had done – was unbecoming of such treatment.  But the look in Akira’s eye showed no malice.  Wariness, slight distrust.  To be expected, of course.  But also sympathy.  Even regret.  Tears began to reform in the detective’s weary eyes.  This time of relief.  His heart aching for different reasons this time.  He had completely forgone Akira’s hand in order to fully embrace him.

“I’m sorry!” he yelled, holding Akira tight as the tears fell harder.  Sobs choking out though not as violently as before.  “I’m so sorry!”  He chanted over and over while hugging his leader.  This felt like a dream.  A second chance at life after his path of malcontent.  It didn’t seem real.  Reluctantly did Akira feel himself deepen the embrace.  He still wanted to be angry.  To feel good to be right about someone else being in the wrong.  But he couldn’t help himself but feel good to have him back.  He reluctantly allowed it to sink in and let himself enjoy it.

“I knew you could do it, Joker.  I’m so proud of you…”  His eyes crept over to see Ann at their side, beaming at him with a relieved smile.  Sometimes she wondered what the world would be like if Akira lacked his heart of gold.  It would definitely have been a much bleaker place.

“Never doubted you for a minute, big guy,” Ryuji added, delivering a firm pat to his shoulder.  They all heaped their praises of relief on him, and slowly did he feel the ice around his heart dissipate.  Though his gust still twisted with uncertainty at going through with this.  There was so much to unpack and not a lot of time to do it.

“I can’t forgive you,” he stated.  Betrayal and murder.  Things he couldn’t allow himself to forgive.  Morgana may have walked out on them all, but what Akechi had done could not even compare.  But Shido had broken him alongside many others.  Manipulated him like a marionette.  It didn’t make his decisions right, but he was still someone in need.  And the Phantom Thieves had a code.  To victims and to each other.

“I know.  I don’t expect you to…”  It would’ve been foolhardy to believe things would heal so swiftly.  But he was given another chance at life even if he didn’t deserve it.  “I swear to you that I will do whatever it takes to prove myself.  I will give anything to make it up to you all.”

“Then help us.”  Akechi forced himself to break the embrace and face Akira head on.  The gaze he was given had changed.  Not of malice or contempt.  But firmness and determination, mixed with uncertainty.  He still doubted him to some extent.  Not that Akechi could blame him.  He was already risking a lot to take him back into the fold.  The detective could think of several ways to reinstate his plan and take them down.  But he wouldn’t.  Never again.  He’d rather die on his feet than stand on their corpses.  “It’ll be a start.”

 “All right, let’s go back and get that callin’ card ready!” Ryuji rallied.  “We’re gonna take Shido down.”  At last.  The vengeance he had long since sought.  Only now he could obtain it the right way.  By standing with his friends, not standing on top of them.  There was so much he had to make good on.  Defeat Shido, spread the truth about all his misdeeds to the public, and help in their quest to make Morgana human.  Clear the Phantom Thieves’ good name even if it cost him his own.  His reputation, his good standing.  It had all been ill-gotten.  What he would do after discarding it was beyond him.  But it would be worth casting aside to do the right thing.  What he always should’ve done.  “Akechi…?”

He blinked and saw them all staring back at him.  He had been so wrapped up in imagining a better future for him and all his friends that he had fallen behind.  They’d never get to the calling card with him daydreaming.  But something wasn’t right.  Instead of expressions of relief and comfort, they now sported shock and surprise.  What’s more is that he felt his hairs stand up on the back of his neck.  Like something was lingering behind him.  Something that instilled a sense of dread deep within the pit of his stomach.  Sure enough, his fears were founded as Akechi turned to face none other than… himself.

“Another one!?” Yusuke exclaimed in shock.  Two of the detective standing side by side.  The other one looked near identical save for a different outfit.  While Akechi sported his blackened outfit, the new Akechi wore the traditional school uniform.  But there was something else.  Minor little details easily missed to the untrained eye.  Something unnerved them about this other Akechi.  Then it hit Yusuke right on the nose.  “Wait, is he…”

“That’s… Shido’s cognitive version of Akechi!”  At Morgana’s words did they begin to see it.  The little things that had slipped past them stepped into the light in full.  The shadow beneath the new Akechi seemed to slither ever so slightly.  Like it was alive.  And the eyes.  So cold and lacking the shimmer of life in them.  A doll’s eyes.  Then the cold laugh that slipped through his thin lips.  Even Akechi’s real laugh didn’t make Akira’s skin crawl.

“I’ll deal with the rest of you later,” he uttered.  Not a drop of emotion in his voice.  It was like someone was reading lines and he a mere ventriloquist dummy.  As Akira reached for his gun, his movements were halted by the quick draw of the cognitive Akechi.  One step ahead of him as he drew a pistol on the true Akechi.  Both Akira and Akechi recognized the gun immediately.  A SIG-Sauer P230.  The very same gun he had shot the cognitive Akira with.  None of them dared move an inch with the gun pointed straight at Akechi’s head.  No trigger discipline at all.  And his robotically stiff but swift motion could vastly outpace them.  Akira growled through his teeth and being cornered yet again.  By some puppet.  “Captain Shido’s orders… He has no need for losers.”

“Captain Shido?” Ryuji growled.  Akira nearly gagged on the words.  It only made sense.  Shido already had a massive ego as it was, and his Palace was a giant cruise ship after all.  But to hear him actually refer to himself as the captain.  He’d find it laughable were the air not so tense.

“Well… this just moves the plan up a little.  He was going to get rid of you after the election anyway.

“What…!?”  The anger Akechi thought had left his system was starting to resurge.  How foolish did he find it not to have seen this coming.  Shido had ordered him to bump off everyone else involved in their little conspiracy.  Kobayakawa, Okumura, Niijima, the SIU Director, and the Phantom Thieves. 

“Did you truly believe you’d be spared after all the murders you undertook?” the cognitive Akechi asked.  Even with his monotone voice, his words cut deep with their mockery.  Then it slowly began to slip in.  The doppelganger was developing a tone as he monologued Shido’s plans.  Evolving the traits to hold disdain and mock him right before their very eyes.  Just his luck.  “Don’t tell me… Were you actually feeling good about having someone rely on you for once?  Oh by the way, the captain says it’s time you receive retribution for causing the mental shutdowns.”

“The hell, man!?” Ryuji shouted.  “That bastard’s the one who put him up to it!”  Pin the blame on the very one he ordered and then fall back on plausible deniability when he was gone.  Shido was damn smart, Akira had to give him that.  It only made his jaw clench harder in anger.  How could someone be so morally bankrupt?  Exploit children, use assassinations and terrorism to advance himself, even kill his own son.  His thoughts were interrupted by a chilling chuckle.  From none other than Akechi himself.  The real Akechi.

“I see… I was wondering how he’d protect himself if I used my power to tear through his Palace.  Turns out you’re how.”  He spat the blood that had pooled in his mouth from earlier onto the ground in disdain.  “How ironic.  So he’s making a puppet kill me.  Sounds like something he’d do.”

“That’s right.  I’ll do anything.  But look at yourself… you’re the true puppet.”  As they watched the two stand off, their blood ran cold at the cognitive Akechi’s face.  His tone retained that emotionless roboticism, but his eyes.  The irises had now retracted and were barely the size of dimes.  A psychotic and demented look, even worse than when Akechi had awakened Loki against them.  Like a feral animal.  “You wanted to be acknowledged, didn’t you?  To be loved?  You’ve been nothing but a puppet form the very beginning.”

_The truth is that this little game of yours was rigged from the start._

How little did Akechi truly understand the words he had used to mock the fake Akira.  He had been right all along.  He had been the dog on the leash.  Had everything been part of Shido’s plan?  He wouldn’t be surprised if Shido was the one who awakened his Persona to begin with somehow.

“You little…!” Ryuji growled.

“This is what Shido thinks of Akechi-kun,” Makoto managed to breathe.  His own flesh and blood to be disposed of like trash.  “Even after making him help with the murders…!?  It’s… it’s too horrible!”  She herself was on the verge of tears.  To be seen as a burden by family.  The two of them weren’t so different.  No wonder Akechi had become so attached to Sae.

“It’s still not too late!” Haru reasoned, attempting to reach out to Akechi’s shadow.  Akira had shown her that they could be negotiated with, even join their side to become Personas in his arsenal.  “We can change his heart together!  Even if he’s your father… No, _because_ he’s your father!”  With her words did the doppelganger turn to stare them down.  His face now twisted into a hideous grimace, teeth bared at the ready.

“What’s all this nagging about…?” the cognitive Akechi asked, tone still cold and lifeless as winter.  “Want me to take care of you first?”  From his shadow did other dark beings that had dwelled within Shido’s Palace emerge.  Closing in on Akechi.  The detective stood all by his lonesome, surrounding on each side while his friends were held at bay.  Akira’s mind went to work fast to try and counter their predicament.  Akechi would be hard-pressed to fend off the shadows in his weakened state.  They could take care of them, but they couldn’t outrun a bullet.  One false move and the gun would either pierce Akechi or them.  “You know what?  I’ll let someone volunteer to take his place.  Who knows, you might delay his death.”

“ _Dammit_ ,” he growled beneath his breath.  Gloating and playing games now too.  The doppelganger encompassed everything he thought about Akechi initially.  He should’ve saved the beating for this Akechi instead.

“You guys are all about doing things for others, aren’t you?” the cognitive Akechi taunted with his manic hyena smile.  “Oh, that’s just the same as me.  I’m going to take all the blame for our captain.  I’ll die for him too.”  He turned to his counterpart, delivering a cold lifeless stare.  “Here, I’ll give you one last chance.”  The shadow at the cognitive Akechi’s side slid the gun over to him.  “Shoot them.”  Outclassed by both sides.  The man he had served under and the team he had betrayed.  All he could do was laugh.  A cold mirthless laugh of contempt.

“I was such a fool,” he mused.  Slowly did he take up the gun and aim it.  Right at Akira.  They all exclaimed in shock at his turn around.  To have reached out to him only to see him fall back into his old ways.  At least that was what Akira thought before he took notice of the wink.  He narrowed an eye at the detective, curious as to what he had planned.  The cognitive Akechi remained blissfully unaware of their nonverbal exchange while he monologued.

“Yes… That’s the you our captain wishes to see.” 

“Oh, don’t misunderstand.  You’re the one who’s going to disappear!”  In the blink of an eye, Akechi had spun around and taken the shot.  Faster than any of them could’ve processed.  The detective was quick on the draw.  Possibly even quicker than Akira.  But unfortunately, so was his cognitive self.  Who had fallen to his knees, clutching at his bleeding side.  Akechi’s legs buckled underneath him as he forced himself to stand.  The bullet had found its mark in his ribs.

“Akechi!” the others yelled out.

“Crow!” 

His moniker.  His nickname.  It had come from none other than Akira.  Akechi felt the sting from that sear hotter than the bullet wound.  But it was a good feeling.  As his mind raced from the resulting pain, Akechi had come to a major realization.  Once they changed Shido’s heart, he would confess to his crimes.  All of them.  Everyone and anyone involved would be outed, names dragged through the mud, and arrested.  Including him.  Even if the team could forgive him, he would be locked away in jail.  Life imprisonment if he was lucky.  Death penalty at his worst.  Either way, the Crow would be a caged bird.  But not if he had a say in it.  His mind worked at its fastest to get them out, keep his freedom, and take down this shadowy doppelganger.  He had memorized the ship’s layout.  Knew Shido’s Palace better than even Shido did.  And he knew just what to aim for.

_BANG!_

The bullet had whizzed past Akira and hit its destined target on the far wall behind them all.  The emergency bulkhead switch.  Sparks leapt from it as the bullet shattered the electronics, a loud alarm and automated voice signaling his success.

_The watertight bulkhead door has been closed.  All personnel within the partition wall, evacuate at once._

Akira and the others looked around desperately to try and find out what Akechi had just done.  The alarm blaring in the metallic halls was near deafening.  Before they could determine what was truly at work, the partition wall in question shot up right before them.  It rose higher and higher until it touched the ceiling, leaving the Phantom Thieves and Akechi separated on opposite sides.

“Whoa, what is this!?” Futaba exclaimed in confusion.  Akira and Ryuji raced for the metallic wall.

“Akechi!” Ryuji shouted as he banged on the metal wall.  Akira pawed at the wall with his hands, trying to find some sort of hatch or shutter to get through.  Akechi wouldn’t last long if left to his own devices.  He withdrew his karambit knife and stabbed the wall, but it just flew from his hand onto the floor.  “Joker, what do we do?!”

“I… I…”  His mind raced fast as lightning to find a way to get them out of this corner they had been backed into.  Both boys summoned their Personas and assaulted the wall with magic and physical attacks.   But it refused to budge.  Even with the entire team laying into the metal structure, it still held solid.  Akira could feel the time slipping through his fingers like sand.  It would take far too long to navigate their way around the wall.  “Maybe I can have Arsene fly up and tear the wall down-“

“Hurry up and go!”  Even muffled from behind the metallic wall, Akechi’s words rang clear as day.  None of them could believe what they were hearing.

“You fool!” Yusuke countered as he tried to thrust his katana through the metal.  The blade nearly snapped in two from his efforts, but the wall held its ground.  “Are you trying to get yourself killed!?”

“The real fools… are you guys,” he managed between breaths.  The pain seared through his body as the blood leaked out of his side.  “You should have just abandoned me here a long time ago…”  Upon the ground did he spit his own blood.  In defiance of his cognitive self and Shido.  “You would have all perished… if you tried to face these with me weighing you down…”  It became increasingly harder to breathe.  Perhaps his cognitive self had pierced a lung.  He was a damn good shot.  Just like the real thing.  Akechi had to admit he felt a twisted sense of pride in knowing Shido felt so highly about his shooting skills.

“Akechi-kun!” Makoto cried out, still laying into the wall with her fists.  It was like chiseling away at a mountain with a fork.  Akira turned around and stared at Futaba with a manic frantic look.

“Oracle!  Get him out of there!” he growled between gritted teeth.  The leader pointed towards the sky and materialized Arsene from behind him.

“I’m trying!”  The girl was fast at work on her holographic display trying to get a lock onto Akechi from behind the wall.  His vitals were dripping fast, heart rate unsteady.  If she worked fast enough, she might be able to port him out of there.  Shift him either back to the entrance or out of the Metaverse completely.  Either one was better than letting him die.

“Let’s make a deal… okay?  You won’t say no, will you?”  Arsene tugged with all his might at the metal wall, but even with his magical strength, the wall held.  Akira felt himself hiss through his teeth at Akechi’s tone.  There was a sense of playfulness there through the pain.  Levity.

“Why at a time like this…!?” Yusuke pressed.  They all felt their strength and magic starting to dwindle from trying to tear the wall down.  Futaba was on the verge of pulling her hair out as she tried to lock onto Akechi’s signal.  But something about the wall was interfering with it.  Magical in nature, it had to be.  Another of Shido’s ploys.

“Change Shido’s heart… in my stead,” he croaked out.  The boy had backed himself up against the metal wall to be close to them.  One last time.  Slowly did his cognitive self creep toward him, faring hardly any better than he was.  “End his crimes…”

“You’re coming with us to finish the job!” Akira shouted, pounding his fist on the metal.  “That’s an order!  You hear me?!”  Akechi couldn’t help but laugh.  Even after all that had occurred, Akira was trying to save him.  How wishy-washy.  The throws of hormones and emotion.  This had been what he wanted.  To be part of something, to have people want him there.

“Please, Akira.”  The detective leaned his head back against the wall, looking back at them even though he couldn’t see the others through it.  But he could feel them there.  “Don’t beg.  It’s unbecoming of you.”  He couldn’t help but chuckle a little.  “I told you I would do whatever it took to prove myself.  And I meant it.”

 _No…_ Akira’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.  He felt sharp searing pain through his heart, his skin grow cold and pale.  _Not like this.  Not this way…_

“You bastard!” the cognitive Akechi sneered as he finally mustered the strength to raise his gun.  Barely able to stand on his feet.  Even shadows bled.  He could see a little something in those doll-like eyes.  Frustration, anger, even fear.

“Now you know what it’s like to be alive,” the detective taunted at his doppelganger.  And to himself.  “So, my final enemy is a puppet version of myself…”  He had been fighting with himself on what to do since he discovered Akira was a Phantom Thief.  Now he was literally fighting himself.  He had to laugh.  “Not bad.”

“Akechi-kun!” Haru shouted, close to tears.

“Isn’t there some way to get this open, Mona?” Ann asked.  The cat himself had disappeared.  From behind them did the sudden revving of an engine spring up.  They all scattered as Morgana came barreling towards the wall.  The car slammed into the wall and was promptly bounced off it like he was a rubber ball.  Now they were just being taunted by the Palace.  This Palace and the cruelty of fate.

“Dammit, Crow!” Akira shouted as he tried to crowbar the karambit under the wall.  It looked close to splintering in his grip.  “There’s gotta be some sort of switch or hatch to get this open!  We are not leaving you behind-“

“Akira…”  His voice was barely a step above a whisper’s as he spoke.  “I’ve lived my whole life trying to please others.  Dancing on a string as a servant for Shido in all this.  I killed people, even tried to kill you.  Betrayed all of you.  Just so I can try to make him fall.  When I lived for myself, I had always lived for selfish reasons.  Fame, acknowledgment.  I cared little that what I did was wrong.”  Akechi gently laid his hand against the wall behind him.  “Just this once.  Let me live my life as a free man.  Not a puppet, not destroying lives to get what I want.  Just for once, let me do the right thing… for the first and last time.”

Two gunshots.  In succession of one another.  Then silence.

Akira couldn’t breathe.  His knees threatened to give out as he leaned against the wall.

“His signal is… gone…”

Futaba’s words felt like he had been stabbed through the back with a hot knife.  All she could sense were the lackey shadows.  Ann held a hand to her mouth in shock and disbelief.  Feeling tears well up in her eyes at having to behold one of their own – even if he had betrayed them – die before them while they remained helpless to stop it.  Akira had fallen to his knees as his whole body shook.  He felt immensely sick, as though he might vomit right on the spot.  Ryuji attempted to reach out to him but was swatted away.  He growled at them not to touch him.  Their leader was fuming.  At his wit’s end at being cornered once again.  To have another death on his hands.  Failure.  As much as he wanted to shut down, Morgana wouldn’t let him.  The cat demanded they get on their feet and push on through.  Secure the Treasure and get the calling card.  There would be time to mourn Akechi later.

As the others rushed off to finish things, Akechi felt the life leave his body.  His vision grew dark and hazy as he sat against the wall, alone.  In its weakened state, his cognitive doppelganger had proven to be a clumsy shot.  He could count the seconds of life he had left.  And they were slipping right through his open palm.  The strength to grasp them, to try and hold on just wasn’t there. 

It wasn’t how he had envisioned it.  Not exactly.  He was still alone.  All by himself as he had expected.  But it was a good day to die.  He could go to his grave knowing for once in his life, he did the right thing.  As a free man.  There was no way he could allow himself to be caged.  To be jailed and sealed away from the world.  Though he deserved his punishment for his wrongdoings, it was something he could not abide by.  For too long had he spent living his life for others’ approval, to make himself feel good.  Now he would live his life for himself even if he had nothing else to live.

As the light finally faded and Akechi passed, for the first time could he feel like a free man.  That he felt like a good man.

* * *

“ _DAMMIT!_ ” 

Akira slammed his fist into the support beam upstairs.  Things just kept getting worse all the time.  He was positively fuming, steam practically emanating from his pores.  Frustration, anger, and pain dragged his heart down to the pits of his stomach.  The rest of the team had departed, dismissed after the somber briefing.  He was deadset on it.  Tomorrow.  No exceptions.  No obligations.  No excuses.  Shido had to go down as soon as possible.  Today had been the breaking point for Akira.  The point where he could no longer hold himself back.

“We’ll get him,” Morgana assured him, the cat curled up on his desk.  “Shido will rue the day he ever brought his evil to Tokyo.”  Akira couldn’t bring himself to face him.  He leaned against the support beam and groaned through his teeth.  His glasses were placed on the nightstand by his bed, allowing him to lean on his forearm.  His head was screaming in pain as he clenched back the tears of frustration in his eyes.

“We lost another one,” he said, grit low and dry at the back of his throat.  “Somebody else died on our watch.  Akechi had done… so much wrong.  So much to me.  He deserved to atone in some way, but… not like that!  Not shot down like some dog!  By his own damn father!”  Even with his pain, he couldn’t excuse the betrayal.  Maybe later on in life he could come to terms with it.  But not now.  Which only made him feel worse about Akechi’s death.  Perhaps if he had the capacity to forgive all that quicker, he’d still be here.  Not feeling he had to sacrifice himself.  Akira had never hated a single human being more in all his life than Shido.  The man was pure evil.  Despicably irredeemably foul. 

“You did the right thing at the end.”  Morgana hated seeing Akira like this.  Lost, plagued by doubt, blaming himself.  But this wasn’t something he could just shout him down on like after the Reaper incident.  This cut way deeper than anything else.  “You did everything you could to try and save him.  You gave him a chance to be more than what Shido made him into.  What he made himself into by being so lost and alone.”

“It wasn’t good enough.”  Akira slammed his head against the support beam.  Making himself hurt like Akechi had hurt. 

“It was good enough for him.”

“He deserved better.”

“We all do.  But we have to take what’s given to us and try to make it better.  You taught me that, Akira.”  Akira opened his eyes and weakly turned to face the cat.  “Even after Shido destroyed your life, you didn’t give up.  You could’ve easily turned a blind eye to everyone’s suffering.  But you helped out all those people.  Ann, Ryuji, Shiho, even me.  With nothing you wanted in return but just to see them happy.”  The cat lowered his ears and peered up at his best friend with sad blue eyes.  “You’re a good person, Akira.  And our hero.  You don’t deserve to put yourself through this torment.”

His words touched him.  And also caused him to recoil.  Their friendship was a close one, a brotherhood.  Staying late into the night to discuss things, wax philosophical, talk about the world.  They told each other nearly everything.  But his kindness was something Akira felt he didn’t deserve right now.  He needed that pain, that righteous indignation to power on through with his decision to drag Shido down.  Let himself be anger and vengeance incarnate.  For Akechi, for everyone he ever stepped on, for himself.

“You should get some sleep,” he dismissed before heading over to the workbench.

“What about you?” Morgana asked curiously as he curled up on the bed.

“Gonna make some tools.  Keep my mind occupied.  I’m too stir-crazy to sleep now.”  It made sense to the cat.  Akira was quite the anxious person.  And rather footloose as well, pacing whenever his mind wandered or when he became entrenched in a serious in-depth conversation.

“Just don’t stay up too late.  Like you said, we’re making this happen tomorrow.”  Akira merely nodded at him.  Futaba was fiercely determined to make it happen.  Yusuke had suggested they take a couple days to rehearse or write scripts but now was not the time.  Shido needed to fall here and now.  “We’ll change his heart and bring him to justice.  I swear it.”

Justice.  That’s what this was all about.  What it was supposed to be anyway.  A fair system of equal treatment for all.  But men like Shido cared nothing for equality.  Someone like Shido had no remorse or morality.  He was a parasite there to bleed his victim dry until he was satisfied.  Then have them rot from the inside out via some disease he had implanted.  A hideous disgusting creature under the guise of a man.  Shido wasn’t human.  He was the closest thing to a monster that walked the earth.  And were they able to change his heart, he would sit in a cushy jail cell for the rest of his life.  Taken care of by taxpayer dollars while his victims have to struggle with the burden thrust upon them by his abuse.  And Akechi would be forgotten by everyone, left to rot.  Where was the justice in that?  The fairness?  The equality?

Akira peered back over his shoulder while he fiddled with his tools.  Morgana had curled up on his pillow.  It had been such an eventful day so it didn’t surprise Akira that he had passed out so swiftly.  He turned his attention back to his desk and to the drawer at the side.  His thoughts darkened when he opened it, revealing the desert eagle he used in combat.  And a huge manila folder with tons of newspaper clippings, printed documents, the tape recorder, and a picture of Shido.  The sheer malice with which he stared at the picture felt strong enough to burn a hole in it.

“…There’s not going to be a change of heart,” he growled beneath his breath.

Haru.  Her father.  Akechi.  Sae.  Sojiro.  Futaba.  Her mother.  Kayo.  The woman he had defended.  All the people whose lives were ruined by his political interference and those that were injured from his using of Akechi to cause that subway incident.  The lies covered, the injustices allowed.  Government and law played with like a cheap toy only they were all the ones who were being broken.  Scuffed up, dirtied, stepped on, chewed up, spat out. 

He cocked the pistol in his hand.  The word Arsene still engraved plain as day on the side.  His silver eyes fell to a dangerous shade as Shido’s smug joyless face took center stage in his irises.  To hell with justice.  This was all for revenge now.  To completely and utterly break the plague upon Japan.  If Shido wanted to change the world and send a message for all to see, then he certainly would.  He would deliver it to the masses personally.  No evil would be tolerated, and it would be punished to the highest degree.  Ruthlessly and without remorse or mercy.  Without hesitation.  By his own hand would he do the deed, and absolutely no one would stop him.  He had stayed his hand and forced himself to toe the line for long enough.  It clearly hadn’t been enough.  Now Shido would feel his great vengeance and furious anger firsthand.

Tomorrow, Masayoshi Shido was going to die.


	54. Razor's Edge

_12/01/17 – Thursday_

All across the country had their grand return been announced.  Now they knew the Phantom Thieves were never down or out.  The hour of reckoning.  Cutting off the head of the proverbial snake at long last.  Even when cornered within the confines of his very down Palace did Shido’s shadow hold onto his arrogant.  Not even batting an eye at the revelation of Akechi being his son.  Turning his own plan against him by playing to his insecurities.  Congratulate him on doing a job well done and Akechi took to his leash even when trying to kill him.  And for what purpose?  Just to hide from his past shame, to keep his record spotless.  It only further twisted the knife Akira had embedded into his shoulder.  That he had to heavily steeped blame on Akechi despite Shido’s massive hand in it.

Turned out that Shido’s ego was even larger than Akira ever could’ve imagined.  Ravings and rantings about being ordained by “God” himself to fix the sickened country.  A complete and utter lack of remorse for all he had orchestrated just to appease some insane fantasy of obtaining divinity.  He had stepped up to the plate through the apathy that plagued the people of Japan.  They were all complacent with giving up responsibilities and decision-making to him just so they can have peace of mind.  To live as slaves embracing ignorance and simplicity.  Hard work was underappreciated, and apathy had eaten away at people’s dreams, aspirations, goals, and sense of right.  Better to live in the shadows than stand in the spotlight to fix what was wrong.  But Shido didn’t care about making other lives better.  Rather than fixing the system, he would only adopt the mantle of what was wrong with it.  A politician through and through.  But it all only made what Akira had planned sweeter…

The fight against him was backbreaking.  Almost earthshattering in how many tricks Shido had up his sleeve.  Not one but two forms revealing the inner self.  The first was the mental image of himself, a caped crusader standing atop a construct of the people.  The other a musclebound meathead, reflecting the true inner self.  A bully that would snap the necks of any around him just to stand tall.  His forms huge and awe-inspiring.  But his twisted malformed guises failed to stay Akira’s hand.  The bigger they were, the harder they would fall.  And Shido’s fall would echo across the entire world.

“How could I… lose?” Shido groaned, leaning on his elbows after his shadowy form faded away before their very eyes.  Nowhere to run, nowhere to go.  Shido was at the mercy of the Phantom Thieves now.  And soon his plans would be undone.  Years of work and all the lives he had stepped on.  Brought to heel by some kids.  Beaten and bruised by these mere teenagers, lacking even the strength to stand.  “This shouldn’t be possible.  I had God on my side.”

“Then your God has abandoned you.”  Shido looked up to meet the steely glare of Akira.  The Phantom Thief had discarded his mask to the side so Shido can take a long look at his face.  To burn it into his memory.  It felt like an absolute rush to stare down at the defeated Shido.  After so long and so much torment, it would soon be over.

“Don’tcha got something to say to our leader before you go passin’ out?” Ryuji taunted smugly.  In his head, the blond was planning the largest celebration of all time.  He nudged his leader with a wicked grin, but Akira remained unresponsive.  What was to happen after this was over would be anyone’s guess.  There would be bonds broken, and they would surely split after this.  But it was a risk he was willing to take.  For once, he was going to be a little selfish.

“Yes…”  Shadow Shido clutched his chest as he coughed, still reeling from how hard they had knocked the wind right out.  A look of remorse hung upon his face as he looked up at Akira.  From the position he was in, Shido appeared to be kneeling.  Akira resisted the smirk threatening to curl the corners of his lips from this display of levity.  “I acknowledge… that I incriminated you on false charges.  I did it to protect myself…”  For the first time in his life, the man bowed his head in reverence and solace.  True repentance in his final moments before cleansing.  “I’m so sorry for what I’ve done…”  Surprisingly enough, Shido felt a smile appear on his face.  Not one borne of the exploitation of others or through selfishness, for once.  “It feels as though it’s been quite some time since I have felt sincerely apologetic…”

“You’re not sorry.  Not yet.  But you will be.”  Akira’s words chilled the man to the bone.  He hadn’t felt this creeping sensation descend down his spine in years.  Decades, even.  And it was at the hands of some kid.  It all felt so strange.  The fire of rebellion and egotism were gone.  It felt good.  Unexpected.

“So, I’ve been defeated…”  A soft sad little laugh escaped the man.  Defeat had never been an option in his mind.  Now it was all he could think about.  In a way, he had to thank the Phantom Thieves for liberating him.  Freeing him from his own self.

“Get up,” Akira ordered.  Shido mustered the strength to rise.  He met the disapproving stares lined up to bury him.  Ann had her arms folded, tapping a finger on her forearm while she sized him up.  They wouldn’t be able to clear Akira’s name.  Even after Shido confessed, he would still be forced to shoulder the unfair burden thrust upon him.  But this felt like a solid victory.  A way to finally put all of this behind them.  Save Tokyo, avenge the fallen, end this conspiracy once and for all, and deliver Akira the justice he deserved. 

“What will you do now?” Shido asked.  They all were so young in his eyes.  So much to live for and he had tried to take it away.  It still didn’t seem to stick.  Those that had opposed him back with Madarame were just high school students.  Younger than his own son.

“Whatever we want,” Akira growled coldly.  He was biding his time.  Allowing Shido to marinate before he went through with it.  The others looked to him for some sort of guidance.  With Shido now gone, what was the next goal?  Head home and celebrate?  Press deeper into Mementos to help Morgana become human?  The sky was the limit now.  At last they were free.  Maybe things could finally go somewhat back to normal.  Slowly, Akira turned away as though he was going to lead them out.  Looking back at them for a brief second before swinging around and clocking Shido right in his face.

_POW!_

Blood and spit flew across the room along with the shattered glass of Shido’s spectacles.  This punch had been more satisfying than when he had punched Akechi yesterday.  The old man’s head yanked back as he fell onto the floor, cupping his face.

“My nose!” he cried out, blood leaking out from behind them.  Akira’s fingers were gnarled like claws as he reached out to grab Shido by the collar.  Left and right did he alternate, clocking Shido right in the face relentlessly.  His silver eyes manic with fury now that all the anger finally was let free.  Kicks and punches to the stomach in rapid succession, before slamming his head against the podium.  As Shido tried to crawl away, he was met with Akira’s boot kicking him in the side of the head.  Slamming it repeatedly against the wood.  Shido felt as though he was on the verge of a concussion from the beating.  But Akira wasn’t done.

From beneath his shadow did Arsene rise, ensnaring the politician in his claws.  The Persona hovered in the air while Shido was dangled by the throat.  Gasping for air, eyes widened with fear.  Akira clenched his fist, prompting Arsene to mirror in kind.  Nearly choking the life from the politician above.  He could end it there.  Strangle him or even snap his neck with a flick of his wrist.  But this was only the beginning.  He planned to take his time.  At his command did Arsene throw Shido towards the cabinet seat at the back of the room.  The wooden structure shattered when the old man crashed right into it.  Splinters and shards of wood flew through the air, sawdust raining over the Phantom Thieves.

The others stood back and beheld the display of ferocity.  Shido deserved all the abuse given towards him.  For everything he had done to them all.  Even so, it was a hard display to behold.  No one wanted to step in though.  To ask him to stay his hand and let it go.  The old man needed to suffer, to feel the weight of his decisions firsthand.  And no one would dare try and stop Akira after all he had been through.  But none of them could shake the feeling of something sinister afoot.

Akira dismissed Arsene and walked towards the battered Shido, slumped up against the wall.  His entire body ached from being thrown like a ragdoll.  Could barely lift his arms to shield himself from Akira as he approached.  The teenager ripped a leg off one of the scattered wooden chairs and swung for his head.

“No, please!  Spare me!  Have mercy-“

The loud thud of the wood against his head halted his words.  It was such a clean swing that the leg had even snapped in half.

“Mercy?!” Akira snapped as he stomped on Shido’s knees.  “Where was the mercy that you denied to Akechi?!  To Okumura?!  Futaba’s mom?!  Now _you’re_ begging for it?!”  The boy grabbed a discarded desk lamp and smashed it against Shido’s head.  Sparks and shattered glass leapt from the both of them.  Shido writhed in pain from the flash singing his skin.  Some shards had even been embedded in his head.  “Did it feel good?  To kill him?!  To kill all of them?!”  Akira swung around and hit Shido in the right side of his face with the metal part of the lamp.  A hefty black eye sat there, mirroring the one he had given Akechi.  “You get all you wanted out of the world?!  Huh?  Did you?!”  The boy pounced upon him and began to strangle him with his own two hands.  Teeth bared and eyes widened like a feral animal.  Not an ounce of remorse in them.  Only a cold-blooded killer’s.  As though Shido was staring down a shark.

“Please!  Spare me, I beg you!” he managed, spitting out the blood pooling in his mouth.  “I’ll give you anything you want!  Money, power, women, booze!  Whatever you ask for, I can make it happen!”

“ _I want answers._ ”  He growled between gritted teeth, nearly tearing the clothes right off Shido his arms were shaking so much.  It was right there before him.  Akira could end this now.  But he wasn’t ready just yet.  Bleed him dry.  Make him confess to all his sins. 

“Y-yes!” Shido managed to wheeze out.  “Anything!  I’ll tell you everything!”  Akira hoisted him up by his collar and threw him onto the ground behind him.  The other Phantom Thieves had gathered at the bottom of the stairs to witness.  And they all thoroughly shocked by what Akira had done to Shido’s face.  It was barely recognizable from how he had beaten and stomped him so.  The shards of glass embedded into the side of his head were gruesome, blood and sweat shimmering in the lights above them.  This was a display of brutality even Akechi hadn’t been subjected to.  Lethal intent.

“Wakaba Isshiki,” Akira growled while he held Shido by the collar, as though he was escorting a dog by the scruff of its neck.  “Say it out loud.”  The old man was trembling in fear, his breaths shaky as his body tried to settle.  But Akira bore him no sort of reprieve, punching him in the side of the face.  “I said _talk_!”  His head snapped so swiftly to the side that the others feared Akira had killed him.  But he still had life in his body.  For now.

“Okay, okay!” Shido responded frantically.  “Yes!  Yes, I orchestrated her killing!  She knew too much about my crimes!  That’s why I ordered Akechi to do it!” 

Futaba’s eyes went wide at this revelation, the breath leaving her very body.  It was bad enough to finally hear him say he had killed her mother.  But the murder had come from one of their own?  Even with the knowledge that Akechi had been manipulated all this time, the pain wasn’t any less bearable.  The young girl felt her knees give out, tears leaking down her face from beneath the goggles.  It took all of her strength to resist sobbing.  Futaba felt herself blindsided by Yusuke, who held her tight in his comforting embrace.  She let out muffled cries into his chest, grateful to have him there.  Akira’s heart ached with remorse at seeing Futaba be rendered to this state.  Even on his knees, Shido found new ways to hurt him.  Which he took out on him by stomping on the back of his knee.

“Okumura!  Tell us why you killed him!”  He knew why.  Toranosuke had clued him in with his own hypothesis.  But he needed to hear it aloud.  To hear all his dirty little secrets be made public to them.

“We were working together!  Business partners!”  Shido gagged on some blood that had welled up in his mouth.  The taste of iron had dried his tongue and lips completely.  “Had an arrangement to prop him up as the Administrator of Food Safety!  After we bumped off the other guy!  But he got greedy!  He kept attracting too much media coverage!  Way too many for us to cover!  After Kaneshiro, it became too difficult to damage control!”

Haru held a hand to her mouth, breath caught in her throat.  Her father had been roped into a government conspiracy with such an evil man and paid the price.  Using Akechi as his own little attack dog to cover up his crimes in order not to get caught.  It sickened her to the very core of her stomach. 

“Madarame!” Akira demanded.  “Did you know about Yusuke?  About Madarame exploiting his pupils?”  Kaneshiro was of no real concern to Akira.  Just some thug street trash they had been wrapped up in.

“I did!” Shido groaned through gritted teeth as Akira applied the pressure.  “We would work with local schools to find talented artists and send Madarame after them!  He took care of the rest, and we made sure to bury any that tried to speak up in litigation!”

Yusuke clenched his fist in anger at his words, distracted from Futaba.  They had known all this time that that young artists were being worked like in a sweatshop.  Even supplied Madarame the means to further his operations.  Hundreds of artworks manufactured while the true significance and artists were buried in the back like trash.  And to know they could’ve stopped it at any point.  Instead, just content to let them be ground into dust for a government conspiracy.  He growled in pain through his teeth at the sting of this betrayal.  The artist felt dragged back to reality by the comforting touch of Futaba, who had dragged him in for an embrace.  Her soft apologies helped soothe the rebel’s soul.  But Akira met his eyes and could see the pain plain as day.  This earned another beating for Shido.

“Now Kobayakawa!  Why did you target him?!”  Now here was the real moment of truth.  The mystery that had plagued him since coming back from Hawaii.  What exactly had his connection been to Shido?

“He was an investor!” Shido confessed, lip numbed and bloodied.  “In exchange for supporting my campaign, he would’ve had a seat on the Ministry of Education!  All he needed to do was make sure Shujin kept its pristine image!  Having the best volleyball team in the country, even keeping you at school!  Reforming a criminal on probation would’ve bolstered his image and therefore up enrollment!  In exchange for this clean image, I would endorse the school and net him tons of money!  A legacy!”

“And Kamoshida?”

“We had known all about his exploits for the longest time!  He was the reason we brought Kobayakawa into the fold!  We helped cover up any potential allegations that leaked out of the school!  Paying off journalists and the parents of the abused just to further our plans!  All that changed when you took his heart!”

Ryuji and Ann could hardly believe his words.  For the longest time, they had assumed Kamoshida was some isolated incident.  But to know that their school had been in the midst of this conspiracy and their abuses being covered completely?  It had already been bad enough knowing Kobayakawa had been complicit in it.  Shiho, Mishima, Ann, Ryuji, Akira.  They had all been pawns.

“You goddamn…” Ryuji growled as he cracked his knuckles.  “If Akira hadn’t already done so, I’d kick your head in!”  It was all too tempting to get a couple hits in.  But Shido looked barely coherent as it was.  Akira was thoroughly efficient, Ryuji had to credit.  Ruthlessly so.

“You bastard!” Ann shouted, sparks of fire leaping from her hands.  The thought of Shiho being swept under the rug to further some corrupt agenda put in place by a lunatic believing he was ordained by God.  Had they not needed him to confess, she might’ve just burned him at the stake.  “Just standing by and doing nothing… You’re scum!  Worse than Kamoshida!”

“I know!” Shido begged, falling onto his elbows as he cried out in anguish.  “I’m sorry!  I’m so sorr-“

“ _SHUT UP!_ ”  Akira wasted no time in punching Shido in the back of the head.  It hit the wooden stairs with a loud thud.  “You don’t _get_ to be sorry!  You lost that right the second you threw innocents under the bus!” 

“For causing countless mental shutdowns in others, you will atone… with your life.”  It disgusted Makoto to know that her sister had been under the thumb of his vile old man.  With him put away for good, Sae could restore the police to their former glory.  “Confess all of your crimes and spend the rest of your life in jail.”

“Come, Joker,” Yusuke beckoned.  “Let us depart.”  Akira stared down at them from atop the stairs, trenchcoat flowing in the nonexistent wind.  They were all eager to put this behind them.  With the Palace not collapsing just yet, it seemed like it would be an easy walk out.

“Y-Yes,” Shido weakly stammered.  “I’ll c-confess… to everything.”  Back down on his elbows, barely managing to hold himself up.  This teenage boy really packed a punch.  Made sense given he had to do battle with shadows all the time.  He could barely see through his swollen eyes.  There was hardly any feeling in his hands from Akira stepping on his fingers.  But soon it would all be over and he could confess.

“No.  You won’t.”  The click of the hammer caused the others to spin around, almost giving them whiplash.  None of them had expected Akira to be holding Shido down, a gun pointed at his head. 

“Joker!” Futaba yelled.

“Huh?!  W-wait!” Makoto cried out.

“What are you doin’, man?!” Ryuji attempted to reason.

“No!  Please!  Don’t kill me!”  Shido’s begging was interrupted as Akira smacked him in the side of the head with the pistol.  “Y-you can’t!  It’s not the Phantom Thief way!”  Wrong choice of words as Shido quickly found Akira’s hand around his throat.

“You tried to frame us for murder!  Tried to pin the death of Okumura on his own daughter!  Rewrite the books on all we’ve done when it was _your_ doing!  Well, if you want me to be a murderer, maybe I should start with you…”

“No!  Please, I swear I’ll confess!  I’ll give away every dollar I ever made, I’ll reveal everyone involved in my regime!  I’ll donate my shares to Sojiro’s coffee shop or to the school!  Anything you want!”

“ _What I want is your life!_   Now open your mouth…”  When he refused, Akira punched him in the throat and held the karambit to his chin.  The tip drew warm blood, trickling down his neck.  “Open your mouth!”  This time, he obeyed, and Akira shoved the entire barrel of the desert eagle down his throat.  Shido could feel himself gagging as the metal hit the back of his throat.  Akira’s hand was shaking in anger, having thrown the trigger discipline Iwai had instilled into him completely out the window.  The gun could go off at any moment, but he didn’t care.

“Now’s not the time to lose your head, Joker!” Yusuke called out.  But he refused, his back still turned to them.  Shido’s eyes were watering, tears streaming down his face while the boy threatened to choke him out.  “Joker, you can’t do this!”

“That ain’t what we’re about, remember?!” Ryuji chimed in.  “We’re not murderers!”

“If he dies, then no one will ever know the truth!” Haru added.  “The public will always think of us as killers!  And we will be if you kill Shido!”

“So what?!”  His scoffing at their pleas hurt.  “You’ve seen how they all turned against us at the drop of a hat!  They never cared about us!  They only wanted a distraction from their dull boring lives!  Who cares what they think?!”  In a sense, Shido had actually been right.  Apathy had become ever prevalent in their society, with tragedy and misfortune becoming a spectacle to behold.  His had been.  None of the other students at Shujin had given him any sort of time.  Aloof to any sort of loneliness being an outcast would entail.  Same with all the high society layabouts at the Wilton Hotel.  Kamoshida’s confessing and exploitation of the students merely a distraction for them.  And all the others who had hopped on the Phantom Thieves bandwagon with Okumura.  Just seen as a commodity and then attack dogs.  Everything they had done was to protect the masses, and none of them had ever truly appreciated it.  Not enough to matter.  So what was wrong with being a little selfish?  He had lived this entire life for other people.  “Why should he live while we have to pick up his pieces?!  Clean up _his_ mess?!  While he gets to sleep and eat easy inside the walls of a prison, safe from the outside world!  Taken care of with _our_ money!  What about us?  Who’s going to fix us?!  Nobody!  So I say we take what we deserve!  Stop doing things for the unappreciative public that turned its back on us!  Just this once, can’t we have that?!”

They had all been rendered into stunned silence.  Shido had really opened his eyes.  Twisted the knife so deep into his heart that it was starting to rot.  Consumed by his anger.  Akira had always harbored that chip on his shoulder from being expelled.  It had manifested itself many times in his angered rants lecturing other people.  But none of them could ever have known how far it went.  He had always kept the extent of it to himself.  Now they were seeing it fully unleashed.  And it would cost them their chance at redemption in the eyes of the public.  The truth, justice, even their leader’s very soul. 

“This is bad!” Makoto said among the others, frantically.  “He’s gonna throw away everything!”

“N-no!”  Ann feverishly shook his head, blonde twintails jostling about.  “H-he can’t!  I-I know he won’t!”  But it was hard to say.  She could see the restraint he held himself back with when he drew his gun on Akechi.  The blonde wouldn’t have taken the risk and left him to his own devices, but she knew the man she trusted was still in control.  Now she wasn’t so sure.  Shido had done so much.  To all of them.  She too burned with righteous indignation at what they all had been subjected to.  But to see him throw away all they believed in out of being so consumed by anger.  It broke her heart.

“Well, we gotta do something!”  Ryuji shouted.  None of them were sure what to do.  How exactly they could stop him.  Akira had always been a man of sound reason and judgment.  He was their leader for a reason, after all.  But he absolutely refused to hear their pleas.  “Queen, what do we do?”  Makoto felt herself freeze up at seeing Ryuji stare at her with worry. 

“I-I dunno!”  Her confession only caused them to worry further.  When Akira was normally stumped, Makoto had always been there to compensate.  Futaba was hurrying with her computer to get a lock onto Akira’s signal.  Pull the same sort of trick she had on Sae and Akechi during the interrogation.  But something was interfering with her signal.  She couldn’t effectively hone in on him.  Maybe it had something to do with the Palace.  Shido was a lot more self-aware of his cognition and the Metaverse as a whole.  That could possibly have been a reason, but her lack of progress only served to further stress the young girl.  Far above, Akira had taken a break from strangling Shido just to punch him in the head.  At this rate, he’d be dead from blunt force trauma before a single bullet needed to be fired.

“We must do something if we wish to save Shido’s life!  Perhaps he deserves death, but that is not ours to decide!”  Even with his certainty, Yusuke wasn’t sure what to do.  Though they all soon found their guidance in the form of Morgana.

“It pains me to say it, but it we’re gonna stop Joker…”  The cat let out a heavy sigh and drew his slingshot.  “Then we’ll need to fight him.”  Their blood collectively ran cold at his words.  Having to duke it out with their own leader.  None of them had ever thought it would come to this.  Akechi’s betrayal had already been enough of a shock to endure.  Their hands acted on their own as they drew their weapons.  Albeit reluctantly.

“What a twisted fate,” Yusuke mused remorsefully to himself as his hand rested on the hilt of his katana.

“Mona-chan…”  Haru’s axe felt like it was bolted to the floor.  She wasn’t sure if she had the capacity.  But the look on the cat’s face let her know they had to do this.  Stop their leader from losing himself.  A decision Morgana hadn’t made lightly.  He knew Akira better than most of them.  Knew what kind of leader he was from their late-night talks and living together.  Akira was one of reason and sensibility, and he often underestimated his importance in keeping them on the straight and narrow.  So having to come to this drastic conclusion had him incredibly uneasy. 

“Dammit…” Ryuji stepped forward and pointed at Akira, yelling nearly to the heavens.  “Come on, man!  This ain’t you, Joker!  This isn’t the Phantom Thief way!  You know this!”

“It is now…”

That hurt more than anything.  To have that solid punch to the gut from his best friend.  The first among them.  Ryuji winced in pain before twisting the bat in his hands.  The blond debated between pulling his punches or not.  Sure, Akira was about to turn his back on everything they stood for and was the toughest among them.  This fight was going to happen one way or another.  But he was still their friend.

“Then we have to do what we must,” Makoto reasoned.  She gulped and cracked her knuckles, signaling the others to fall in line.  One by one did they muster up the closest thing to courage they had to stand up to Akira.  They had to save Shido to save Akira.  “Let’s go!”  All besides Ann began to charge up the stairs.  Weapons drawn, eyes burning, footsteps heavy.  The longest sprint they had ever run as they narrowed the gap between them and Akira.  Halfway up they were stopped dead in their tracks.

_FWOOM!_

A wall of blue fire shot across the room.  It burned hotter than anything they had ever felt.  Even Ann’s flames paled in comparison.  Before the wall stood Arsene, arms folded while he glowered over them.  Other Personas stood behind the wall, their forms obscured and intangible.  Yusuke cast his magic at the wall, but his ice evaporated before it could even come close.  Morgana attempted to buffet the flames away with his wind.  Yet the flames persisted.  And the wall showed no sort of opening for them to cross.

“Ngh!” Makoto cried, shielding her face from the heat of the flames.  It was too hot to even get close to. 

“Seiten Taisei!”  Ryuji’s Persona floated on its cloud above the room, swinging at Arsene with his mighty staff.  As the weapon came rocketing towards its head, it was caught between Arsene’s fingers like a mere toothpick.  Ryuji stared at the display with complete shock and awe.  “For real?!  He can do that?!”

“His Persona is really powerful!” Futaba warned as she scanned Arsene up and down.  His strength was quite immense despite being Akira’s base Persona.  He had clearly been bulking it up.  “But it’s weak to ice!  Fox!”

“The flames burn too bright!”  The frozen touch of Kamu Susano-o was rendered to steam no matter how fast and how much Yusuke cast.  These were no normal flames.  The poison of anger and the lust for revenge fueled the inferno before them.  A fire that just refused to be doused.  As their progress slowed to a crawl, it began to sink in just how truly outclassed they all were.

“This isn’t good,” Morgana muttered to himself aloud.  “With the Wild Card, even if we take Arsene out, he can just swap someone else in.”

“And he knows all our weak points.”  They all had definitive weaknesses, but Akira could swap in and out and keep them at bay with his arsenal.  And he had a lot.

“Dammit, what do we do?!” Ryuji growled in anger, swinging at the firewall with his bat.  But the weapon was harmlessly deflected off the flames like it was a rubber ball bouncing off the concrete.  Their efforts bore no progress as they tried to chip away at Arsene’s strength.  While the others kept fighting and continued trying to shout Akira down, Ann stood behind them in silence.

The blonde was too shocked to register what was happening before her.  This couldn’t be real.  She had made the promise to stand up to Akira if she had to back with Akechi.  Now she was expected to make good on it.  How could she?  If she was to fight, it would be the hardest battle of her entire career as a Phantom Thief.  But she couldn’t bring herself to draw her whip against him.  All that talk with herself fell upon deaf ears.  It tore at her heart to be thrust into the thick of this.  To see him like this.  But what alternative did they have?  Either they fought, or Shido died.  And with his death would all they had strived for gone up in smoke.  She was ripped back to reality at the sound of Shido being beaten further.

“Dammit, we’re running out of time!” Makoto said.  And they were already out of options.  There was no feasible way they could fight all of Akira’s Personas simultaneously.  Perhaps one by one but not before Shido was beaten to death.  Some continued to pour on the pressure while others kept shouting for Akira to listen.  Attempting to appeal to his sense of reason.  But all of their attempts at fallen flat, and the outcome was looking rather bleak.  The truth will have vanished into darkness. 

Not on her watch.

“Panther, wait!” Haru called out.

“Lady Ann!”

But without hesitation did she approach Arsene with Hecate drawn.  Even with the harlequin gaze staring down at her, Ann held her ground.  Boots firmly planted and unshaking in her stance.  Rock solid.  The others stood in silence as they watched her, completely unsure on how to proceed.  There was no way she could face Arsene on her own.  The blonde raised a hand to halt the others as they attempted to approach.  From the look in her blue eyes, she was dead serious.  Which reflected in the eyes of Hecate as they locked onto Arsene. 

Personas were not supposed to love.  They reflected the inner rebel soul and showed their masters’ true feelings.  But they changed as their masters grew, in both strength and spirit.  What their masters felt was reflected in them.  Including love and heartache.  All three pairs stared back unblinking, filled with determination and remorse.  Like Ann, Hecate had no desire to do battle.  It tore at her nonexistent heart to be at odds with the being she had come to attach herself to.  Arsene stood unmoving with hands clenched.  Slowly did Hecate slide forward to offer an outstretched hand.  The Persona did nothing as Hecate held her hand to his steel plated face.  Her six eyes hung sadly over him, begging him to reconsider the actions at hand.  Personas were not wholly subservient to their masters, after all.  With great hesitation did Arsene raise his hand to hold hers before tilting his gaze towards Ann.  The blonde stared back at him.  Human and Persona locked in place.  He slowly turned his sights back to Hecate, and the flames began to part.  Hecate guided a hand along Arsene’s face as she departed before fading.  The blonde tentatively approached the flames, unsure of whether they would remain.  Arsene did nothing the closer she grew.  As Ann finally passed behind him, she took sight of the stairs.  Her path to Akira was completely uninhibited.  The others bore no such fortune as the flame wall returned when they tried to approach.

“Hey, what gives?!” Ryuji shouted in anger, Seiten Taisei materializing behind him once more.

“Hold it!”  Ann’s voice rang out over the flames.  “It’s okay!  Let me do this!”  None of them could see her from behind the flame wall.  A prospect that only made them even more nervous.  Splitting the party was not done often, especially in situations as tense as this.  But somehow she had managed to get through and had a clear line of sight to Akira.  There wasn’t a better chance than now to stop him.  So all the others could do now was see what she had planned.  The blonde ascended the stairs at a steady pace, all by her lonesome.  She had to get to him as quick as she could but also not make any sudden moves.  Being this unhinged, Akira could do something completely irrational as much as it pained her to admit.  “Akira, wait!”

He spun his head around to see her standing behind him.  Just a few feet away while he remained on top of Shido, hand at his throat and gun shoved into his mouth.  His manic, almost bloodshot eyes scanned her curiously, wondering how she had gotten past Arsene.  For a brief moment had he felt that connection between them waver a bit.  As though he couldn’t sense his Persona.

“How the hell did you-“

“Let him go!  Stop this!  We’ve already won!  There’s no need to do this!”

“No need?!  He would’ve done the same to us!  He deserves this!”  The blonde looked down at Shido’s pleading face.  He hardly looked recognizable from the beating Akira had administered to him.

“That’s not for us to decide!”

“Why shouldn’t it be?!”

“Because _you_ said so!”  His breathing stopped at her words.  “You said we should always know what our limits are.  We’re here to improve the system.  Not replace it.  Fix things the right way.  No killing or torture but using our powers the right way.  And this isn’t right!”  Her acknowledging of his blatant hypocrisy stung like salt in an open wound.  But shouldn’t he be allowed to be?  Just once be a little selfish? 

The blonde worked up the courage to take one step forward.  She kept her hands up and palms open.  Completely unarmed.  She was determined to reach out to him through his heart.  Fight him with brains not violence.  At least she hoped she could.  Ann wasn’t sure she could forgive herself if she had to hurt him.

“But everything he did!  To Akechi, Okumura-“

“Wasn’t right!  I’m not fighting you on that!  Especially to what he did to you.  I will never forgive Shido for all that he’s done to us.”  Another step forward, this time in a much larger stride.  Akira kept his vice grip on the gun while his eyes never left her.  He couldn’t force himself to look away from the feeling of anguish that hung deep in her blue eyes.  “You can’t kill him!  You’re not a murderer, and you don’t have to be.  You’d just be proving what Shido said true if you kill him.  Then the public’s trust in us will disappear forever.  The world has to see justice done the right way.  So people don’t have to be afraid anymore.  They don’t have to hide and so that the corrupt can’t hide their shame.  Like what we did with Kamoshida!”

Kamoshida.  It was hard to remember anything outside of Shido now.  But he had been where this all started.  How Ann could’ve chosen to kill him atop his castle.  Maybe she should have.  But she didn’t, instead choosing to leave him alive as an example to the world that evil won’t be tolerated.  To have him repent all his life a ruined man. 

“Please, Akira…”  Again did she take a single step forward.  Slowly narrowing the gap inch by inch.  Better to be slow and deliberate than risk setting him off.  The fact that she had gotten this close was already a miracle as is.  “Put the gun down.  Come back to Leblanc with us.  Your friends, with me.  Don’t let your anger get the best of you.  You’re better than that, I know you are.  You’re kind and smart and so full of love.”  A solitary tear descended down her mask as she watched him.  “Don’t let him take that away too.  Don’t let his ugliness taint you.”

The chip in his shoulder he had carried cracked deep into his very foundation.  More than he could’ve ever realized.  How could he have known?  Akira had never expected to see him again after getting expelled, having his family and community turn their backs on him.  That his record could never truly be cleansed.  The opportunity to get ahold of Shido after so much torment had really gotten to him.

One more step had brought the blonde close to him.  He had turned away from her completely, instead now staring down at the battered Shido.  Eyes swollen shut, eyes leaking from his gagging on the pistol.  What else was there to beat on him anyhow?  His hands began to ache from having beaten him so senselessly.  His attention was swiftly ripped away to the sense of a hand softly touching his shoulder.

“Please.  You’re not a murderer, Akira.  I love you…”

Ann’s voice.  So urgent, fragile, pained.  She was scared.  Scared that she might lose him and see him throw out everything he stood for.  Become what he hated.  A hypocrite.  If she couldn’t save him from himself, their legacy would only be one of failure.

As Akira met her anguished gaze, he felt the tension evaporate from his chest.  His mind began to drift out of the irrationally angry haze that had clouded him.  He could now think straight.  And there was so much to reflect on.  Perhaps this is what Akechi had felt.  Planning his revenge, using his powers to get ahead, to get even.  They truly weren’t so different after all.  Both victimized by the same man, driven to the deep end and even willing to throw away all they had just for vengeance.  It felt so jarring to be on the other side.  To be shouted at to remember their code, an opportunity Akechi hadn’t had.  It didn’t seem fair, this stroke of luck.  Having an opportunity that Akechi didn’t despite being wrong much more severely.  In good conscience could he throw away all he had after lecturing Akechi on doing the same?  On the crime of murder just for self-entitled revenge?

The gun fell from him hand and clattered onto the floor.  He climbed off Shido, whose shadow began to dissipate.  Akira leaned forward on his hands as his body began to tremble from the whiplash his emotional shift was giving him.

“I’m… not… a murderer…”  Being angry, being worried, paranoid, vengeful, lost.  Persona or no, he just wanted to be a teenager again.  To have his innocence back and live a carefree life.  Dating Ann, hanging out with his friends, going to school.  Every day while his friends were at school did he feel like an animal in a cage.  Alone and stir-crazy.  No more pain, betrayal, secrets.  Just to let himself have that innocence he was robbed of once again.

Ann could hardly believe it.  Against all odds, she had managed to talk him down.  Farther down the stairs did the firewall dissipate and Arsene fade.  With the coast clear, the other Phantom Thieves raced up to meet them.  The blonde leaned down to face a teary-eyed Akira.  He looked so exhausted there on the ground.  She had nearly been knocked onto her back as he wrapped his arms around her.

“I’m sorry!”  Ann held him tight and rocked him like he did her upon their reunion.  “I can’t believe I almost destroyed all we had worked for!  I was just so angry at everything, and I just lost control-“

“It’s okay.”  She gently ran her fingers through his hair, voice falling to a whisper so only her sweet words could kiss his ears.  “You didn’t.  You did the right thing like you always do.”  The blonde rested her cheek against his to feel the soft tears on her skin.  “I love you, Akira.”  Akira pulled her in tighter, his cries reduced to soft sniffles.  It was embarrassing to be reduced to this state.  Their strong leader and wannabe murderer now crying.  But at the end of the day, he was just a kid.  They all were.  Kids were allowed to be weak now and then.  No shame in it.

The shuffle of footsteps drew his attention over to the others, who stood over him with relieved looks on their faces.

“We thought we almost lost you, big guy.”  Ryuji yanked him up and hugged him.  The others dogpiled on him with embraces of their own.  To squeeze the poison having manifested in him from Shido’s influence right out of him.  “Had us scared.”

“I’m sorry…”  It didn’t sound good enough.  So juvenile.  But he was at a lost for words, his usual eloquence having failed him.

“You’ve been sitting on this for a long time, haven’t you?”  Akira delivered a nod to Futaba’s words.  “I’ve been there myself.  It’s easy to do and sometimes cathartic, to stew and feel better about being a victim.  But trust me, it’s a poison.  You guys saved me from myself so you’d know better than anyone.”

“Don’t smother yourself, Akira,” Makoto offered with warm concern.  “Take it from me as well.  You were the one to teach me that.”

“I’m sorry…”

“And try not to be so hard on yourself,” Yusuke said with a teasing smirk.  “Knowing you, you’ll angst about this and hold it over your head like with the Reaper.  You’re only human, you know.  You’re allowed to make mistakes.  That’s why you have good friends at your side to help catch you when you fall.”  He couldn’t help but huff with amusement through his nose.  It seemed the artist had picked up on his sense of comedic levity in times of tenseness.”

“I’m so proud of you, Akira,” Haru doted with a beaming expression.  “I knew deep down in my heart that you could make the right decision.”

“He’s the best for a reason, after all,” Ann sweetly teased.  Now all this praise was starting to cause a fine blush to kick up on Akira’s cheeks.  He wasn’t the kind of person that was used to being doted on.  It was embarrassing but in a good way.

“Well, what can I say?” he managed to speak.  “I had a good teacher.”  Akira delivered a wink to Morgana who could only giggle with a cheeky grin.

“What can _I_ say?  I have a good team.”

* * *

 

Today had been the most exhausting day of Akira’s entire life.  For all of them.   The battle with Shido, the standoff with Akira.  They had even thought Ryuji had been lost in the chaos.  The girls had gotten swept up in all the emotions that they had rattled him silly.  Though as penance for their actions and relief for his well-being, they did pepper him with kisses on the cheek.  Something he made sure to showboat about all the way back to Leblanc.  Despite having come to terms with his rejection, Morgana still couldn’t help but be jealous.  Just a little bit.

“Make way,” Ryuji said as he burst through the front door.  “Big hero comin’ through.  Absolute coolest guy in the world.”  The girls collectively rolled their eyes with enough force to nearly lob them out of their skulls.

“Gimme a break,” Makoto said while shaking her head.

“Maybe we should’ve left him on the ground,” Ann dryly delivered.  He was never going to let them live this down.  No doubt the next thing they’d hear at school was Ryuji getting marinated in kisses by the three most attractive girls at Shujin.  And Futaba.  Not that she’d fight to stop him.  They did kind of unfairly rough Ryuji up, after all.  Though when the blond made a passing comment about how hormonal women could be, he nearly had another one coming.

“Whoa!  What the-“  Morgana’s outcry had suddenly made them realize.  Leblanc had been utterly trashed.  Broken plates, garbage all over the floor.  It was as though this place had been abandoned for years.  The TV still droned on in the corner, seemingly untouched.  As was Saiyuri, thankfully.

“What the hell happened?” Akira asked.

_“Judging from his lacerations, it would appear he was kidnapped, then killed at another location, and-“_

Akira didn’t know any of the context behind the story.  But the brief snippet he had snatched up sent a jolt of fear through his heart.  Shido did know where this location was, after all.  The realization that he had made slowly began to dawn on all of them one by one.  And their hearts began to sink deep into the pits of their stomach.

“Don’t tell me…” the cat fidgeted.

“Sojiro!”  Akira nearly scaled the walls as he swung up the stairs.  His room was untouched, and there was not a sign of the old man to be found.  Futaba was trembling in fear at the prospect.  “I’m gonna get angry if you don’t come out!”  If this was some sort of prank, she bore no amusement from it.  The lingering silence only furthered her desire for a punchline.  The reveal that everything was a ruse.  The girl felt her heart breaking, on the verge of tears.

“We were too late…”  Akira slammed his fist against the wall in anguish.  So caught up in his anger at beating Shido’s shadow, they had forgotten the world still turned outside.  No, he had forgotten.  No way he would allow the others to share the blame.  And now, his caretaker who had asked for nothing in return was gone.  Perhaps killed.

“Hey.  Didn’t know you guys were back.”

The little bell downstairs that rang went off like a gong in their heads.  Slowly did the lot of them descend down the stairs, looking as though they were staring at a ghost.  Sojiro stood before them without so much as a scratch on him.

“You’re the same as Ryuji!” Futaba cried out before nearly pouncing the old man. 

“What’re you talking about…?”  The old man found himself blindsided by a group hug from the teenagers.  Each and every one of them declaring their relief for his well-being.  As much as it warmed the old man’s heart, he had a reputation to uphold so he brushed them off in an attempt to preserve his tough outer shell.  Needless to say, didn’t work.

“What the hell happened?” Ryuji asked.

“I was taken to that asshole Shido’s place, but they suddenly told me I could go home.”  The Phantom Thieves were nearly doubled over from the collective sighs of relief that left their bodies.  The situation on the news was completely unrelated.  Still unfortunate for the apparent victim though.  “That’s thanks to his change of heart, right?”

“We came, we saw, we kicked his ass!” Futaba declared, holding her fingers up like devil horns.  Sojiro couldn’t help but laugh.  She always did have that spunky energy about her, something that he had missed for years.  And it was all thanks to them.

“Thought as much,” he commended.  “They had me blindfolded the whole time, so I’ve got no idea where they took me.  Though it sounded like they were oddly bustling about.”

“Looks like it’s going well.”  Morgana popped out of the satchel and teasingly pawed at Akira’s cheek with a wink.

“But man, my handsome mug was nearly ruined.”  It took little time for Sojiro to cater to his ego, framing his chin with a finger and thumb while inspecting himself in the mirror.  “Thank goodness.  Not a hair out of place.  Hope you at least roughed Shido up a bit.”  Akira couldn't help but wince with discomfort as he remembered how unhinged he had been.  They might not even be there together had they not pulled him back down to earth.

“You could say that…”  The others looked over to him with solemn but comforting looks, sympathetic to his discomfort.  Ann gently placed a hand on his upper arm and held it softly.  Her little thumb grazing his skin earned a content and sleepy smile from him.  Nevertheless, his answer seemed to satisfy Sojiro.

“That’s all fine and dandy, but they really did a number on this place.”  His gaze grew crestfallen as he turned his attention over to his beautiful store.  A few coffee jars were rattled but nothing that would require an extensive vacuuming, thankfully.  The old man still clung to a few childish ways such as the tedium of using a vacuum.  But it didn’t take the sting out of seeing the soil he tilled endlessly be tainted by Shido.  Wasn’t enough to have done so much more to him but had to rough the store up as well.  He pointed two fingers at both Akira and Futaba.  “Sorry to bother you two when you’re tired, but I need you to help me clean up.”

“We’ll help too!” Ann volunteered.  The others all chipped in at once which earned a relieved sigh from Sojiro.  It meant less work for him so he wouldn’t complain.  And sure enough, the kids had the store looking right as rain in no time.  Practically better than new.  Ryuji worked harder cleaning Leblanc than he did his own room.  The old man thanked them for their help with a round of drinks on the house before leaving them the store.  With Shido behind him and the kids safe, he’d sleep like a rock for the first time since October.  They all funneled upstairs to unwind in Akira’s room.  It still hadn’t really set in yet that they had beaten Shido.  That it would soon be all over.

“We just have to wait like usual now,” Morgana assured them as he stretched on the table.  Haru wasted no time in scratching his little ears. 

“I could go for a nap,” Akira groaned before slumping onto his bed.  When and if he could go to school again was a question he couldn’t wait to have answered.

“Ugh, me toooooo…” Ann whined, collapsing back onto the bed right next to him.  Futaba didn’t share their lack of enthusiasm as she was practically jumping off the walls.

“This is gonna be the sweetest confession yet!  How should we celebrate?  Destinyland again?  Trip to Hawaii for Christmas?  All of us?”

“But we don’t have any money.”  Ryuji’s statement caused the little otaku to deflate.  Selling the Treasure they had collected was their biggest source of income.  And a little legislator’s pen wouldn’t really be worth much.  Akira still had plenty of yen on hand but not for anything to the extent that Futaba was wanting.  Not that any of them would complain all that much.  Christmas was around the corner, and what better gift could there be than Shido’s confession?  Maybe Akira could spend the last of his petty cash on a big Christmas party at Leblanc.  It was the least he could do.

“It’s finally over,” Makoto breathed with relief.  The texts she read from Sae filled her with a content warmth, like that of a sleepy baby.  Her sister was fine and had been let go scot free on Shido’s orders.  No one at the station said a word to her.  Though she was hard at work looking into burying him.  Even without powers, Sae was still working as hard as they were.

“Last thing on our list is to help Morgana become human, and then it’s all behind us…”  They still weren’t any closer to discovering who or what Morgana truly was.  It ate away at Akira especially after Morgana told him about his dream.  Of a blob forming into a yellow-eyed Morgana.  He wasn’t a shadow.  It was impossible.  The answer could only be found in Mementos.  But right now, he didn’t even want to think about the Metaverse.  He knew what he had to focus on.  The boy sat up and forced himself to look at the others.  “So… things got a little out of hand in there.  With me.  I…”

“Forget about it.”  Ryuji casually leaned back in his seat with a grin.  Yusuke couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.

“Indeed.”

“Water under the dam or over the bridge, whatever you wish to call it,” Haru assured him.

“B-but… but I…”  After everything they had seen, to just let it go?  He couldn’t abide by that.  He had to put himself in his place.  “I lost control and was supposed to maintain the standard I set for this group, and I failed.”  His head hung solemnly down towards the ground.  Morgana let out a silent sigh.  He had known this would be coming.

“You made a mistake, Akira,” the cat assured him.  “I’ve done it, Akechi did it, Ryuji’s done it too.  You have to learn to forgive yourself.”

“But I’m not supposed to.  I’m supposed to set an example.  If I can’t do that, then it makes me look like a hypocrite.”

“I understand what that’s like…”  Akira hadn’t exactly been the most forthcoming about his past life, but from the way he acted and carried himself, Makoto could make out a lot.  Definitely put all the stress and self-loathing they had seen after the Reaper incident into context.  “But doing this to yourself every time you make a mistake isn’t good for you.  You deserve peace of mind.”

“If I may…” Yusuke interrupted before clearing his throat.  “Perhaps the reason you have such a high standard of yourself is that it’s tied to a large ego?”  Akira and the others did a double take at the artist.  “Don’t misconstrue that as me calling you arrogant.  You are quite humble.”  Akira scratched his head as he searched his friend’s words.  He had an ego but wasn’t arrogant.  How exactly did that work, the boy couldn’t say.

“…I think I might know what he means.”  Ann had stepped up to the plate.  It was something she had been mulling over for the longest time.  The Reaper incident, his plan to get himself captured.  But the blonde felt she just didn’t possess the eloquence to say it.  Now the blonde knew how Futaba felt.  “Like, he’s not saying you’re full of yourself or anything like that.  You’re not at all like that.  It’s just you put yourself on too high of a pedestal.  Like you have to always be a hero and any small mistake means you’re a failure.  You’ll always be someone we respect, but you really need to accept that you’re still, like… a person.  A teenager like all of us.”  The blonde swiftly glanced over to Yusuke through her peripheral and was relieved to see him deliver a nod.  Thank goodness, she was glad to know she wasn’t rambling or not making sense.  Which prompted some of the others to step up.

“You do have some symptoms of a martyr complex,” Makoto stated.  “Where you strive too hard to help others even at the detriment of yourself.  Trying too hard to live up to the perfect ideal means you forget yourself.  And one single mistake makes you feel like you’ve derailed everything in your life and how it all means nothing.”  She delivered a sad smile.  “Like I said, I know what that’s like.”

“…Yeah, I can a little too…” Ryuji confessed.  Coming from a family with an abusive father, dealing with Kamoshida’s exploits.  Combined with a lust for vengeance had helped speed along his decision to become a Phantom Thief in the first place.  “But nobody’s sayin’ you’re arrogant or full of yourself.  Nobody in the whole world I think is as chill as you.  But just… be chiller, you know?  Stop beatin’ yourself up.  You taught us that.  Me and the old track team.”

“Me blaming myself for mom’s death.”

“For not being the same shining example as my sister and even seeing the flaws she possessed.”

“I even stopped blaming myself for what happened to Shiho…”

So that was it.  What they all truly felt.  Akira felt his pride wilt a little.  It wasn’t a secret he tried to hide from himself.  His hyper-fixation on doing the right thing, even at the detriment of his own person.  Ultimately noble but also ultimately harmful to himself. 

“I guess I…”  Now he felt himself tongue-tied.  Having let them down by not being good to himself like they wanted.  And all of this was sourced from him feeling he let them down by showing flaws as a leader.  Almost laughable the irony was.  “I… I suppose you’re right.  One of many reasons I turned to helping you guys and others was because I couldn’t help myself.  B-but don’t think that I don’t care about doing the right thing because I always do-“

“Akira.”  He turned to look at Morgana who merely delivered him a teasing smirk.  “You’re doing it again.”  He couldn’t help but snicker.

“You can still be a good person and have flaws,” Haru noted.  “No one will ever be perfect, including you.  But you’re still a good person with a strong sense of justice, whether because of your flaws or in spite of them.  A good way to be a good person is to be good to yourself.”  Akira felt the smile returning to his face.  He hadn’t let them down.  He had been doing the injustice to himself all along.  Shido had started the fire that burned him alive, but he also threw wood on it here and there.  What felt like a massive weight pressing down onto his chest began to dissipate.  For what felt like forever did he start to feel free.  In truth, this was kind of fun.  To be on the receiving end for once.  Only they were significantly nicer about it.  Perhaps that’s what also fueled his tirades.  Anger and frustration at the world and himself.  Maybe now, he could finally let that all go.

“Plus, it ain’t like you beat up the real Shido.  It was just his shadow.”  Ryuji casually leaned back in his seat.  His nonchalance ripped a snicker right out of Akira.  The blond was just as much the heart of this team as he and Ann were.  Ann wiped her brow and let out an exasperated sigh of relief.

“You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to try and address that.”  She beamed at him before taking his hand in hers, clutching it close to her heart.  “So now that we’ve cleared the air, will you promise to try and be good to yourself?  Do the right thing as a hero but not try too hard to be one?”  Slowly did he close his eyes and administered a nod.  His smile was the most content she had ever seen since they made love in the Metaverse for the first time.

“Only if you guys help me.”

“Group hug!” Futaba declared before nearly pouncing on him.  This was the third time today, but none of them would catch him complaining.  They all ruffled his hair and nudged his ribs, finally glad to knock some sense into their fearless leader.  He would always be their hero.  But he was also their friend and a person.  Just like them.

“Thanks for the helping me get through to him, guys,” Ann said before they all let him go.

“You’re the one who helped open the way, after all,” Makoto jested with a smile.  “Literally, in fact.  No way we could’ve gotten through that wall without you.”

“By the way, I was wondering how you managed to pull that off in the first place,” Yusuke said curiously.  “None of our attacks made a dent, and you got through without even drawing your weapon.”  The tension that had just been dissolved slowly began to creep right back in for Akira as he glanced over to Ann.  She had pursed her lips warily, avoiding eye contact.  And keeping her hands very close to herself despite how much she wanted to hold his.

“Yeah, come on!” Ryuji pressed with a curious grin.  “What’s your secret?  How’d you get through to him?”  They were all dying to know how she pulled it off without even saying a single world.  Just walked right past Arsene.  Though the truth would be hard to explain.  Ann wasn’t quite sure she could.  But the look she saw on Akira’s face as he took her in.  It changed her mind in a heartbeat.  Such an adoring comfortable gaze that stole her heart.  She could see in his eyes what he felt, and she honestly felt the same.  So much had already been laid on the table.  Why not go all out, throw caution to the wind?

“Well…”  She bit her lip as she bashfully smiled, cheeks rendered rosy from what she was about to confess.  “…Because I love him.”  And with those words did Akira take the plunge.  By pulling her by the back of her head into his lips with a purr.  Ann’s eyes widened with surprise to match the shock of the others in the room.  But the looks of astonishment on their faces only kicked up the giddiness in her stomach.  Her eyes closed to return the kiss, snaking her fingers through his shaggy black hair.

“For real?!” Ryuji declared in shock.  Haru cupped her mouth to suppress the gasp, followed swiftly by adoring coos at their display.  She just found the both of them so cute.  Akira and Ann were absolute blushing messes as they finally broke their kiss, unable to even face the others.  The former had never been redder in all his life.  Despite the butterflies that raged a storm in both their stomachs, there was something so liberating of being able to let go.  “When did this happen?”

“After the Reaper incident,” Akira stated.  “Like, right after.”  This only further rendered the others gobsmacked.  Having been able to keep their relationship a secret from them for nearly four months.  Though it slowly began to don upon them one by one.  Ryuji found himself visualizing the math being done in his head right before his very eyes as he put the pieces together.  Her managing to talk sense into him all the time, feeding each other food before the trip, them always leaving together after their group split, the fight at the reveal of the plan, touching his cheek.

“It was right in front of us the whole time…”  Ryuji leaned into his palm at how obvious it had all been.  And how oblivious they all were.  “We are so stupid.”  Makoto was giggling to herself, holding a hand to her mouth in order to stifle her amusement.

“I had heard some gossip spring up after the festival, but I didn’t think much of it.  Too worried about Akechi at the time.  Guess it really wasn’t just gossip after all.”  She was absolutely living for the chance to tease Ann to bits.  It was a rather logical choice for the two of them to be together.  They fit like a glove, especially when they shared the same class.

“I knew there was a greater reason for being so protective of her,” Yusuke commented with a knowing smile.  “I have to commend you on your slyness.”

“So you weren’t kiddin’ when you said you were with Ann in Hawaii…”  He and Mishima had come up completely empty-handed while Akira had snuck away to gallivant with Ann right under their noses.  Played both of them like a fiddle.

“OTP!  OTP!”  Futaba chanted, holding her clenched hands against her cheeks.  They all sang their praises and astonishment to them both, but their sole focus lingered on the reaction of one such cat.  Who had remained calm and quiet throughout the ordeal.

“So, Morgana…” Akira winced awkwardly as he nursed the back of his head.  Ann twirled a finger around her twintail sheepishly.  This had been the part of the eventual reveal they had dreaded the most.  Sure, Morgana had backed down and apologized for his behavior, but by no means did it make things any more palatable.  He sat patiently on the corner of the table while the others watched him with concern.  And what they received was an amused huff.

“Never saw this coming…”

“Morgana, I don’t want you to think I was trying to force you away so I could have her or anything like that.”  He held his hands up as he scrambled to clarify his image.  “Like, I would never do that.  I was just looking out for my friend-“

“I know.”  Akira blinked in surprised at how down to earth Morgana was being.  The cat delivered him a wink in response.  “I know you’re not that kind of person, and I would never think of you as such.  You worry too much.”

“We kept it from you all because we were a little embarrassed,” Ann confessed.  “And we didn’t want to break your heart even more, Morgana.  Maybe we should’ve told you from the beginning.”

“You don’t have to explain yourselves to me, Lady Ann.  I just wasn’t the one you were into.  And Akira was.”  It hurt to say that aloud.  Despite having come to terms with it a while ago, he still pined and longed for her.  His crush on her still held out pretty strong.  But her friendship meant more to him, and he would be damned to almost ruin it again. 

“You’re not upset?” Ann asked precariously.  The cat merely shook his head.

“You’re my friend, Lady Ann.  And you’ve found someone that makes you genuinely happy.”  He delivered his biggest grin yet, teeth shining in the light.  “Congratulations to both of you!”  The both of them collapsed back onto the bed with relief at this turn of events.  Morgana didn’t think Akira had tried to sabotage him, and he accepted them.  It couldn’t have turned out any more perfect.

“Way to go, little man,” Ryuji lauded while ruffling the fur on Morgana’s head.  “Real talk, though.  Good job on both of you guys endin’ up together.  You really belong together.”  He winked and delivered Akira thumbs up and an excitable grin.  “Since I’ve known her the longest, I’m orderin’ you to take care of her.”  Akira chuckled and delivered him a two-finger salute.

“Love blossoming in the darkest of times, in the face of mystery and intrigue,” Yusuke mused, framing the both of them with his fingers.  They fit so perfectly in the center of his eye.  “I feel so inspired.  Please, let me paint the both of you!  Be the muses for my next piece!”  If there was anything that captivated the artist so thoroughly, it was the prospect of love.  Only fueled by them being vigilante rogues battling against the forces of darkness.  It was all so picaresque in his mind, it practically sent him reeling.  A kaleidoscope of emotion and possibilities.

“It sounds so romantic!” Haru said, clasping her hands with a sigh.  “An adventure between two brave heroes acting as secret lovers.  And what better stars?  You guys are so cute together!”

“You really do bring out the best in one another.”  Makoto smiled softly to herself.  To bask in the warm glow of their mutual love and comfort.  It just felt so cozy, like she was a little girl sitting in front of the fire.  “Suppose it makes sense for at least one couple on this team to exist.  I’m proud of both of you, and I’ll make sure none of us get too nosy.”

“I ship it!”  Futaba jumped for joy as though she was a little girl again.  “There’s a fanfic I can make outta this, I know it!”

“Now hold on.”  Akira took joy in her unbridled enthusiasm, but he had some reservations about he and Ann being the focus pieces of her writings.  Knowing Futaba’s perverse sense of humor, she would definitely pull some degree of trickery.  And there was no way he’d take it.  Not unless he had some creative influence.

“Heh heh,” Ryuji chuckled to himself, delivering a taunting smug grin to Akira.  “You know your girlfriend kissed me, right?”  Ann rolled her eyes and let out a heavy sigh.  Of course, it didn’t take him long to try and tease them.  But Akira didn’t flinch at the statement.

“It was a pity kiss,” he ribbed.  To be fair, it was a pretty sweet reward to get after nearly dying in the Metaverse and being thanklessly chastised by scared hormonal girls.  But there was no way he was going to let Ryuji have this one.  And he knew his ace in the hole.  “Besides, I fucked her.”  Ann nearly choked from hearing his bold proclamation, the blonde cupping her mouth and blushing a furious storm.  She couldn’t believe he had the nerve to say that in front of everyone.

“Damn, dude!” Ryuji said, like he had just been slapped.  “You didn’t have to lay me out like that!”  What could he possibly say in response?  He had gotten all the way to home plate while Ryuji was trying to get up to bat.  And Akira was reveling in it as he smugly stared back at them, hands behind his head as he laid back in bed.

“Wait.  L-Lady Ann and Akira had-“

“Cover your ears, Mona-chan!”  Haru took it upon herself to cover his furry ears for him.  All while her face maintained a consistent beet redness to it.  Makoto was too flustered for words while Yusuke framed them once more with his fingers.

“And just what are _you_ thinking about?!” Ann pressed defensively in Yusuke’s direction.

“What a power move!” Futaba declared with admiration.  Though the gears in her head began to turn at this revelation.  If the both of them were having sex, where would they be having it?  No way they could do it here.  Sojiro would catch them immediately and skin Akira alive.  And it couldn’t be at Ann’s.  The blonde had mentioned she had a caretaker on premises at all times.  The only other option was to head somewhere more private like a love hotel.  But they weren’t old enough to get into one.  That was when it hit her.  “Oh my God!  You guys were having sex in the Metaverse!”  If Akira had a drink to spit, he’d have emptied it all over the walls.  Today had just been one emotional twist after another.  Anger, fear, sorrow, repentance, joy, freedom, love, and shock.  “I had tracked some signals inside the Metaverse to a love hotel!  And I heard them going at it in there!”  As the others turned for confirmation, they quickly found their answers in the form of their mortified faces.

“Damn…” Ryuji said with a grin.  Ann had buried her face into her hands, the blush having spread all the way to her ears.  While Akira sported a look of utter defeat and just leaned against his hand.  Of all the times to get cocky and try to show Ryuji up.

“Such decadence,” Yusuke breathed, deep in thought.  “Making love inside an ethereal realm.  The atmosphere, the flair, the emotion.  One couldn’t ask for such a more intimate encounter.  I have to draw you next time!  Please, invite me!”  Now Akira was the one to choke.  Ann nearly berated him to death for even considering such a request.

“What are you?  Some sort of weirdo cuckold?!” she stammered, absolutely mortified.

“Mweheheheh!  So kinky~”

“Stop it!”  They were never going to hear the end of this now.  Ann wished Ryuji would just go back to getting kissed by four girls at once.  At least that was much more tolerable.  Though the teasing swiftly subsided with Makoto’s intervention, which took the form of taking both teenagers by the earlobes.

“Akira Kurusu, Ann Takamaki!  Neither one of you are old enough nor prepared enough to be having sex so callously!”

“Owww!” Ann whined, tears in her eyes from the vice grip.  “Makoto, please!”

“Not so fun, is it?” Akira winced through his teeth.  This only caused her to tug on them even harder.

“If you had gotten her pregnant, do you know how deep in trouble the both of you would be?  The both of you should wait until marriage!  And even then, you should have a proper retirement fund set back and…”  She ranted on and on, channeling the spirit of her sister. 

“ _Where’s the fun in all that?_ ” Ryuji muttered aside to Futaba.  The target of Makoto’s wrath swiftly shifted to the blond in question, now strung up by his ear.

“I heard that!  Do we need to arrange a sexual education class for you all?”  The two young lovers nursed their sore ears, grateful that Ryuji was in the line of fire now.

“Hey, I almost died!  Come on, man!”

“You’ll wish you had if you can’t control what’s in your pants, Ryuji!”

Sometimes, it really did feel like Makoto was the leader.  She earned her nickname Queen for a reason, after all.  As the two teenagers watched her lecture the others and get lost in her own words, they couldn’t help but share a bashful laugh together.

“This wasn’t exactly how I planned it,” Akira confessed.  Ann merely beamed at him with joy.

“Me neither.  But isn’t it great not to have to hide anymore?  That we can be open with ourselves?”  Akira glanced over to Ryuji before delivering her a wry teasing look.

“I have some doubts.”

“Oh, shut up and kiss me,” she said between giggles.  Makoto and the others be damned, Akira was getting some of his.  He wrapped his arms around her and locked their lips nice and deep.  Much to the surprise and bashfulness of the others.

“Oh my!” Haru exclaimed.

“Ooooh~”  Futaba leaned in with voyeuristic excitement, which caused Yusuke to cover her eyes.  Much to her protests.  Though the artist definitely had the desire to capture their shared romance in art form.  He hadn’t felt this rush of inspiration since completing that piece for the competition.  Meanwhile, Makoto was far too flustered to interrupt them.  It was her job to interrupt any public displays of affection back in Shujin.  Instinctively grained into her from training.  But they weren’t in Shujin now.

“Dude, come on!”  Ryuji flicked his wrist at them dismissively.  “Get a room!  At least give us a chance to clear out!”

“Come on, Kitty.”  Futaba reluctantly scooped the cat up in her arms and followed the others out.  “Akira’s getting him some.”  Neither one of them wanted to really leave.  This was far too hot to pass up, but societal convention and pressure from the others forced them out.  Akira’s room was abandoned as the others conversed downstairs and awaited them to finish their make-out session.  Though if even so much as a moan broke out, Makoto would rocket right through the roof and have their rears on a silver platter.

“I can’t believe that worked,” Akira managed between breaths.  Somehow, the both of them had fallen back onto his bed.  She was in his bed.  _His_ bed.  It was bound to happen eventually.  Though he had planned it out in his head with less clothes.  And significantly less people.

“It’s gonna be hard to do this now.  Without them teasing the fuck out of us.”  Akira chuckled at her profanity.  All he did was rub the tip of his nose against her.  Eskimo kisses, a little display that had quickly become one of their favorite things to share together.  Although, real kisses still held the crown.  Especially the ones where she took his bottom lip in her teeth.  Drove him absolutely wild.

“Then we’ll just have to get creative.”  The blonde giggled before leaning further into him, obscuring both of them with her golden locks.  It felt childish to do so, to hide in her hair.  Such a display took her back to when she was a little girl.  Only furthering the giddiness she felt when with him.  “I love you, Ann.”

“I know,” she taunted with bedroom eyes, leaning in close to stick her tongue out.  Akira grinned and retaliated by tickling her into submission.  He had her pinned nice and good in order to protect himself from her tickles.  For he knew that once she took hold of his ribs, it was all over.  “Okay, okay!  I love you too!”

Victory.  In more ways than one today.


	55. God and Mortal

_12/24/17 – Saturday_

_That… son of a bitch…!  Goddammit…!_

_This can’t be real… Right?_

_What is happening to us…?_

_No… no…!_

_My body’s… disappearing…_

_Don’t tell me…!_

_Is this really it…?  Augh!_

_I’m sorry… The mission’s… a failure…_

One by one, they had all disappeared right before his very eyes.  Dissolved into shadow, then faded completely.  Wiped clean from the earth like a stain.  And not a single person around them even took notice.  It was the single most terrifying experience of his young life.  To be so close to victory, to declare to the world that he and Ann were an item.  And they were dying.  Even as he struggled and tried to fight the will of the Holy Grail, it all felt for naught as Mementos completely eclipsed the real world.  Or so he had thought.

The Velvet Room – once a prison – had now become his salvation.  And the window to the truth.  Igor had actually been nothing more than an imposter the Holy Grail entity had placed inside the Velvet Room, locking away the real one and splitting his assistant into Caroline and Justine.  By sheer will or force of luck, Akira had managed to reunite them back into Lavenza and cast the imposter Igor out.  Even greater was that they still had a chance to save the world.  And that his friends still lived.  Igor and Lavenza had tasked him with finding the others somewhere in this prison.  It was hard to appreciate his newfound range to roam around as he was sprinting through the halls to find the others.  Though one in particular took center stage. 

He had to find her.  As he was fading, his only thought had been of her.  Of where had he gone wrong and how he couldn’t save her.  Not even a goodbye.  His heart raced a million miles a second with every empty cell.  They had told him she was alive down here.  He held on to that driving force with all his might.

And there she was.  In a little cell all by herself, sitting on the floor.  Sparks nearly kicked up from his heels as he skidded to a halt before her.

“Ann!”  He gripped the bars of her cell, arms absolutely trembling.  Akira still had difficulty processing she was there.  Everything felt like some fever dream, bouncing him back and forth.  He felt such relief surging through him but also immense excitement at seeing her alive and well.

“Oh, Joker…”  He blinked in surprise at the utter stillness in her voice.  She barely even looked up at him, her head limply tilted to the side.  And to address him by his codename so aloofly.  Something was incredibly wrong.  “Thank goodness you’re safe…”

“Are you okay, Ann?  When I saw you fade away, I…”  He gulped, feeling himself clam up at revealing his weaknesses.  Despite having done it before, it never came easy.  Damn his feeble pride.  “I was so scared.  I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Oh, yeah…”  That pep in her step, zest in her voice, fire in her eyes.  All were strangely missing.  She just sounded so utterly defeated as she sat upon the floor.  The blonde turned away from him and curled herself up against the wall.  “Huh… So I’m not in heaven after all.  That means the hell that Shibuya turned into was all real.”

“Not if we can help it.”  His grip tightened around the bars while he tried to tug them open.  But they wouldn’t budge.  “We’re inside the Velvet Room.  None of us are dead yet, which means this fight isn’t over.  Everyone is being kept in here, and I gotta get us all out.”  He leaned his head against the bar and delivered a quiet sigh.  Then a small amused laugh managed to slip out.  “How did it come to this, huh?  Was supposed to be about busting Shido and we found a secret god hiding underneath the city.  Hell of a day, right?”  His jest was met with cold silence.  Ann still remained reserved and staring down at the floor.  Not that he could blame her.  They had almost died, after all.  Or maybe they did die and they had been saved in the Velvet Room.  He still had so many questions for Igor.  Maybe now he could finally have them answered without any cryptic nonsense.  “Come on, Ann.  Where’s my smiling sweet girl?”  Still nothing.  Even refusing to look at him.  He leaned his arm against the bars in order to rest his head on it.  “We need your help.  I need your help.”

“I can’t help.”  She felt the strain leave her body with an immense sigh.  Such guilt in her declaration, her words striking Akira in the chest.  He stared at her with eyes widened in utter shock.  “…I’m so weak.  When I thought I was gonna die, I… started trembling.  I was just so scared.  At that moment, nothing mattered.  The justice of our actions was the last thing on my mind.”

“You’re allowed to be scared, Ann.  I was scared too.  My last thoughts before I faded away were all about you.  I thought I let you down.”  She couldn’t help herself but smile.  Humble even until the end.  Her twintails jostled as she shook her head.

“Joker… you kept going even through a plan that might have ended up killing you.  Yet look at me.  I’ve always said I’m doing this for other people, but that didn’t get me far…”  A sad laugh of contempt escaped the young girl.  “It’s no wonder we lost.”

“You know that’s not true.”

“Isn’t it?”  The blonde reflected on all six months of her life that had passed since meeting him.  How much had changed.  All they had seen.  So much changing so fast had now started to hit her full force.  And the cozy little cell she was stuck inside was starting to make her see things from the shadows’ point of view.  “Maybe I should’ve just behaved myself and stayed out of all this.  Just been quiet and let things pass me by.”  Sure, Kamoshida would still be sexually harassing her daily.  Perhaps even getting what he wanted and taking her body.  But the world would at least be safe.  Free from the nightmare outside.

“Ann… how can you say that?”  Her words knocked the wind clean out of him.  “You’ve grown so much, and you’d just be content to curl up in here alone?  What about the others?  Ryuji, Morgana, all of them?  They’re trapped inside here just like you.  Scared and alone.  We should just lay down and give up?”

“…Maybe.”  Akira looked at her as though she had just slapped him.  He couldn’t believe his ears.  Was this another one of the Holy Grail’s tricks?  “The world’s gone to hell outside.  Those shadows were right.  It’s safe in here.  How could we even come up with a plan?”  Akira pursed his lips while languishing in silence.  This was a harder conversation than anything he had before.  His back had been up against the wall a couple times by her before.  But not like this.  Not when they were so close.  And not when she was on the cusp of giving up.

“…I don’t have a plan.”  The hardest thing he had to confess.  To be the leader with no knowledge of what to do.  They were staring down a literal god.  Or rather, it was staring them down.  No amount of training could ever have prepared them for this.  Them versus the corrupted will of the people.  Never had the odds been so thoroughly stacked against them.  But that had never stopped him before.  And never would.  “But we have to try.  If we don’t, then everything we’ve done meant nothing.  Even if the Holy Grail was right, who cares?  We do what we do for the greater good!  Always have.  Think about all the people we saved.  Not just you guys but everyone else too.  Mishima, Takemi, Iwai and his kid, Oda, Toranosuke, Ms. Kawakami, Sae, Ohya, Sojiro.  All those students at Shujin and Shiho too.  You’re telling me we should give up on them?  On Shiho?  We have to do this together.”

Ann languished in silence.  His words really knew how to cut through the fog to reveal what needed to be seen.  The Phantom Thieves had done so much for so many.  Acting as the change in the world they had all wanted.  So much good had come from what they had done.  And she would never have met Akira.  But this was something else entirely.  Facing against a literal manifestation of the peoples’ desires from beneath the earth that had wiped them away in an instant.  What could they do, if anything?

“And if we can’t beat him?”

“Then we fail together.  Just like I promised.”

Akira hadn’t forgotten his word.  And neither had she.  His steely gaze as he looked down upon her burned with the most intensity she had ever witnessed.  Even more than when facing Shido.  With or without them, he would face the Holy Grail.  For it was the right thing to do.  His heart and courage had time and again proven itself.  If she had a Palace, Akira would definitely be her Treasure.

“…Yeah.  You’re right.”  The fear and apathy she felt her heart withering to had been supplanted by frustration with herself.  “Shiho would get mad if she saw me whining like this.  And most of all, I’d be betraying myself if I just sat here and did nothing!”  Ann forced herself to her feet and turned to face Akira, her blue eyes now mirroring his fiery resolve.  “To be treated just like some toy by others and seeing your best friend nearly die because of him.  I could never forget how I felt that day.  I… I never want anyone to have to go through what I did!”  The fact that she had even for a second considered defeat and doubted themselves only furthered her anger.  What a fool had she been.  “I’ve made up my mind.  I’m going to keep looking forward.  Things like dying or losing aren’t important now.  All that matters is that I don’t return to my old self.”  If she had to face the world and pretend everything was fine ever again, it could be a cold day in hell for everyone.  Never again would she languish in silence and just accept the unfair state of things.  “And that I can stand with you again.”

“That’s my girl…”  Akira sported the biggest grin on his face as he saw her come back to life right before his very eyes.  Like a phoenix reborn from the ashes, never to be extinguished.  There wasn’t a single moment he had doubted her.  And never would be.  Her body washed over with a bright blinding light and faded, revealing her in her Phantom Thief outfit.  Ann clenched her fist and felt the power coursing through her body.  Hecate had regained her strength.  It was as though the blonde had awakened all over again.  As the bars to her cell faded, she leaped into his arms to embrace him.  Akira spun her around in his grip and held her close, not daring to let go even for an instant.

“Thanks, Joker.  I mean… Akira.”  Instinct had trained her to refer to him by codename.  But she was just too swept up in her emotions to maintain composure.  “You helped me remember what’s really important.  I’ll never make a mistake like that again.  I swear it!  I seriously treasure being able to be a part of your team!  And part of your life.  I… I love you so much!”  The blonde manically gripped his coat, pulling him into a deep kiss.  He ran his fingers through her blonde locks and breathed in her sweet strawberry scent.  And she tasted even sweeter than ever.  It took all of his strength to finally break the kiss, his chest rising and falling heavily.  There would be plenty of time for romance and pillow talk later.  After they had dethroned a god.

“Breaktime’s over,” he teased with a wink.  Ann bit down on her bottom lip and smiled bashfully at him.  “We gotta kick that giant cup’s ass.”

“Gotcha, Joker.  It would be a disgrace to our team’s name if we didn’t take such a big Treasure!”  The Holy Grail – whatever it truly was – would pay dearly for everything it had put them through.  Even if she had to tear through heaven above to make it so.  “We’re going to put an end to this, aren’t we?  Let’s go!  Gotta grab the others too.  I’m not the only one here, am I?”

“Can’t be a Phantom Thief team with just two people, right?  The others are here somewhere as well.  Probably in the same state you were in.”  The blonde administered a nod.

“Okay.  I’ll wait here.  Please go save everyone else.  It’s something only you can do.  I don’t really have a way with words that you do.”

“Nonsense.  You’ve talked more sense into me than I ever have.”  He gently took her hand in his, caressing the latex with his thumb.  Her touch felt so warm in his palm, and he wasn’t sure he could go without it.  Even for just a little while longer.  “Come with me.  Stay by my side while I gather everyone else.  I… I don’t wanna be alone again.”  She closed her eyes and merely smiled, taking his hand in both of her’s.  The blonde could sense the warmth and longing radiating through him.  It represented the very best of not only the Phantom Thieves but the entire world they were trying to save.  No matter how much happened, Ann always found herself finding new ways to fall in love with him again.

“…Let’s go, then.”

And the both of them raced off through the halls of the Velvet Room to gather their companions one by one.  Newly found courage in their hearts and springs in their steps.  This would be their greatest triumph yet.  One for the ages.

* * *

 

The orange skies darkened with the coming.  Fading to blue as the upper hand changed from god to man.  Yaldabaoth – the God of Control and the true mastermind behind the manipulation of man, their distorted desires made physical – was to meet his reckoning.  In their hour of need had the masses risen up and cast away their despair and apathy in favor of the Phantom Thieves.  And with that did Akira’s ultimate Persona awaken.

Satanael.

Once an angel servant of Yaldabaoth now turned rebel to liberate humanity from its shackles.  His wingspan spread across the entire city, blanketing it in its warm shadow to blot out the blinding light of the malevolent god.  The halos atop their head rotated in opposite directions, the god’s of angelic wings with the angel’s of demonic bat wings.  Regal coating and a horned golden mask.  How could it be anyone else’s Persona but Akira’s?

“Man, it’s huge!” Ryuji said in utter amazement.  Nothing in all his life had inspired such awe within him.  Satanael stared Yaldabaoth right into its nonexistent eyes, its own red orbs burning with immense power.  Akira stood before the others, fists clenched and staring up at the god with more confidence and energy than he had ever felt before.  He felt so strong that he might not even need the Persona to defeat this god.

“Fools…!”  The distorted voice of the cornered god boomed over them.  But it no longer shook them to their core.  The will of rebellion empowered them.  Each and every one of them had stared death in the face and had thrown it head over heels, falling flat onto its face.  “This is why man is doomed…”  A mighty black beam of energy shot right for the lot of them.  But Akira faced it head on without even batting an eyelash.  The god’s energy withered to dust as it came within a hair’s breadth of them, Akira brushing it off like it was mere dust.  “Impossible!”  Akira bowed his head and delivered a taunting chuckle through his wicked Cheshire cat grin.

“Impossible?  And here I thought you were a god.  Gods aren’t limited by possibilities.”  The cheers and celebratory praises of the masses far below echoed in his ears.  He felt positively drunk off it, reveling in the opportunity to crush this god and free them once and for all. 

“I see…”  Morgana folded his arms and stared up in wonder at the demon Persona.  “If a god plays naughty, then it’s a demon lord’s duty to punish him!  What better way is there for a finale as a Trickster!”

“And I’ve got the paddle right fucking here.”  The cracking of Akira’s knuckles rang out across the darkened skies like fireworks.  They had been through so much to get this far.  Both he and Akechi being used as pawns in the god’s game, Igor imprisoned, Lavenza split in two, and humanity enslaved.  No more.  Not one more bit of suffering would be at the hands of Yaldabaoth.

“Joker, we’re entrusting our strength and the people’s hopes to you!  Put an end to this!”

“Gladly…”  The strength of his newly awakened power flowed through his veins like it was a drug.  “Pillage him, Satanael!”  In synchronization, did they both draw weapons of incredible power.  From beneath his coat did Akira retrieve his desert eagle.  Satanael bore a weapon all his own, a long-barreled pistol forged for the sole purpose of killing a god.  Only one bullet necessary:  the Sinful Shell.  “No more of your games, Yaldabaoth!  No more doubts, no more tricks!  And no more of you!”

“You play with power you know nothing of, boy!”  Yaldabaoth’s words rolled off Akira’s back harmlessly.  His attempts to reason and discourage him only served to make ending him all the more tantalizing.  Just letting him marinate.  “Humanity will consume itself with avarice and apathy!  You will wear your world away to nothing!  Nothing you do will change that!  How have you seen so much, come so far only to understand so little?”

“Oh, I understand, alright,” he taunted, narrowing his eyes at the god.  “I understand that you will never understand.  You say we’ll never learn, and yet here we are!  Standing against you in your own shadow, forcing you to stare down the barrel of a weapon forged by the very people you tried to rule!  Our powers come from love!  Love of each other, of our friends and family, of the world and what we’ve been given by it!  And what we want to give back in return!  Your power only comes from hate, apathy, and all the negative parts that burn us alive!  That flame will always burn out when there’s nothing left to fuel it!  But ours is a gift that keeps on giving!  And that’s why you’ll never win!  Even after we’re gone and if you come back, another one will rise to put you down!  And if we do burn ourselves out, then that’s a choice _we_ get to make!”  He spat upon the ground and ground it beneath his boot.  “Yaldabaoth, for the crimes of exploiting the innocent, unlawful imprisonment, disrupting the natural order, and just being a pain in my big fat fucking ass, I sentence you to death!”

“Preposterous!  You dare rob the people’s wishes!?”

“Yaldabaoth… _BEGONE!_ ”

_BANG!_

The headpiece of Yaldabaoth shattered like glass as the Sinful Shell penetrated it.  In the dim light of the moon did the glass pieces shine like stars as they fell to earth and burned up in the atmosphere.  Church bells rang through the air in triumph over their victory.  Ironic as it was a demon killing a god.  The hole punched right through its headpiece was perfectly clean, smoke wafting off the edges from where the bullet had seared clean through.  Its mechanical limbs began to buckle and slacken, and the light that shined through the grooves in its armor slowly dimmed.

“What power…”  Its voice.  Yaldabaoth sounded so weakened.  The joints creaking and cracking as the limbs drifted down.  Slowly its form began to burn away at the edges, falling to ashes.  “It surpasses mine own… a god born from the wishes of the masses.  So this… is the true Trickster…”

“Ironic, isn’t it?” Akira taunted smugly as he holstered his pistol.  “A manifestation of the masses killed by another.  The very same thing you put me and Akechi through.  And now it’s come full circle.”

“Damn that Igor… It seems he wasn’t spouting nonsense…”  As Yaldabaoth’s form began to burn away, the ashes shifted to glow with pure light.  Drifting through the air and fading away, blown out like a match.  His enormous form withering away and descending down to earth until it was nothing.  And just like that, Yaldabaoth was no more.  A god killed by a child of man.  Akira bowed his head and closed his eyes to deliver a sigh of relief.  It was finally over.  The conspiracies, the shadows, the secrets.  Life would, at last, become normal once more.  Though before he could turn to face the others, they had all pounced on him with cheers of joy.

“That was awesome!” Ryuji declared, locking his waist with his arm.  “You shot the hell out of that guy!”

“Your Persona was so huge!  With both of you standing there, it was like a kaiju battle!”  Futaba was jumping for joy as the rush took over her body.  Only on her sugar highs had Akira seen her this hyped.  “Or like one of my Japanese animes!” 

“A battle of biblical proportions,” Yusuke noted, finger to his chin.  He had a calm contemplative look on his face.  Akira recognized it well; the artist was clearly planning his next piece.  “As overused as I find the word to be, that display truly was… epic.”  As Akira turned to make a joke, he found his words lost as he took sight of Ann.  The blonde clutched her heart and stared at him with such longing eyes, tears of joy and relief having formed.  The others took a step back and smiled at him for they knew what would be next.  Without missing a beat, Akira swept her up in his arms and kissed her.  She held onto his jacket for dear life while he cradled her close against his taut body.  His trenchcoat flowed in the breeze, and their forms were framed by the sun emerging through the clouds.  Its warm glow kissing their skin was the cherry on the proverbial sundae.

“You did it…” Ann managed after they broke the kiss.  Her chest rose and fell heavily, having her breach completely stolen from her.  Were they alone, Akira would have made love to her then and there.  “Just like you always do.”  It didn’t seem real.  All their troubles were finally over.  With each passing second did Ann expect to wake up and them be waiting around for Shido’s punishment.  But here they were.  This was real.

“We did it.”  Slowly did he look over to the others, who stood by in silence with warm smiles on their faces.  Bathing in the radiance of their love for each other.  “All of us.  Together.”  A shadow passing over them drew their attention elsewhere.  Satanael had bowed down, lowering his head to meet Hecate.  The female Persona offered her hand to the demon lord who planted a kiss upon it with his soft supple lips.  The others turned back to Akira and Ann with grins and ooh’s, swiftly kicking up bashful blushes upon their faces.

“I-I didn’t tell her to do that!”  Truth is, Ann wasn’t sure how Hecate had emerged.  Guess the call of love really did transcend barriers.  Hecate held her hand out to her departing lover as she faded, Satanael extending a hand while he drifted up into the clouds to disappear.  The sun parted the clouds and cast the blue away, returning the world to its vibrant bright visage.  Though within the rays did something drift down towards them.  Something made of gold.  “Look!”

It was a cup.  A giant chalice the size of themselves.

“Ain’t that a Treasure?” Ryuji asked in wonder.

“I’ll be damned.”  Akira led the others over to expect it.  Its golden surface shimmered in the sunlight, sparkling like wine.  “It’s the Holy Grail.  The real one.”  They all looked with excitement and wonder among themselves at the prospect.  Akira couldn’t help but laugh.  “Truly amazing.  We defeated a god, saved the world, avenged our friends, and I got the girl.  All before Christmas too.”  Ann giggled as he wrapped his arm around her waist, cuddling against his shoulder for support.

“We’re rich!”  Ryuji hoisted the chalice in both hands right over his head.  How they would sell a literal holy religious artifact without getting caught would take planning the likes of which put their con with Akechi to shame.  But the blond wasn’t worried about that now.  Dollar signs took center space in his eyes.  “Think of all the things we can buy!”

“Expensive Japanese figures!”

“Exotic organic paints from overseas!”

“Rich and healthy manure for growing plants!”

“College tuition for all of us, even able to study abroad!  And a motorcycle!”

“No!  You guys are thinkin’ too small!  I’m talkin’ weekly visits to the Wilton Hotel!  Maybe we could _buy_ the Wilton!  We can travel anywhere in the world, eat whatever we want, go wherever we want!  The sky’s the limit!  Don’t you see?  We made it to the big leagues!  The Phantom Thieves are finally superstars!  Right, Mona?”

The cat merely chuckled to himself, content to stand back and watch his dear friend revel in their youth idyllic fantasies.  They had all come so far together.  He thought he had been helping them, but they had just as equally been there for him.  His family.  Something that made him feel… human.

“Thanks for everything, gang.”  His tone was so soft and subdued.  Tired with a somewhat melancholic smile on his furry little face.

“Mona-chan?” Haru asked with a little worry.

“Mona?” Futaba inquired as Morgana pressed a paw against the surface of the grail.

“Humans have the power to change the world.  They just forgot about that a bit…”

“Hey…” Yusuke wondered aloud.  None of them were sure what to make of what Morgana was getting at.  Why he sounded so distant and tired all of a sudden.

“Thanks to you guys, I was able to complete my duty…”

“It’s not over yet, little buddy.”  Akira wasn’t worried.  He didn’t seem to share the sense of unease about Morgana’s tone that they did.  Nothing could derail the high he was on from their victory.  “We still gotta make you human.  Might take a while with no more Metaverse, but a deal’s a deal.  Even if Igor created you just to help me, I keep my word.”  The cat bowed his head in reverence to his dear friend.  His comrade-in-arms.  His brother.  “You’re amazing.  Thank you.  Now it’s time we return the favor.”

“Everything was thanks to you, wasn’t it, Morgana?”  Makoto couldn’t help but get a little emotional.  Being so high up above the clouds, bathed in the warmth of the sun, the wind softly whipping around them, and conquering their tormentor.  It was all catching up to her so fast, the girl couldn’t help but wipe away a few tears that had sprung up by surprise.

“I got to be useful for humans that I admired so much.  Nothing could make me happier.”

“Thumbs might.”  Morgana chuckled at Akira’s jest, his blue eyes turning back towards the chalice.  Ordinarily, he would’ve jumped upon such a shiny piece of loot in a heartbeat.  But that spark had faded, now replaced by something else.  A sense of finality.

“…This place will soon disappear too.  Time to go home.”  The chalice began to glow a bright gold before enveloping them completely.  The platform they stood upon faded away, and the sound of the wind faded away.  Rivers of blood raining from the sky evaporated, the gnarled roots twisting through the streets and buildings now gone.  Even the red ominous sky had now been replaced by the blue backdrop that brought them all comfort.  The people and buildings began to evaporate into glowing starlight as everything fell back into place little by little.  “The whole world is a product of cognition.  Not just the Metaverse.  It can be freely re-made.  The same goes for you, and everyone else.”

“Our focus now will be on remaking you.  Helping you become hu-“  As Akira turned to face his feline friend, he felt his heart seize up in his chest.  All the air vanished from within in one fell swoop.  They all stared in shock as his form began to glow, stardust drifting off the edges.  “Morgana, wh-what’s happening?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”  When he received no answer, the cat chuckled and shook his head.  “I was made to help you, and now my job is over.”  He closed his eyes and tilted his head towards the sky.  “It’s time for me to go.”

“…Go?”  Akira couldn’t believe the words he was hearing.  The boy forced himself to scoff, laugh it off like some sort of prank.  “Quit playing around, Morgana.”  But the punchline never came.  The cat remained quiet while they watched him in disbelief.  “…No, that… that’s not how we… we stay together.  I am not leaving you behind.  I’m not losing another member of this team.  Not now!  Not after everything we’ve been through.”

“It’s already done.”

“Dude, Mona!” Ryuji exclaimed.

“Mona-chan!” Haru whined through her hands, fighting back the tears.

“This can’t be happening!”  They all quickly fell in line behind Ann as she raced towards the cat.  But the street was torn open before them, white light radiating from the cracks.  The world seemed to be forcibly separating them away from their little furry friend, who was content to put on a smile and watch them.  They all scrambled to find some way to bring him back to no avail.

“Futaba!  Summon him back!”  But try as she might, Prometheus just wouldn’t activate.  None of their Personas would.  Ann couldn’t even summon her whip to pull him back.  Akira’s heart raced a million miles a second alongside his mind for some sort of solution.  Morgana was slipping right through their fingers like dust.  “Satanael!”  The winged demon could scoop him up in his mighty hands and return him.  But he didn’t show.  Akira’s clenched fist bore no power.  “Jack Frost!  Mara!”  He went through his entire list, but not one shred of help was delivered to him.  Truly helpless in the face of his friend fading away.  “No!  This can’t be happening!  Igor!  Lavenza!  Stop this!”

“Soon a new world will come,” Morgana calmly explained.  “One where mankind isn’t held captive.  The world will shine brightly as long as you hold hope in your hearts.”  Morgana began to rise over them and drift up towards the sky.  Like an angel being called back for heaven.

“But what’s gonna happen to you!?” Makoto yelled. 

“Morgana, I’m ordering you to come back here!”  Akira’s voice was frantic.  “Your mission’s not done yet!  I made a promise to help you!  How can we hold on if our best friend isn’t here to enjoy it with us?!”  No answer.  He just wore that smile on his face as though it was supposed to calm them.  It just twisted the knife in his heart further.  With a growl, Akira threw his jacket to the ground and prepared to jump the gap.  If Morgana wouldn’t come back, he’d drag him back himself.  But as he tried to vault for it, he was dragged back by the others.  It took all of them holding his arms and legs to keep him in place.  “Let go of me!  Let me go!  I gotta get him!”

“Dammit, Joker!  He’s gone!  There’s nothin’ we can do for him now!”  Ryuji’s words did little to stave off the fight in his heart.  The boy reached out towards the cat, fingers gnarled as though he was trying to pluck him from the sky.  They all shared his pain, but it was actively tearing him apart.  To be so helpless and watch someone else disappear before his very eyes that he could’ve saved.

“Remember… there’s no such thing as the “real” world.  What each person sees and feels – those are what shape reality.  This is what gives the world infinite potential.  Even if you feel that only darkness lies ahead, as long as you hold hands together, see it through as one… the world will never end!  The world exists within all of you!”

“Morgana!  COME BACK!  PLEASE!”

The light grew blinding all around them, and they were completely enveloped by it.  Once the warmth it generated was a source of comfort, but it now taunted them with the disappearance of their good friend.  It slowly began to fade, and the lot of them found themselves standing in the middle of Shibuya.  Donning their civilian clothes now that they were back in the real world.  They all stared up towards the cloudy sky for some trace of the cat.  But nothing was to be found.  He truly was gone this time.  Akira felt all the energy sapped from his body in a split second and fell to his knees, leaning on his elbows in agony.

“Morgana…”  Ann could hardly believe it. 

“Mona…”  Futaba missed the little cat she would cradle in her arms, the tears obscuring her vision to where even the glasses refused to help.

“The Meta-Nav…”  Haru clutched her phone, staring at it solemnly.  “It’s gone.  Mementos must have disappeared too.”  Just as he said.  Had he known about this all along?  Sacrificing himself for the greater good just like Akira would’ve done?  The boy couldn’t stomach the thought of it.

“We can’t see Mona anymore… can we?”  A rhetorical question.  Futaba knew good and well the answer but didn’t want to face it.  None of them did.  Ryuji wiped his eye with the back of his hand.

“I’m gonna miss that little furball,” he admitted.  Never once had he harbored ill will for the cat.  Even when miffed with him, it was always friendly banter.  Ryuji had always held respect for Morgana even when he didn’t put his best foot forward.  “…What’re you all so gloomy for?  Mona would laugh at us for it…”  At least he hoped.  The cat always did want to add some levity to things.  A soft sob drew their attention to a disheveled Akira, still remaining on the ground.

“He was… my friend…”  From the day they had united, Morgana had only ever wanted to be human.  Akira had made that obligation to him as a friend.  And now he was gone.  He had failed.  “H-he was… like my brother…”  Akira had been an only child.  Never had it been an issue for him, but the idea of having someone else to share a life with always did interest him.  Morgana had been the closest thing.  Roommates who shared nearly everything, who bonded together and helped one another, who put with one another and called out their flaws in trying to fix them.  But never again. 

“That reminds me,” Yusuke said, clearing his throat.  “What about the public?  Were we able to change their hearts?”  Akira caught his breath in his throat, gulping down a sob in order to glare daggers at the artist.

“Who gives a shit about them?!”  Slowly did he force himself to his feet.  “Our friend is gone, and you only care about all these faceless strangers?!”  The artist shared his pain but kept himself composed for their sake.  He preferred to express his pain through his art.  Nevertheless, he held his ground.

“This is what we had set out for in the first place,” he stated sternly.  “Morgana would have wanted us to focus on what was right.  I miss him just as much as you do, but no good will come from groveling now and expecting it to change.”  Akira clenched his fist and bared his teeth at the artist, whose composed look now seemed to mock him.  He was far too angry to see the sense in his decision, too broken up.

“Akira, just calm down…”  Ann reached out to touch his shoulder, but Akira swiftly withdrew from her touch.

“Don’t touch me!”  His words cut her, the blonde pursing her lips in pain and clenching her fist as though it had been burnt.  “Are we supposed to just pretend everything’s okay now?!  We’re just gonna get over Morgana like it’s nothing?!  Just put him out of our minds and go focus on something else?!  Just slap a band-aid on this and say it’s all fine?!  Well, it’s _not_ fine, okay?!  It’s NOT!”  He could barely see through the pained glare he was administering on account of all the tears.  His heart felt as though it had been shattered into millions of little pieces.  Them trying to hide their pain and stay composed only made it worse.  Before he could let them respond, the boy ran off through the crowd.  No idea where he was headed, but he needed to be alone.  To be away from them.

“Akira!  Wait!”  Ann attempted to give chase after him, but Ryuji took hold of her arm.

“Ann, wait.  Just let him go, alright?”  She attempted to shake him off, but the blond boy kept his grip firm and steadfast.  “He needs time.  Just let him hurt for a bit, okay?  Get the pain out.”  The blonde looked out through the crowd of people in the hope of trying to spot him.  But Akira had completely vanished.  With that, Ann let her arm slacken, and Ryuji released his grip.

“I didn’t wish to upset him, but I merely wanted to maintain our composure-“

“It’s okay, Inari.”  The artist took comfort in the understanding gaze Futaba administered.  “You didn’t do anything wrong.  Akira’s just… really hurting right now.”  It wasn’t too big a surprise.  Both he and Morgana had a closer connection than all of them.  Well, besides Ann.  It only made sense to see him so torn up.  Though it didn’t make it any easier to deal with.  All while the rest of the world seemed blissfully unaware of their strife.  Of the struggles they had undergone to come this far and of the brave sacrifice Morgana had given to make it happen.  Instead, they were just lost in their discussions of their ordinary lives and the future.

“He’s gonna blame himself for this,” Makoto said sadly.  “Beat himself up over it no matter what we say.  I suppose I’d be the same way.”

“I’ll talk to him later,” Ann said.  There was nothing more she wanted than to run to him, scoop him up in her arms, and soothe her man with her voice to tell him everything will be okay.  But Ryuji was right.  He needed to be by himself now and let the toxin out of his system.  Not let his anger and heartache get the better of him.  “There’s just… so much to unpack here…”

“I wonder how things will go,” Haru wondered.  Here and there were snippets of Shido.  Nothing flattering.  It seemed the crowd had finally seen the truth and shaken off its apathy.  A small victory.  “I hope they go well…”

“Let’s believe in the adults.”  The student council president wore her most confident smile, even if her heart fought against it.  They all needed someone to believe in right now.  “Sis promised us, after all.”

“From here on out’s the prosecutor’s job, huh…”  The words brought some semblance of comfort to Ryuji.  It felt good for once to relinquish control.  To be teenagers again. 

“If we can’t enter the Metaverse, that means we’ve been relieved of being Phantom Thieves.”    Yusuke had great respect for the power they had obtained and wielded on the other side.  But everything had its time and place.  Now was just the time it had to be to hang it up.

“It feels a bit sad…”  Haru didn’t quite share Yusuke’s nonchalance.  As grateful as she was to live a normal life again, she would miss those powers and being able to help so many with them.  All around them did the snow begin to fall.  A white Christmas it was expected to be this year.  Perhaps a parting gift from Morgana, a thank you reward for their service, or compensation for their pain.  No one was quite sure what to make of it.  Though it certainly didn’t feel like Christmas was coming.  So wrapped up in Shido and saving the world that they had forgotten all about the holidays.  The lot of them decided to dismiss early and go their separate ways.  Spend Christmas Eve with their families and take comfort in their victory, even if Morgana wouldn’t be there.  Just wait to see Shido be given the justice he deserved.  Then tomorrow, they would have a Christmas party at Leblanc to celebrate their victory over Yaldabaoth.

Though as they separated, they all couldn’t get Akira out of his mind.  Cold and alone out in the city, licking his wounds in Morgana’s absence.  But they all knew he would bounce back.  He always did.  Their leader just needed time to heal, time to let himself hurt and be human.  Even if it pained them to have to handle.

* * *

 

Christmas Eve.

What a miserable holiday.  Akira had completely forgotten about the holidays.  It now only served as a cruel reminder that Morgana would never get to have his first Christmas.  His first New Years’.  Akira truly felt like the biggest scrooge in the world as he sat on the park bench all by himself.  The snow was falling at a steady pace with no sign of slowing.  It collected on his shoulders and back, but he didn’t care.  It wasn’t as cold as the emptiness he felt inside with Morgana’s absence.  His friend and brother was gone.  Dead.

“I didn’t expect to find the world’s savior alone on Christmas Eve.”  Akira mustered the strength to look up and found a concerned looking Sae standing before him.  He glanced back down onto the ground and scoffed.  By a stroke of luck had she managed to find him.  It certainly beat showing up at Leblanc, that was for sure.  “…Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Can I stop you?”  His rebuke was rather cold and aloof.  The prosecutor knew something was amiss right from the get-go.  But she merely continued.

“First off, thank you for taking my request.  With your actions, I can only hope that public opinion changes.  It will change, won’t it?”

“Who cares?”  Sae blinked in surprise at his detached state of being.  It really struck her across the chest to come from someone as passionate and altruistic as Akira.

“I thought you’d be happier…” she managed while trying to figure him out.  “Shido being brought to justice so no one else will ever have to suffer.”  Akira scoffed once more before spitting onto the snow.

“Is that what it’s all about?” he attempted to sneer.  Despite the palpable ire on his tongue, his heart just wasn’t in it.  “Bring Shido to justice so he can sit in some warm jail cell all nice and safe?  While his victims have to clean up the pieces of their broken lives and pretend that’s somehow fair?  Tck!  There’s some fucking justice for you.”

“What’s gotten into you?” she asked with concern.  This was quite the far cry from the boy she had met in the interrogation room.  The one so full of spirit now had dead eyes.  Akira looked up at her with a sneer.

“Morgana and Akechi are dead.”  With that reveal did he explain everything with Akechi.  The truth about his relationship with Shido and how he had sacrificed himself to save them.  “Shido had him gunned down like a dog!  And Morgana is gone after helping save the world.  Where’s the justice for them?”  The older woman blinked in surprise, holding a hand to her mouth.  She could hardly believe what had just been spoken.  Even Shido had neglected to inform her of Akechi’s death.  Something else they could nail him with to ensure his punishment.  But at the cost of a fellow ally, even if he had planned to betray her.  That camaraderie still remained.  Something she could see in Akira.  Or used to be able to.

“Akira, I’m so sorry about Akechi.  And the cat-“

“He was _not_ a cat!”  Akira slammed his fist into the bench, catching Sae by surprise.  “He was a person!  He was my friend!  And I… I couldn’t save him…”  Akira doubled over and held his head in his hands, feeling the pain begin to slip out in more tears.  Sae delivered a heavy sigh and took a seat next to him.  His words really struck close to home for her.  She could see a lot of herself in him, such as that early youthful bitterness that had plagued her since her father’s death.  The same bitterness that ate away and dissolved her to apathy, something he and the others had saved her from.

“I can’t… apologize enough.  You are kind and brave, and it’s okay to let yourself hurt.  But you can’t lose sight of what’s important.  Of what you both believed in.  You taught me that.”  Akira said nothing, remaining quiet as she placed a gentle hand upon his back.  He didn’t turn away the tender touch this time.  Mostly because he lacked the strength to do so.  Being angry and in pain was just so tiring.  It had consumed him since Akechi’s betrayal.  He just wanted it to stop, but life just wouldn’t let him have anything.  “Morgana and Akechi would want us to keep going forward.  Shido confessed to a variety of crimes.  We can arrest him on these charges.  The problem lies in proving him guilty.  It’d be difficult unless the correlation between the Metaverse and the mental shutdowns is made.  Akechi, who perpetrated these crimes, has gone missing…”  It would be tough to explain Akechi’s death to the force even with Shido’s confession. 

“So we have nothing,” Akira bitterly replied.  “We’ve come so far, lost so much, and it all was for nothing?”  Sae shook her head, remaining sympathetic to the teenage boy’s pain despite his irrationality.

“We’re not out just yet.  You’re the only ones left who can testify.  But to make this happen, we’ll need to do something…”  That was the easy part.  Now came the part she had been looking forward to the least.  A necessary step for the greater good but not one so simple to take.  “I’ll be blunt.  I want you to turn yourself in to the police.”  Akira jolted up, newly awakened by her words.  It was like being dumped with cold water.  “Your testimony will be necessary in order to prove Shido guilty.  However… that will mean placing you on center stage.  You’ll be treated as a hero who saved this country.  But there’s no way that the police or the public prosecutors will let that slide.  They’ll lose face to you and the Phantom Thieves.  If that happens, there’s no telling what they’ll do to you or your teammates.  There’s even the possibility that they’ll fabricate a crime and move to arrest you all.”

It just kept getting worse and worse.  Two teammates down and the only way to bring Shido to justice would be to give himself up.  Throw himself to the wolves.  They’d never had a shred of privacy again if they went public.  And Akira had firsthand seen the police’s methods.  He could never forgive himself if he put the others through what he had experienced himself.  Futaba was so frail that she might not even survive, and no doubt Sojiro would blame himself even though it would be his fault.  And Ann.  His precious Ann.  No way could he restrain himself if they harmed even a single hair on her head, Metaverse or not be damned.

“So that’s it then.  Everything we’ve done come to this.  We sacrificed, bled, and suffered, and this is how we’re repaid?”  He had been perfectly willing to give himself up before for the greater good.  But things had changed a lot since his Medjed plan.  He had a promise to uphold that they would all go down together, hand in hand and arm in arm.  But to take away everything they had, everything they had come so far to achieve.  All while he had really nothing to lose.  It just wasn’t fair.  “Is there even a guarantee that this’ll be worth it?”

“I can’t say,” Sae admitted.  “I don’t like this any more than you do, but this is our only shot.  I know you’d want to protect your teammates so all we’d need is you.  No one else would have to come.  But if you turn yourself in to the police, you’ll definitely be arrested.  And there’s your past record.  The police and prosecution will strike there.  They’ll treat your arrest as “grave misconduct” and revoke your probation.  You’ll most likely be sent to juvenile hall… and placed in solitary confinement.”  And now jail time too.  The whole reason he had been sent here was to live with a clean bill of health until March.  Only three months away and it was to go up in smoke.  With no guarantee of success either.  “They’ll be content as long as they get a testimony without the Phantom Thieves being hailed as heroes.  That should guarantee the safety of your teammates.  Or rather, I’ll make sure it’s guaranteed.”  Akira couldn’t help but scoff at her words.  It was hard to see the justice in anything anymore.  The wicked get protected while the good die off.  “I’ll close all the cases surrounding Shido.  I intend to expose them all.”

“And what if I say no?”  Sae found herself lost for words.  She had anticipated such a response.  Someone so gung-ho in reforming society and protecting the innocent – saving her from herself – now willing to just brush that aside.  Shocking but not unreasonable.  At the end of the day, he was still just a teenage boy who had been caught up in things much greater than himself.  Now being expected to potentially throw his life away.

“I won’t force you.  If you decided to refuse, I’d let you walk away.  But there’s no guarantee that Shido could be convicted without your testimony.  It’s to prevent society from becoming distorted again.  That’s what you want too, isn’t it?”  So much of their lives had led to this moment.  All the people stepped on and lost.  Wakaba, Akechi, Okumura, and now Morgana.  Gone, swept to the winds.  The rest of their accomplishments wouldn’t be much farther behind if he refused.  “This is almost like… a final deal between the two of us.  I’ll ask you once more: I’d like for you to turn yourself in to the police, of your own accord.”

By far the hardest decision he ever had to make.  How would he even pull this off?  They had already been through so much, and to spring this on them now would start a wildfire.   Akira wouldn’t be able to convince them to let this happen no matter what.  They’d go down with the ship even if they had to fight him to make it happen.  It would definitely guarantee Shido’s conviction.  But it would cost all of them so much, and they had already given everything they had.

“…I’ll do it.”

“…Thank you.”  The relief and hope that resonated on Sae’s face pulled him out of his funk for just a brief moment.  Made him remember what he had strived for.  “I had a feeling you’d say that.  Leave the rest to us.”  He still had no idea how this was going to work with the others.  But he had an ultimatum and letting everything be for nothing wasn’t an option.  This had to happen one way or another.  “All right, let’s go.”  The sooner they could make this testimony happen, the better.  Every second wasted was one where Shido slipped through their fingers.  Sae led the long march back to her vehicle to escort Akira to the station.  This would be the hardest case she had ever worked, but it would be absolutely worth it.  Night and day would she push on to make Shido pay and bring justice back to Tokyo.

Akira felt nothing but gloom as he followed the older woman.  What a horrible way to spend his Christmas.  It would ruin everything for the others, but it needed to be done.  Give the gift of justice to Tokyo as it so deserved.  To make sure Shido would never haunt the country with his presence again.  His moping was interrupted by the phone vibrating in his pocket.  None other than Ann had texted him.

**_Ann: Akira, I know you’re hurting over Morgana, and I’m so sorry.  I miss him so much too.  But you don’t need to be alone out there.  Let’s meet up, just the two of us.  We can keep it a secret from everyone else.  How about dinner somewhere and then back to your room?  Please just come back.  I’m worried about you all alone…_ **

“Is something wrong?” she asked.  Akira looked up from his phone with a somber expression.  This could be the very last time he might get to see Ann.  He couldn’t let her go with him no matter what.  Doing this could potentially divide them for good. 

“…I need more time.  Just until tomorrow.”  Of course there’d be some sort of hiccup in her plan.  Not wholly unexpected.  As much as she itched to close this case for good, Shido wasn’t going anywhere.  And Akira was still a teenager.  She owed him a little bit of levity for all he had done and would soon do.

“…Very well.  You can turn yourself in tomorrow morning.  I’ll show up at Leblanc early so we can avoid the others.”  By some grace of luck had he been given a brief reprieve from the agony the world had thrust upon him.  Just one last little bit of calm before the storm.  He was owed that much.  He was allowed to be somewhat selfish for a little while longer.

**_Akira: That sounds great._ **

**_Ann: Yay!  I’ll be waiting for you in front of Shibuya Station._ **

Even through text could he detect her delighted bubbly tone.  A warm smile wormed its way onto his face in spite of the apprehension he felt.  She always proved to be his light in the darkness, even before they had started dating.  In a way, he had to owe it to Shido and Yaldabaoth.  For without them, he’d have never met the love of his life.  His muse, his partner-in-crime, his best friend.

Though for how much longer?  No doubt she’d be furious at his decision to sacrifice himself, especially after that lecture of him trying too hard to be the hero at the detriment of his self.  Guess he really hadn’t learned his lesson after all.

* * *

 

“…No matter where you look, it’s all couples.”  The both of them hurried inside the dimly lit Leblanc, its warm enveloping them from the outside.  If there was one thing Akira had wanted now more than ever, it was a proper winter coat.  His blazer and jeans barely offered any sort of warmth.  Ann remained all nice and snuggly in her sports jacket.  “Ugh, I really messed up.  I thought we’d be able to eat somewhere without a reservation.  And this was supposed to be our chance to spend Christmas Eve together…”  Akira couldn’t help but chuckle at her flustered status.  She was always a very schedule-oriented girl, and watching her wince awkwardly at every filled restaurant through his peripheral was quite the treat.  He had to stop himself from snickering plenty of times.

“You worry too much,” he assured her with a kiss.  “I don’t need some fancy dinner or night on the town to make tonight special.  You’re all I need.”  His doting words kicked the butterflies up in her stomach and sparked up a furious blush.  Even after dating him for four months, he never failed to render her into a blushing gooey mess.  Just a testament to her love and adoration of him.

“Oh, you…”  Despite his words, she was still wanting to make the night memorable for them both.  “So what are we supposed to do for Christmas Eve?  Go out?  Eat dinner together?  If we were both adults… get drunk together?”  Akira ran a finger against his chin as he mulled her words over.  He had been so caught up in what would happen tomorrow and spending time with her tonight that he had neglected thinking about himself.  The boy was absolutely famished.  “I just don’t know.”

“Well, the night’s still young…”  He let his voice trail off into a purr which kicked up a set of flustered giggles from within his blonde lover.  No matter what, he always knew what words to say to touch her heart in all the right places.

“You sound like a sleazy old man!” she said with a laugh.  “But seriously, I’m hungry.  All the pizza places are probably slammed…”  The streets had been utterly packed, with only Leblanc seeming to be empty.  Sojiro had retired early for the evening to spend Christmas with Futaba.  Leaving the shop all to them.  What better way to make use of it than some cooking?  “What are you hungry for?”

“Hmm… tacos.”  Ann couldn’t help but snicker.  Not exactly her first choice for a Christmas Eve dinner.

“Tacos?” she repeated, quirking her head to the side just to tease him.  Akira chuckled and merely nodded in confirmation.  It had been a long time since she had enjoyed Mexican food.  And he could practically turn water into wine with how divine his cooking skills were.  “I’ll allow it.  Just don’t make it too spicy, okay?”  Akira nodded and set right to work.  Firing up the panini press, steaming the tortillas, frying and spicing up the ground beef in the pan.  Practically second nature, all while Ann watched him work.  He had such a meticulous way about him when it came to prepping and cooking.  It had such grace and sophistication, almost like a ballet.  Reminded her of how Yusuke would paint. 

“You’re such a lightweight,” Akira teased as he minded the spice.  He was an absolute spice fiend.  Able to handle temperatures and consistencies that the rest of them couldn’t match.  He had wanted that takoyaki more than any one of them during the festival.  Once the beef had been squared away, he drained the grease into a metal can and popped it in the freezer.  Dicing up some onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and a three-blend cheese.  An added bonus of pineapple slices too.  At some point in the week had he been planning on cooking tacos so what better time than now?  As a last meal.  Once again, Akira had cooked an absolute knockout meal.  The perfect amount of spice for her, complimented by the sweetness of the pineapple.  Man, he really did love pineapple.  Nearly every meal he made for her had pineapple in it.  Ramen, garlic shrimp scampi, tacos.  Not that she could blame him.  Though she was utterly surprised at the sheer amount of hot sauce, pepper, and spice he put onto his portions.  Her eyes would be positively watering if she had all that.  Yet he barely flinched.  Even going so far as to drink from the hot sauce bottle directly.

They laughed, carried on, and conversed late into the night.  Eventually heading up into his room to snuggle up on the bed.  She went on and on about the Christmas party tomorrow.  Something they could have together as a kind of family and to remember Morgana and Akechi by.  But he didn’t have the heart to tell her.

“Oh yeah!  I got you something…”  From beneath her jacket did she retrieve a cute little gift wrapped with a big bow.  Red and frilly.  Fit her style perfectly.  Akira opened it and was surprised to find a pair of earmuffs, even adorned with the Phantom Thief logo.  He had to smile at that, something Ann was thankful for.  The blonde worried he’d find it in poor taste or something but was glad to know she was just worried over nothing.  “Surprise!  You totally weren’t expecting that, now were you?”

“Never saw it coming.”  He adorned them on his head and gave a content little smile at how softly they cushioned his ears.  The perfect among of snugness, not constraining his hearing or hurting his head in any way.  His adoration of her little gift had her in a fit of flustered giggles.

“Take good care of it,” she teased.  Akira placed them gently upon his shelf, making sure to clean whatever dust had dared lingered.  Ann’s present deserved only the cleanest spot.

“That reminds me, I got something for you as well…”  From within his suitcase did he retrieve a perfectly wrapped present of his own.  Also sporting a big bow.  Red just like her.  Ann clasped her hands together excitedly at being given gifts.  She truly was a child at heart.  The blonde gushed with adoration at his gift to her, nearly knocking him over with her pounce.  A thousand praises did she sing for her love for him. 

“It’s not fair how sweet you are!”  Then came the smothering of kisses as she laid atop him on the bed.  Too swept up in her emotions to take off the shoes.  Akira hated shoes on his bed, but he loved a happy amorous Ann better.  They eventually calmed themselves down and cuddled on the bed, lingering in the silence.  Once again, Ann’s mind set to work thinking about the future.  What they would do after all this.  Valentines’ Day, graduation.  It would be amazing to see a world they helped make better after Shido was locked away.  If he was.  If.  That word again.  “…Hey, I know this is sudden… but the whole Shido incident has been on the news every day, right?”  Not a day had gone by where it hadn’t been touched upon, and they couldn’t escape hearing about him on the city streets.  All they could do now was let Sae handle it.  They had reached the end of their rope, and the Phantom Thieves were no more.  But they were stumbling in the dark now with no guarantee Shido would be convicted.  “I’m a little worried.  If the police find out about the Phantom Thieves…”  She had seen what they were capable of through her poor Akira.  The bruises had faded away completely, but there were times she could still visualize them on his face.  He bore no ill side effects to the truth serum thankfully as well.  Yet the notion that they had gone so far to get him to confess and could do so again.  Such a thing shook the blonde to her very core.  “It’s not that I’m afraid of getting caught.  I lie awake at night thinking about what I’d do if I couldn’t see you anymore.”

Akira felt his blood run cold and his heart slow.  It had been too much to believe that the subject could slide right by for the rest of the night and wait until tomorrow.  Even he had managed to bury it in the back of his mind when he started cooking for Ann.

_If that happens, there’s no telling what they’ll do to you or your teammates.  There’s even the possibility that they’ll fabricate a crime and move to arrest you all._

“…What’s wrong?”  As Akira glanced through his peripheral over to her, she could see his concern gaze.  The worry he wore on his face was plain as day.  The blonde had gotten too good on detecting his mannerisms, able to sense when and if something was amiss just by facial expression and body posture.  Was he really that easy to read?  It was getting harder to just bury it and sweep it under the rug.  Everything was forcing him to have to confront this hard fact.  That tomorrow would be the last time he might see them.  See her.  They wouldn’t listen no matter how much sense he made.  Ann had made that abundantly clear after Futaba had her heart changed.  It wouldn’t be any better to try, seeing her hurt because of him.  So the choice was abundantly clear.  He had to do the one thing he never wanted to do.  Do the one thing in all seventeen years of his life he had managed to avoid and break his streak of character.

“It’s nothing.”

“If you’re worried about Shido, you can tell me-“

“I said it’s nothing.”

Something was wrong.  Dreadfully wrong.  He couldn’t even look her in the eyes.  Her heart was all over the place in terms of motion as she stared at him.  Akira could share anything with her.  They made a promise to do so no matter what.  Yet she could sense the wall he had erected between them, just how cold it was.  It had to be something more than Morgana.  Something he was keeping distant from her, and it killed her not to know.  What had she done to earn such treatment after all they had been through?

“Sorry, I’m really ruining the mood…”  It broke her heart to feel this.  To know that he lied to her, a man who prided himself on never lying.  And now he had broken the oath he held himself to.  Akira had never lied about anything in all his life, something he had prided himself on.  So why now?  Why to her?  She couldn’t handle this.  Not tonight on Christmas Eve and after Morgana.  “…I think I’m just gonna go home.” 

Akira blinked in surprise at her desire to suddenly just up and leave.  They had only been there for a couple of hours.  It didn’t take much effort for him to sense that she sensed something was wrong.

“If you’re sure… then I’ll walk you back-”

“No.”  It felt so cold to be denied.  Cut off so preemptively.  Their perfect night was unraveling right before his eyes, and he was stumbling to try and thread it back together.  “I’ll be okay…”  The blonde withdrew from his touch and made her way to the stairs.  His bed now felt so immensely lonely without her in it.  Akira’s heart told him to fight for her, and the boy rose up after her.

“Ann, hold on.  It’s cold outside.  Why not just stay a little while lo-“

“You’re hiding something from me… aren’t you?”  Her words stopped him dead in his tracks, rendering him utterly silent.  Once again had she seen right through him.  He really had lost his touch.  But what could he say?  The girl had left him completely tongue-tied, and as much as it pained for him to lie right to her face, it was something he had to do.  If not, they’d all be arrested.  Or worse, give themselves up and throw away their futures to go with him.  It wasn’t fair.  The blonde looked over her shoulder at him through the tears that were starting to form.  His refusal was absolutely killing her.  He felt like a complete stranger, a far cry from the man she loved.  “I wish you had just told me…”

“Wait… Come on, Ann.  I-“

“Good night.” 

The girl hurried down the stairs and wiped at her eyes with her sleeves.  Her quick pace maintained a sizable distance between the both of them even as he near tripped over himself to get to her.  The cold air buffeted him back as she left through the door.  Ann was thankful the gust of wind disguised the sniffles that started to break out.  As he stood alone in the doorway, his gut fought for him to go after her.  Grab her by the wrist and bring her back to explain.  She’d fight with him until he confessed.  It would just make a scene, and that would only make things even worse.  His heart sank into the earth as she disappeared into the night.

It wasn’t fair.  To him, to her, to any of them.  Why couldn’t they just have it easy for once?  A little fairy tale ending where they could live happily ever after without any more Shidos or Kamoshidas or gods.  It tore his heart out to do this to Ann.  But it was for the greater good.  To make sure Morgana and Akechi hadn’t died for nothing and to bring Shido to justice.  That’s what he had to tell himself.  To keep telling himself.  Still didn’t make it any less easy to handle.  The boy leaned against the counter and slammed his fist against it, the tears of frustration and anguish starting to leak out.  The chance for one last perfect night, and he had blown it.  He cursed himself as a terrible boyfriend and an even worse friend.  Still his harshest critic even after so much.

But someone had to be.  Why not himself?


	56. The Worst Christmas

_12/25/17 – Sunday_

Barely slept a wink.  Too busy thinking about what today would bring.  How all of this would remotely pan out, he hadn’t a clue.  Just lying awake in bed without Morgana while trying to reason to himself that this was worth it.  For the greater good.  But there hadn’t been a single moment he stopped kicking himself for letting Ann slip through his fingers and ruining the night for both of them.  Not he was set to ruin Christmas as well.  And none of them were even aware of it.

“Morning,” Sojiro said with a smile.  Instead of his usual pot of coffee, he was brewing up some hot chocolate.  “You’re up early.  And all dressed up too.  Going somewhere?”  Akira wore a smile as best he could so as not to worry the old man.  Though there was only so much longer he could put it off.  Sae would be here any minute now.  “Well, the others will be here in an hour.  Futaba told me all about the little Christmas party you guys wanted to have.  Nobody’ll be coming in today so I figured why not.”  The knife in his chest twisted ever further.  It still wasn’t too late to call the deal off.  Tell Sae to figure it out somewhere else and leave Shido in fate’s hands.  It was alright to be a little selfish to achieve some happiness, wasn’t it?  “What do you look so down for?  It’s Christmas!  Cheer up!”  But as the bell to the front rang, it was clear what Akira had to do.  What needed to be done.  “Uh, excuse me, but we’re clo-“

Sure enough, there she was.  Right on time.  And looking just as glum about the whole ordeal as he was.

“Sojiro,” Sae greeted stiffly.  The old man was incredibly perplexed to see her today of all days.  After all, it would only be natural to assume she’d be with Makoto.  Or at work.  “You ready?”  Akira merely sighed and stepped forward.  Which only served to further confuse Sojiro.

“What’s… going on?”

“You hadn’t told him?”  It wasn’t as though Akira had been avoiding it.  Sojiro had been long gone after he had returned to Leblanc.  But he wasn’t exactly jumping at the bits to tell him neither.  The prosecutor sighed and took the burden upon herself to explain.  She owed Akira that much after making him go through with this.  “We’re having difficulty convicting Shido of his crimes, even with a confession.  In order to make sure he doesn’t go free…”  The woman felt the sigh slip out and interrupt her.  “I asked Akira to turn himself in and personally testify against him.”

“Wh-what?!”  The old man nearly spilled his drink.  “You can’t be serious!  After everything that bastard’s done, you can’t slap the cuffs on him?  Isn’t his confession enough?”

“You know as well as I that it won’t.”  They were both fairly familiar with the legal system from their years of work.  Both sides of it.  It didn’t make the old man any less frustrated.  “There are still people out there looking to save face by defending Shido.”

“It’s Christmas for God’s sake!  You can’t wait until after?”

“I’m afraid not.  The more time we waste, the quicker Shido can go free.  And all of this would be for nothing.”  The old man shook his head and nursed his brow.  This frustration on their holiday break was giving him a major headache.  These kids had been through so much to get here, and now they were expected to give even more.  While the adults could offer very little.

“No.”  Sojiro put himself between Akira and Sae, shaking his head with a stern stare.  “Find some other way.  But you’re not taking him.”  Sae had known he’d protest to protect Akira.  But she had also hoped Sojiro would be much more rational about this given his history with Shido.

“Sojiro, I understand that you don’t like this.  I don’t either, but it’s the only way we-“

“As his legal guardian, I say no.”  The old man huffed at her exasperatedly.  “If his confession isn’t enough to convict him, then what’s the point of you guys in the first place?  He’s done enough.  Just leave the kid be.”  He turned towards Akira and delivered a firm nod.  “I’ve got your back.  Head back upstairs and let me handle this.”  Akira had done so much for him and Futaba, and he couldn’t give enough back in return.  For fixing his family and for how he treated him initially.

“It’s okay, Sojiro.  I’ve made my decision.”  The old man was absolutely blindsided by his decision when he took his place at Sae’s side.

“What?  Hold on!  Let’s talk about this-“

“I’ve already committed to this.”  He closed his eyes and sighed through his nose, doing his best to remain composed.  “This is how it has to be.  I don’t like this either, but we have no other choice.  It’s so that nobody else gets hurt.  That something like what happened to Wakaba and your family will never happen again.”  Sojiro was at a loss for words.  This teenage kid was willing to throw himself to the wolves like some sort of martyr.  The old man stammered and floundered about, racking his brain to try and convince them otherwise.  But his words failed him.

“What am I supposed to tell Futaba?  Or the others for that matter?”

“I wrote a letter.”  The boy retrieved it from his coat pocket and handed it to the old man.  He had worked harder on penning it than any of his school assignments combined.  “It’ll explain everything.”  Sojiro couldn’t bring himself to read the parchment.  No doubt whatever he had written would crush the old man’s heart.  It had been quite the journey.  Back in April, he only saw him as another chore on his list.  Now, he viewed the kid like his very own son.  The son he never had. 

“You don’t have to do this…”  He placed a hand on Akira’s shoulder, looking at him pleadingly to step away.  “It’s not your fight anymore.  If you do this, they’ll send you straight to juvie.”

“If I don’t, then no one else will.”

“I’ll do everything in my power to look after him and make sure Shido is locked away for good.  You have my word on that, Sojiro.”  The two adults locked eyes, neither one willing to look away.  Sae’s eyes burned with such intense resolve.  It clearly ran in the family if Makoto was anything to judge by.  Sojiro’s jaded visage sized her up accordingly.  It was a very high standard she was expected to live up to, and he would hold her to it every step of the way.  “I don’t know how long he’ll be incarcerated for, but I can assure you I’ll get him out if it’s the last thing I do.”  Sojiro let a weary sigh escape him.  If Akira trusted her with this, then he had to as well.  It didn’t diminish the pain of helplessness any.  All he could do was offer his support.  And his hand.

“We’ll be waiting for you, kid.”  But Akira didn’t take the handshake.  He instead embraced the old man, a shudder escaping out as he resisted the tears.  Sojiro let his wall descend and hugged him in return.  It was one of the hardest things he had to do in letting him go.  The energy had left him, causing him to lean on the bar as he watched Akira and Sae depart through the doors into the cold.  Reading the letter Akira had written knocked the wind even further out of him.  Wiping a tear from his eye, the old man sipped from the flask he kept under the bar to take the edge off.  Not since Wakaba’s passing had he felt so strongly.  Or this helpless.  The bell ringing had yanked him from his sulking immediately, the old man hoping Sae had changed her mind.  Instead, it was Makoto leaning against the doorway, panting as though she had just run a marathon.

“Where is he?” she finally managed.  Though the look on the old man’s face already relayed her the answer.  All night had she fought with her sister to reconsider and eventually had succumbed to exhaustion.  By the time she had finally awoken, it was too late.

“He’s gone, kid…”

* * *

 

“Merry Christmas!”

It certainly didn’t look like it.  Ryuji’s proclamation of praise was met with silence.  Sojiro glumly polished glasses at the bar while Futaba slumped against it, weeping softly.  Makoto was strangely there before them, sitting in a booth all by her lonesome with a downtrodden defeated look about her.  Ann, Yusuke, and Haru all hovered curiously behind the blond.

“Huh?  Why do you look so down?  What’re you cryin’ about, Futaba?  You guys get in a fight or something?”  Futaba had no strength to answer, instead just wearily shaking her head while remaining on the table.  Sojiro nursed his sore eyes as the kids stood bewildered in the doorway.  It had already been enough of a struggle breaking the news to Futaba.  How he was even going to remotely get through telling the rest of them, he had no idea.

“Hey, Ryuji…”  Ann hadn’t slept a wink last night.  Spend the rest of her Christmas Eve crying her eyes out after catching Akira in a lie.  And with him absent from the café, it only fueled her worries.

“…What’s up with this gloomy vibe?”  It was really bringing his Christmas mood down.  It was a time for celebration, not feeling sorry for oneself.  “Where’s Akira?”

“Mako-chan, what’s wrong?” Haru asked.  Makoto hadn’t looked up from her table even once since they entered.  Like Sojiro, she too was languishing in pained silence trying to figure out how to tell them.   What could she tell them?

“It’s okay,” Sojiro assured her.  He looked down at the letter on the table, laid flat and folded up.  It was hard to even touch as the old man thought he might accidentally rip it.  “I’ll explain.  You all might want to… sit down.”  They all nervously took their seats by Makoto, with Yusuke pulling up a barstool.  Sojiro took another sip from his flask to dull the nerves.  Had been a long time since he had hit the sauce in such a way.  “Akira’s… gone.  Officer Niijima came for him earlier today.”  They all called out in shock and surprise at his words.

“What for?!” Ryuji asked.

“Why?” Yusuke huffed in anguish.  The old man rubbed his temples apprehensively.  He wasn’t quite sure he had the strength to keep this up.  He truly had let himself get soft. 

“According to Niijima, they didn’t have enough evidence to convict Shido so they needed his testimony.  He… turned himself in.”

“I tried to stop her!  I really did!” Makoto insisted frantically.  “I spent all night trying to convince her not to, b-but then I fell asleep!  When I woke up, she had already-“

“Makoto!” Ryuji interrupted.  “We ain’t blamin’ ya.”  Even so, the student council president couldn’t shake her feeling of guilt by association.  Their eyes all turned at the motion of Futaba handing them the paper.

“R-read it,” she uttered.  She barely made it through herself.  Makoto took the letter and unfolded it before them.  It was Akira’s handwriting, alright.  In its barely legible and glorious chicken scratch.  The one thing he hadn’t managed to improve on.  But they had all come around to deciphering it after so many months.

_To my good friends,_

_If you’re reading this, then I’m already gone.  Sae Niijima had contacted me last night about Shido and how there wasn’t enough evidence to convict him without my testimony.  In order to ensure everything we did wasn’t for nothing, I had to go and turn myself in.  By now, I’m probably in juvenile hall since I was arrested on probation charges.  No way I was going to just get a slap on the wrist as a Phantom Thief._

_I’ve made a lot of promises I couldn’t keep.  I promised to help Morgana become human.  But I couldn’t.  And I promised that if something like this would happen that we’d all go down together.  I couldn’t.  Forcing you all to give up your lives and potential futures would be unfair.  And I know you’d have fought me every step of the way if I told you I was going to do it.  I’d have done the same in your shoes, which was why I kept it secret.  You’re probably incredibly angry and upset at me for my decision.  Maybe you might not even want to be my friend anymore.  I’d understand completely.  For all your trying to convince me to stop doing too much to be a hero even at my own detriment, I couldn’t listen.  I sacrificed myself so the rest of you wouldn’t have to.  I’ve seen what the police are capable of firsthand.  There’s still corrupt cops with a grudge in there.  A grudge against us.  Sae herself even told me they might try whatever they could to try and smear us.  I was faced with potentially life in jail when they had me in that interrogation room._

_I don’t know when I’ll be out or if any of you will be around to want to see me when I’m out.  I wouldn’t blame you for wanting nothing to do with me.  I’m not a good friend.  I’ve lied and kept this a secret from the people who care the most.  Which means I’m also a terrible boyfriend too.  But everything I’ve done was for the best intentions.  I only ever wanted to protect you guys and do the right thing.  I won’t try and convince you that you’re wrong for the pain and anger you’re no doubt feeling._

_But just know that I will always treasure your friendship and our time together.  For the rest of my life.  There’s so much I’d like to say.  I’m glad it’s on paper because there’s no way I could say it out loud without losing my composure._

_Ryuji, you were there before anyone else.  Had my back when it was just the both of us against the world.  The only thing thicker than our bond is your skull.  I admire your dedication and resolve, how you always wanted to kick our asses into gear when the going got tough._

_Yusuke, your sound reason and stern head on your shoulders has kept up on the straight and narrow through so much.  I’d never have imagined we’d be on the same side one day when I met you on the city streets.  You’re already such a great artist, and you’ll be even greater in the future.  Greater than Madarame ever was.  He never defined you and never will._

_Makoto, please don’t blame yourself for Sae’s choice.  She gave me the option to walk away, and I took it of my own free will.  It’s easy to see what kind of man your dad was by how you two turned out.  Such strong and dedicated people with a sense of justice.  He’d be very proud of you.  I know I am.  Don’t ever lose sight of that sense of justice._

_Futaba, you’ve come so far out of your shell since we changed your heart.  None of us could’ve made it this far without you.  You and Sojiro.  The both of you are like my family away from family.  Here in Leblanc, I truly felt home.  Wakaba would be so proud of both of you.  There’s not enough I can give back for your kindness to me.  This is the best I can do._

_Haru, we could use more people with your tender touch and understanding in this world.  You see where you’ve come from in life and use your experience to empathize with others and help them.  That takes such great maturity.  Anything you touch will radiate kindness and responsibility.  We do because of it._

_And to you, Ann.  I can’t apologize enough.  I’m sorry I broke my promise you made me swear, I’m sorry for lying to you, and I’m sorry for ruining Christmas for you and everyone.  Nothing I can say will really make this better.  But know that you were literally the best thing that ever happened to me.  My light, my sun, my moon, my stars.  The wind beneath my wings, the foundation I stood upon which took me higher.  You are in my very soul, driving me forward.  You are strong and kind and brave.  I love you with all my heart and always will, even if you might not anymore._

_Even with everything I’ve written, it just doesn’t feel like it’s enough.  Nothing ever will.  But pen can only capture so much.  Just please take care of each other and help bring good to the world like the Phantom Thieves always were supposed to, even if we aren’t truly Phantom Thieves anymore.  I hope one day to see you again.  But now, I have so much I need to do._

_I’m sorry._

_Sincerely, with all my heart,_

_Akira Kurusu_

None of them had the strength to say anything.  Every letter – down to the syllables – could they sense the unbridled passion Akira put in.  He had a natural talent for the written word as well as the spoken one.  It was like he had touched each of their souls one by one.  Even after having read it twice, Makoto had to cup her mouth to bury the soft sob that tried to choke out.  Though none of them could compare their pain to what Ann felt.

The blonde had stood in stunned silence since Sojiro’s reveal.  Her heart having stopped completely, the breath hanging in her chest.  It was hard to breathe, hard to even focus.  Like the whole world was spinning around her, she felt so dizzy. 

“I knew it…”  She couldn’t hold back the tears leaking down her face even if she wanted to.  “I knew something was wrong.  I can’t believe that he’d lie right to my face!”  And with that, she could remain calm no longer.  The sobs burst right out of her yet again.  A whole night of crying and she still had more tears to shed.  “Dammit!  How could he do this to me?!”  Her heart was splintering onto the floor.  The man she loved had left her behind after promising to take her with him.  To take them all.  Instead, he had gone where they couldn’t follow, leaving them behind to pick up his pieces on Christmas Day.

“N-now hold on,” Sojiro attempted.  “He was just doing what any man would do for his woman.  A true man does what he has to in order to protect his loved one-“

“I don’t wanna hear the macho bullshit!” Ann snapped through her tears.  “He lied!  We made a promise!”  Sojiro rubbed his forehead as Ann continued to cry.  He couldn’t blame her for her upset.  But the old man didn’t want Akira to have lost anything.  Not after having given so much for all of them.  He probably would’ve done the same for Wakaba if he could.  The initial shock from the letter was starting to wear off, and the others could feel the surge of emotion hit them full force.

“What the hell!?” Ryuji shouted, delivering a punch to the cushioned seat in frustration.

“I don’t comprehend,” Yusuke gestured from his barstool.  “The hero who saved this nation is now living in juvenile hall?”  If this was a joke, the artist wasn’t laughing in the slightest.

“It’s just how the system works,” Sojiro huffed in frustration.  Hypocritical it was as he had been trying to push Sae back and bludgeon through the rules set before them.  But without Akira here to defend himself, he felt compelled to do it in his stead.  Save him some face and keep his friend group together.  “Don’t let it get to you.”  Makoto shook her head, fighting off her own tears.

“I did my best to discuss the options… but nothing I said could change the outcome.”  Sojiro didn’t expect them to embrace or even understand the rules.  They had operated outside the law for the longest time so their perceptions were rather skewed.  Plus, they were still rebellious teenagers.  He was the same way in his youth. 

“Dammit!”  Ryuji slammed his fist against the seat once more.  This feeling of helplessness while Akira was locked up was eating away at him.  Like he was under the heel of Kamoshida once more.  “This can’t be happenin’!”

“Are we supposed to just agree to this?” Ann snapped through her tears.  “Lay down, suck it up, and pretend everything will just be okay?”  She was distraught at what Akira was putting her through.  But equally upset that the police would incarcerate him despite their corruption and all of his contributions.  Akira was a hero.  Her hero, not some criminal to be locked away by a skewed system.  “I can’t do that!”

“Me neither!” Futaba stated.

“I must object as well.”  After Yusuke, they all threw their hats into the ring.  Frustration, heartbreak, anguish, worry, righteous indignation.  They were all sharing it this day, for Akira and for the system.

“Wanting to interrogate him makes sense, but the measures following were questionable at best.”  Haru was definitely understating her critique of the police’s brutality.  Soft-spoken in word and tone but her stern gaze showcased a great irate flurry within.

“All that crap about his record and probation was bullshit!  He didn’t do any of that!”  Though Ryuji was starting to think maybe he should’ve laid into the real Shido.  For all the torment Akira had been put through, he was definitely owed some bare knuckle action.

“I don’t understand!” Ann cried out in anguish.  “Won’t everything just cancel out if Shido tells the whole truth!?  He’s already confessed!  Why isn’t that good enough?”

“That won’t be enough,” Makoto answered.  “Remember what my sister said before?  In order to overturn a sentence, you need definitive evidence that proves the subject’s innocence.”

“Evidence!?  How’re we gonna find anything like that…!?”  Ryuji was racking his head to try and find some sleight of hands trick they could use to get Akira out.  To clear his name like it rightfully deserved.  But none of them knew the name or even the face of what the woman Shido had tried to assault look like.  No doubt her identity had been obscured by the records for privacy reasons.  All while Akira’s was plastered all over the local internet by Kamoshida.  “I mean, the police were in on all that crap soo, so any proof they got’s prolly been destroyed.”

“Futaba,” Yusuke snapped, surprising the girl with his sudden jolt of energy.  “Is there any way you can use your computer to find information?”  At his words did all eyes fixate on her.  She felt the butterflies kick back up in her stomach from stage fright, made worse from Akira’s absence.

“I’ll do what I can.  But don’t put too much faith in it.  It’s not some kinda almighty device.”  After Shido’s public calling card, they no doubt scrubbed the servers clean.   There might have been some trace remnant or backdoor entrance she could scour, but they’d definitely have been thorough.  And it would be difficult to get back into the system remotely.  She could always have Makoto plug one of her drives into Sae’s computer, but unless she rearranged the code into a new format, odds are that the security measures would recognize the old format and bar her out.

“The Metaverse doesn’t exist anymore either…”  Their best bet and only evidence of Akira’s innocence and Shido’s guilt was up in smoke.  But Haru measured the ethics of exposing such a world to the public.  Even if they could enter it, it would be heavily exploitable if made known worldwide.  “Boss, can’t you think of another means by which we can help him?”  All he could do was shake his head.  Any contacts Sojiro had from his old days were long gone now.  Especially with Shido now in jail.  They truly were at a brick wall now.  The fluffy-haired girl stared down at her little hands glumly.  It felt like being at her father and Sugimura’s mercy yet again.  Nothing she could do, no matter how much her heart ached.  “I wonder what Mona-chan would say if he were here right now…”  Yusuke delivered a sad huff of air through his nose as he reflected upon their missing feline companion.

“He’d likely laugh and tell us how foolish we all are.”

“And he would say it in that high and mighty tone of his…” Makoto added.  They were all greatly in the mood for a joke or two right about now.  Anything to bring some semblance of a smile back to their faces.  Ryuji leaned forward on his hand as he could just imagine himself and the cat getting into it yet again.

“That guy was real annoyin’, but now that he’s gone it feels… y’know…”  He never was good with words.  Or expressing emotional gratitude to other people.  The blond was always too nervous that he’d make himself sound like an idiot.  But he’d take that opportunity now.  If only to hear Morgana’s high-pitched little voice call him a carnal blond monkey one more time.  “Guess we really did count on him a lot.”

“The hope of humanity…” Futaba echoed.  Lavenza’s true words.  Their little furry friend had been their most powerful ally all along, and none of them could see it.

“I wish I could do something to help our leader…”  The artist clenched his hands in frustration.  The tools that could create beautiful landscapes now taunted him with their uselessness now.  They all seemed to truly be at the end of their ropes.  Each and every suggestion or backdoor method they could brainstorm was shot down by cold crippling reality.  Once again backed into a corner, as was their lot in life.

Ann had been too caught up in blubbering silently to herself to offer much more.  They were down three people, including the love of her life.  Light of her light.  Fire of her soul.  Someone who believed in and reached out to her when no one else did or could.  Sure, she was frustrated and hurt at his lie, at his breaking of their promise to be in this together.  When she saw him again, he’d definitely be in for it.  But they had to get him out first before them.  Not leave him at the mercy of the corrupt courts.  That’s what Akira would say to them if the roles had been reversed.  What Morgana would say.

“Hey!”  The blonde forced herself up and slammed her hands onto the table.  Sojiro worried for a split second that she might just cleave it in half.  “Morgana’d be ashamed of us sitting around here moping like this!”  They could just imagine him pontificating to them, urging them to cast aside their tears and rise up against the odds.  All in that cute high-pitched voice of his.  “Honestly, I don’t know what we should do… but if we give up, we’ll never save Akira!  Didn’t he save all of you!?  Of us?  If we aren’t gonna act now, when will we?”  Ann shook her head fervently.  It wouldn’t end like this.  It couldn’t.  She wouldn’t allow it no matter what, even if she had to go it alone.  “We gotta do something!”

They all stood in silence at her outburst.  Her fiery passion, the fierce look of determination in those ocean blue eyes of hers.  Ann had that touch of Akira in her soul now, and they could see it manifesting through.  Ryuji was the first to rise to his feet.

“Yeah!  Now’s not the time to be hangin’ our heads!”  Even with her rousing speech, they were still quite limited.  Just ordinary teenagers again confined to ordinary lives.

“Hm…”  Yusuke rubbed his forehead in thought, the proverbial gears starting to chug along.  “What can we do without using the Metaverse?”

“Maybe…”  Haru trailed off in thought, thinking about the box they had been put in.  “Maybe we’ll be able to find something if we search around.”  As to what was anyone’s guess.

“Let’s just calm down and think about it,” Makoto reasoned.  Once again taking on the sort of mom role for the team.  That Niijima intuition at work yet again.  “We’ve escaped death countless times before.  There’s no doubt we can do this!”  She too was beginning to see the forest through the trees, parting the fog of doubt and worry like the Red Sea.  They faced a god.  Stared a divine being in the face and walked away triumphant.  They could do this.  They will.

“That’s right!” Futaba said, rising from her barstool.  “Let’s go!”  This Christmas wouldn’t be spent moping about or shedding tears.  Ann had already done enough of that in her despair, and she was sick of feeling like the damsel in distress.  He believed in them when no one else did.  Even when they didn’t, huddled inside the Velvet Room cells.  This time, they would save him.

“We’re gonna save our leader, no matter what it takes!”  They all rallied behind Ryuji’s declaration.  Even if it took them years, they would make sure their friend earned the freedom he so rightfully deserved.  The freedom he had given them.  Sojiro folded his apron and tucked it beneath his arm, joining the kids on the other side of the bar.

“Count me in too.  He saved Futaba’s life.  I’ll be damned if he’s gonna spend the rest of his time locked up in some jail cell because of Shido!”  For too long had the old man spent his time with his head ducked in the sand, shutting out the world and chanting that everything was fine.  Even trying to stifle Akira for attempting to do good by the world.  If these kids were stepping up to the plate, it was his turn as well.

* * *

 

_12/28/17 – Wednesday_

“So you’re the leader of the Phantom Thieves, huh?”

Akira was escorted to where he’d be residing for the rest of his indefinite stay in custody.  Juvenile hall.  He finally made it.  No doubt his parents would have a lot to say when they contacted him.  They were the least of his concerns right now.  All he could think about was how the others were reacting.  They all probably hated his guts.  Especially Ann, for lying to her face on their Christmas Eve together.  He singlehandedly stole Christmas from the Phantom Thieves.  It stung worse than anything he had ever done.  And he was a liar now too.  His spotless record of honestly now tarnished.  He could never go back and reclaim it.  The bitter taste it left in his mouth refused to go.

“Quiet type, eh?”

The guard pestering him generously guided him to his cell.  Second time he had found himself in handcuffs.  It was hard to make out much of anything as they wandered the halls of the juvenile correctional facility.  They had confiscated his glasses as a safety measure so everything just looked like a blurry mess.  Not that there was much he needed to see.  Without his friends, there really wasn’t anything in the world to bear witness to.  Sae had given him a pep talk on their way over here that she would keep a close eye on him here and keep the entire staff under her thumb.  But he barely gave her a breath of acknowledgment.  Having believed that his friends now hated him for lying, ruining Christmas, and abandoning them had robbed him of his willpower.  The spark in his silver eyes had twinkled out.  All that he could take comfort in was that he could hopefully bring Shido to justice.  Perhaps that would be enough to keep him sane.

The guard finally uncuffed him and opened the door to his cell, firmly guiding him in.  He closed it right in his face and sized him up like an animal at the zoo.

“You don’t look so tough to me, kid.  That innocent act might have worked at your school, but it won’t fly here.  You’re gonna do time.  Hard time.”  With that, he left Akira to get situated.  It was a barebones little area, bleak in coloration and meager in accommodations.  At least he had a toilet.  The boy sat on the bed and leaned into his hands.  A life, friends, and a woman who loved him.  He had given it all up.  Now he was alone.

It was the right thing to do.  For the greater good.  But it didn’t feel like it.  Akira felt himself going back to when he had first been arrested.  The realization that everything he had was going out the window.  To have come so far only to lose it, let it slip through his fingers like sand.  His only comfort was that he transcribed his thoughts onto paper to read.  In the hopes they might somewhat understand and see his point.  And they were still safe, their identities hidden from the law.   They could still walk free even if he couldn’t.

And there was the real victory all along.


	57. The Return

_12/31/17 – Saturday_

“Just look at ‘em all party down there,” Ryuji commented.  “They don’t even know.”  The lot of them watched from the high building out of the cold and hustle of the city.  Police had them packed like sardines to keep the roads clear.  The populace had all been awaiting the fireworks ceremony, blissfully unaware of what was happening to Akira.  But the Phantom Thieves knew full and well.  “Heh.  Guess that’s fine.”  Ryuji never failed to keep a stiff upper lip.  Too hardheaded to get any sorrow through his thick skull.  He hadn’t forgotten Akira’s words.  Even with the Metaverse gone, the job wasn’t over just yet.

“I wish he… he could be here with us.”  Unsurprising that Akira’s departure had hit her the hardest.  The blonde had completely lost her sweet tooth.  Not a day went by where she didn’t think about him.  The man she loved all along in that cold cell, far away from the comfort of Leblanc.  They weren’t even permitted to visit him.  Sae was keeping his arrest deep under the rug as she could.  Ann wasn’t sure whether she’d kiss or kill him when they got him out.  But they would get him out.  They owed him everything.

“That said, we have our cellular phones, yes?” Yusuke inquired.  “Was there truly a need to meet?”  Ever the pragmatist. 

“Our next move’s important,” Ryuji assured him.  The boy leaned his fist against the glass and stared out at the masses.  “We gotta get pumped.”  They all shared the blond’s resolve.  Akira had never once left their minds.  It was a struggle just to concentrate at school.  For Ann, it made sleep incredibly difficult. 

“Besides, don’t you think it’s nice talking in person?” Haru asked with a sweet smile.  Yusuke couldn’t help but return her glowing affection.  With Christmas and the rest of the holiday season afterward, it had been too long since they reunited.  Thankfully, they had managed to salvage something together after Akira left.  It wouldn’t all be gloomy.  Their attention shifted to the roaring crowd beneath them as they counted off the new year.  

“New Year’s Eve…” Makoto muttered to herself.  “It seems rowdier this year, doesn’t think?”  A newfound energy was present in the masses, the apathy Yaldabaoth had weaponized scattered.   New year, new beginnings.  New plans.

“We’ll need to brace ourselves,” Ann stated with the utmost determination.

“I’m going to try contacting my father’s associates.”  Despite not being so prominent in Okumura Foods’ involvement, Haru still had some pull.  They weren’t all Sugimuras. 

“Sounds good to me,” Ryuji said with a chuckle.  All across the board did they confirm their resolve.  Not a sliver of hesitation to be sensed. 

“Sounds like we’re set,” Makoto acknowledged.  “We must succeed, no matter the cost.”

“Yeah!” Futaba squeaked.

“Let’s do this…”  Ryuji signaled the thumbs up, and the lot of them broke off.  The morning would be their new beginning. 

Save Akira Kurusu no matter what.  Even if it was the last thing they ever did.

* * *

 

_1/01/18 – Sunday_

The new year had come at last.  Fireworks booming off in the distance that lit up the night sky.  Where the people cheered, laughed, kissed, and celebrated the start of something new.  Over the hills and way far away from the juvenile correction center Akira was being housed in.  Not that it mattered considering he couldn’t even see them from his cell. 

“Here’s to a lousy year,” he mockingly toasted, leaning back onto his cot.  The facility was barren of people, and any other delinquents were in another part.  As such, he barely had anyone to interact with.  Whether that was a plus or a detraction he wasn’t quite sure.  Sae had been watching them like a hawk during his imprisonment so they thankfully hadn’t tried anything just yet.  They kept him under their thumbs but minded themselves.  The entire police force was under the microscope after Shido’s confession, meaning one little slip-up could cost them their jobs.  But it all seemed so inconsequential to Akira now from within his meager cell.  Shido, justice, and all that.  There’d be nothing for him if he got out, having given up his friends and betrayed them.

From in there, his biggest struggle was time.  Some way to make it pass while he awaited Shido’s judgment.  Just counting the minutes away within his cage.  A metaphorical counting as he couldn’t see the clock from where he was.  He couldn’t see anything after they confiscated his glasses.  A supposed “safety measure” as though he’d somehow turn his only pair into a shank.  It only made everything crawl along all the slower.  His only comfort nowadays was sleeping.  The one time of the day where he didn’t have to think and could just shut down.  Be as free as he could get.  He didn’t even dream.  All he beheld was silence and darkness.  Not much of a change of pace from the waking world but it was at least on his terms.  And it would soon be time again as he felt his eyes grow heavy.  A welcome reprieve from the world.

Akira bundled up in his cot and closed his eyes.  He had gotten used to the stiffness it provided, welcome to at least have something passably warm to hunker inside of.  It didn’t take long for him to drift away into the darkness.  Silent without a thing to be seen.  No hassle from the outside world, no pain or regret to dwell on.  Its melancholic stature was rather comfy.  But from the corner of his eyes did he see the darkness begin to lift.  Even in his subconscious state, Akira was perturbed.  It surely couldn’t have been time to wake up yet.  But as fog rolled in with the shift to whiteness, he understood he was still asleep.  Having a dream for the first time in forever.

It was a lonely field.  Grass and sidewalk with only an isolated bench, a solitary tree erected beside it.  Nothing through the fog could be seen for miles.  Again, it felt rather comfy despite how lonely it all seemed.  Akira sat down on the bench and just surveyed the landscape.  He was waiting for something to emerge through the fog or have it part to reveal something hidden from him.  But it remained.

“Greetings, Akira.”  In complete surprise, he whipped around to see none other than Akechi sitting beside him.  Looking content as can be with a smile on his face.

“Akechi…?”  He closed his eyes and shook his head, but he still remained before him.  Despite being just a dream, he couldn’t seem to accept what he saw.  “But you’re dead.  Am I…?”  Akechi merely chuckled and shook his head.

“No.  You’re still asleep safe and sound in your cell.  Very much alive.”  Akira felt crestfallen at his words.  What he wouldn’t have given to just wake up and feel everything since Okumura’s death having been a dream.  All of them celebrating together, Akechi and Morgana still with them.  But such things were fantasies.

“Akechi… I’m so sorry…”

“It’s not your fault, Akira.”  The detective placed a comforting hand upon his shoulder.  Neither malice or malcontent in his eyes.  Matter of fact, it felt like peace.  “I made my choice, and I stick by it.”

“I wish I could’ve saved you.”

“We all have regrets.”  Akechi had a lifetime of them.  What he wouldn’t have given to be the stronger person.  To not have been used by Shido so easily or throw away his morals and friends for revenge.  “I myself couldn’t remain caged in such a place.  Even now, you show more strength than I.”

“You call this strength?” he scoffed.  “I broke my word and threw my friendship away.  And for what?  So Shido can sit in a cell all taken care of?  You and Morgana are gone.  How is that fair?”  Akechi merely closed his eyes and nodded.  The boy could feel the pain wafting off of him.  Frustration, anguish, feeling so lost.  All things he was quite familiar with.

“You’ve done the right thing, but not all is lost.  Like the phoenix from ash will a better world rise once Shido is sentenced.  You have to hold onto hope.”

“But how can I?”  It was so easy before to posture about the greater good and believing in what was right.  So close to happiness only to have it lost again.  Akira’s head drooped down as he limply shook his head.  “I’m not the person you thought I was, Akechi.  I can’t be that person anymore.”

“Yes, you can.”  The detective held his resolve even at his resistance.  “I know you can.  I believe in you more than I have anyone else.  It’s okay to be lost, but you’ll eventually find your way back again.  I won’t count you out just yet.”  Akira merely brushed him off and leaned on his knees in silence.  The glowing beacon of optimism for the Phantom Thieves now having dimmed.  Akechi merely chuckled.  “You’ll see.”

Akira said nothing, instead stewing in his jadedness.  It didn’t upset Akechi in the least, the detective content to just sit with his friend after so long.  Even if it was just a dream.

* * *

 

_2/13/18 – Monday_

Akira sat in the little glass booth with some degree of impatience for once.  Not that he had anywhere to go, being incarcerated and all.  Just felt some itch eating away at him that he couldn’t quite scratch.  The guards had escorted him here for some sort of impromptu meeting.  With who, they hadn’t specified.  But it was of little consequence to Akira.  Had it not been for a guard telling him, he wouldn’t have even known it was Monday.  They had at least extended him that kindness.

Strangely enough, the guards had been acting significantly less cold to him over the past couple of weeks.  He himself wasn’t quite sure.  And didn’t care all that much either.  He was just eager to get this over with to return to his cell and put the remaining week out of his mind.  Especially tomorrow.

February 14th.  Valentines’ Day.  It could’ve been his first one with somebody.  His first with Ann.  But that ship had been sunk by his own hand.  Part of him desperately wanted to believe she was still holding out for him, but how could she after his lying?  Perhaps she had found someone better.  Ryuji?  Yusuke, perhaps?  Would serve him right.  Perhaps she was happier with someone she could trust.  Someone that wouldn’t lie to her face.  Akira felt himself grow sick at the thought.

“Long time no see.”

On the other side of the glass was Sae Niijima, just in time to rip him out of his self-loathing.  She took a seat and sized him up.  The boy looked a bit paler and thinner from his time in here.  Prison food wasn’t exactly the most edible thing.  

“Been a while,” Akira forced himself to say.  Even without his glasses, he couldn’t really see her.   Not that there was much to look at to begin with.  Sae had been the only equivalent to a friendly face he had around here, but she was so busy with the Shido case that it was rare to see her.  Probably the only equivalent of a friend he had anymore.

“I have two great pieces of news for today.”  Akira folded his arms and leaned back in his seat.  Despite his close proximity to the situation at hand, she had kept him in the dark on a lot of it.  Confidentiality reasons and nondisclosure agreements.  It all sounded like a bunch of jargon to the boy.  In truth, the hopes of seeing the outside again had slowly withered away.  He still had no idea how he was going to break the news to his parents.  They had to have known by now, no doubt informed by the police.  The boy hadn’t heard anything from them though.  Not even permitted a one phone call. 

“Do tell…”  With his words did Sae feel a smile muster upon her face.  She could sense the wavering resolve within him.  His eyes didn’t have that familiar silver sheen she was used to seeing.  It wasn’t too surprising, a boy of his age being kept isolated in a juvenile hall while being branded a criminal.  But this would surely reinvigorate that lost spirit.

“First, we finally managed to prosecute Masayoshi Shido.  He’ll likely be found guilty.”  Akira’s eyes widened in surprise at her words.  He couldn’t believe his ears.  It had to be another dream, like the one with Akechi or the Velvet Room.  No doubt he’d wake up in his cell as usual again.  “I’m grateful for your cooperation with the trial.  Your testimony proved to be very useful.  To be frank, it seemed almost hopeless at one point.  I felt myself losing hope too.”  Akira couldn’t help but flinch at her words.  He thought he was much harder to read.  Not as stealthy as he thought he was.

“…But how?”

“Thanks to the civil protests, some of the more indecisive prosecutors came to our side.  It will likely be some more time until the hearing begins, but this is the first step to true change…”  As Sae went on and on, it started to slowly sink in that this wasn’t a dream.  No, he was wide awake and fully conscious.  This really was happening.  The prosecutor was dumping so much information on him that he couldn’t keep up, the boy too overwhelmed with the joy that his sacrifice hadn’t been in vain.  Though there was one thing he kept focusing on.

“Hold on,” he interrupted.  “Civil protests?  What protests?  Nobody was supposed to know about this.”  Even with his blurred vision could Akira make out the cheeky smile on the woman’s face.

“That brings me to the other piece of good news.  As of today, you’ll be free to go.”  Now he really had to be dreaming.  Akira couldn’t let himself believe it.  It just sounded too good to be true, like some sort of fairy tale.  His heart was racing, his eyes ached from trying to hold back the tears of joy.  “Shido’s confession brought light to the truth of your case.  We were able to prove your innocence in the original assault charge that led to your arrest.  Your sentence will no doubt be rescinded.  You’re a free man.”

“How…?”  His voice sounded so fragile, as though one more word would utterly break him.  Were he not caged in these walls, Akira would jump for joy.

“Remember those civil protests I told you about?” she asked before winking.  “The others did everything they could for you.  Bringing in the woman who was the victim in your case as a witness was the turning point.”

“Th-they found her?”

“And she wanted to give you this.  It’s an apology letter.”  Through the small window in the glass did she slide him a sealed envelope.  Very carefully did he open its contents and read what resided within.  Her handwriting was impeccable.  Definitely a secretary alright.  A big sweeping bunch of paragraphs apologizing up and down for her cowardice, leaving him to dry, and how a single day hadn’t gone by where she hadn’t remembered his bravery.  It genuinely touched him to read.  He made a note to write her back and let her know he forgave her.  Perhaps even visit her in person.

“That wasn’t all,” Sae continued.  “An unbelievable amount of support has come in from various other places as well.”  From inside her purse did she retrieve an entire folder, sliding it through the glass to him.  Its contents hit him like a ton of bricks.  Every single person he had ever met had come forward to plead his innocence.

Tae Takemi cited him as a key figure in the completion of the medicine for her medicine.  That he had volunteered without pay to help her find the cure for Miwa-chan.

Sadayo Kawakami had managed to get the entire school board to release an official opinion objecting his arrest.  Mr. Ushimaru, Mr. Hiruta, Mr. Inui, Ms. Chouno, and Ms. Usami had somehow been swayed to her side. 

Munehisa Iwai had put himself in the public eye to stick up for him, citing him as a good employee and a friend to his son Kaoru.  What’s more, a lot of the people inside had given him a wide berth and even told him the gecko has his back.  Now it all made sense.

Yuuki Mishima had spearheaded a big petition having been signed by hundreds of students all across Shujin.  He saw a few names he even recognized, like Eiko Takao, Iida, Yumeko Mogami, Ikesugi, Nishiyama, Takaeishi, and Nakaoka.  As well as the signatures from his friends Ryuji, Makoto, Haru, and Ann.

Chihaya Mifune testified about his freeing her entrapment from the Assembly of Divine Power.  The chairman himself had even come on board to back her claims and citing the boy as instrumental in their reformation, no doubt fueled by his change of heart.

Ichiko Ohya had released a story in the newspaper about his prosecution, even managing to find the woman having been accosted.  As well as cross-referencing Shido’s story heavily with local eyewitness testimony from the people in his old neighborhood.  The reporter had even gone so far as to publish the story on Kayo Murakami and Shido’s slush fund.

Toranosuke Yoshida had come forward to speak on his behalf, citing his volunteer work and bravery.  Even publicly denouncing Shido and giving credence to Ohya’s story. 

Shinya Oda and his mother Hanae came forward to vouch for his good behavior, stating he was like an older brother to the boy and had actively improved their family life. 

Hifumi Togo spoke about him giving her the support to speak out against the fixed shogi matches and the corruption scandal.  Even getting some support from a petition going around Kosei High, Yusuke’s signature the very first one at the top.

Shiho Suzui even took time out of her busy schedule to testify for him, stating he and Ryuji had been trying to help her, Mishima, and others speak out about her abuse at Kamoshida’s hands before she had been hospitalized. 

Sojiro Sakura vouched for his good behavior and how he had helped his daughter overcome her depression.  That he had improved their family life and become like a son to him.

“I had advised your friends not to formally testify in court in order to keep authorities off their backs.  They certainly didn’t make it easy.  To think they’d be able to track down someone involved in a case from well over a year ago…”

Now Akira couldn’t fight it.  The tears had come in full force now.  So many peoples’ lives he had touched, so many he had saved.  Now they had come to save him.  It was just too much to bear.

“Dammit…” he uttered, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.  It was embarrassing to be seen like this in front of Sae.  But maybe he deserved to let himself be a little weak.  This was the first time he had felt alive since Morgana’s death. 

“Regardless, the righteous Phantom Thieves are gone.  All that remains is for us adults to lead society in the right direction.  Then again, I have to wonder if you believe what I say.”  Akira managed to dry his eyes and work up a smirk.

“We made a deal, after all.”  If there was just one promise he could keep, it would be this.  Something to redeem his lost honor in his eyes.  “Besides, there’s few else I’d trust besides you.”  Sae couldn’t help but be touched by his words.  The first time they officially met, she had been interrogating him as a criminal, and he shouted her down as corrupt and a bad sister.

“Thank you.”  If they could do their jobs well, there wouldn’t be a need for Phantom Thieves at all.  Teenagers wouldn’t have to endanger themselves to fix their mistakes.  It was their turn to step up to the plate and let the kids be kids.  “Still, I’m glad I was able to save you in court.  I’ve never felt so happy in my entire life.”

“That makes two of us.”  Sae chuckled in amusement as his light and charisma slowly started to fade back in.  It made sense why they all respected him so much.  And why Makoto would talk about him often.

“I’m not quite sure how to put it, but… saving your future meant more to me than my own career.  I feel like you even taught me how to live.”

“You always knew, Sae.  It was why we’re here now having this conversation.”  The prosecutor scoffed with amusement and shook her head.  Quite the charmer.

“That’s not true,” she admitted with a smile.  “You give me too much credit.  I had completely forgotten, and it was all thanks to you all that I could atone.”  There were still so many questions she had.  Their method of operations, the Metaverse, how Akechi had done what he did, what her Palace looked like.  “…By the way, there’s something that’s been on my mind.  What did the Treasure of my world turn out to be?”  It had been something she hadn’t even asked Makoto.  The Palace represented an inner and twisted self, an ugly amalgamation of her disillusion with the world.  She never wanted to imagine how wicked or cruel she was in there.

“We don’t know.  We never actually took your Treasure.”  The photo planted in the briefcase had merely been a stand-in for the real Treasure.  Something to cement the entire story together.  Had Akechi not betrayed them, perhaps they would know.  But the secret was lost for good now.

“I suppose it doesn’t matter now one way or the other,” Sae relented.  Both disappointed and relieved with his answer.  Maybe it’s better off not knowing.  Or maybe she knew all along but can’t recall.  Either way, she’d have plenty of time to think about it after today.  “There is… one more thing.  I haven’t even told Makoto about this.  But I realized something after meeting all of you.  My most prized “treasure” – I can say for certain – is the justice I use to protect those important to me.  Makoto helped show me that as well.”  Her thoughtful expression shifted to a melancholic but relieved smile.  “Once the Shido case is settled, I’m thinking of quitting my job and becoming a defense lawyer.”  Akira hadn’t expected any of the news delivered to him today, but that for certain had definitely not been planned on.

“But why?”

“I wanted to reform the system, but I’ll have to leave that to someone else.  I just wasn’t cut out for this.  You made that clear by revealing my Palace.”  It both hurt her pride and lifted a great burden off her shoulders to admit it.  Akira didn’t share the sentiment, feeling a great aching in his chest from her words. 

“Sae, I never wanted to make you quit.  You don’t have to throw away years of work to atone-“

“No, it’s fine.  I want to quit.  Move on to something better.  Going forward, I want to enact justice not for myself, but for the sake of others.  Something that makes me happy and proud of myself rather than being a slave to the system.  And what better way to rebel against the system than defending people from it?  I already have one success story.”  Akira wasn’t sure how he would fare with all this public attention when he got outside.  No doubt people would want to interview him or hassle him on the streets.  Even before becoming a Phantom Thief had he prized anonymity and remaining obscure.  Though he was rather curious what his parents had to say.  “I don’t want you to think I’m throwing in the towel.  There’s just too many bad memories of this place.”

“I understand.  You’re allowed to look after your own self-interests to find happiness.  After all, it’s your dissatisfaction with your job that put you here in the first place.”  Sae smiled, letting out an amused huff of air through her nose.

“You really are one of a kind.  You know, this job has shown me my fair share of criminals and convicts.  But if young people like you exist in this world, maybe things aren’t as hopeless as they seem.”  With their victory in her back pocket, she felt only good things for the future.  Recapture that lost spark and make her father proud.  Make Makoto and herself proud.  “Well then, I need to go submit the paperwork for your release.  Before I go, may I ask you one final thing?”

“Only if you do me a favor.”  Sae quirked an eyebrow curiously at his request.  What else could he possibly want?  Nevertheless, she smirked and nodded.

“According to your testimony, you could have stopped after taking Kamoshida down, couldn’t you?  Why did you continue acting as the Phantom Thieves…?”

“Because people needed help.”  Such a simplistic answer delivered without batting a single eyelash.  Akira truly was braver than any cop Sae had ever met.  Right up there with her father.

“I have my own theories.  Perhaps I’m thinking too much into this, but a thief who justly stole the hearts of others.  And a criminal who controlled them for his own gain.  It seems your destiny has been tied to Shido’s for some time… and now, it’s finally settled.”  Akira couldn’t help but smirk as he leaned back in his chair, watching her debate with herself.  So she didn’t remember Yaldabaoth and Satanael or the distortion of the modern world.  Strange, seeing as she had proclaimed him “the world’s savior.”  Nobody else besides them seemed to remember it either, not even Sojiro.  He deemed it for the best, no doubt the public knowledge of a giant god descending from the sky and enslaving the world would throw the whole world into chaos.  “I remember you doing… something, but I just can’t pin it down.  Ugh, this will drive me crazy for the rest of my life.  I’m making sense though, aren’t I?  Doesn’t this seem a little too perfect?  It’s almost as though someone planned it all…”

In a way, he had to almost thank Shido for everything that happened.  Had he not encountered him back at the Wilton Hotel, the Phantom Thieves may not have continued on.  Perhaps even Yaldabaoth was owed some due respect as well.  After all, had it not been for his manipulation of Akechi and Shido, he’d have never become the hero he wanted to be.  Would never have met so many wonderful people.  And never have met Ann.

“Heh.  You have no idea…”  Sae smirked at his playing coy.  The boy knew something but kept his cards close.  Perhaps it was for the best.  All the Metaverse nonsense was behind them now.

“Could it be that this was your goal from the very beginning?”

“We were all just pawns in a bigger game is all.”  The soon-to-be former prosecutor chuckled once more at his wit.

“A “game.”  That’s quite a fitting response for you.”

“What can I say?” Akira jested with a cocky shrug.  “I play to win.”  The detective apologized for her rambling, but Akira paid no mind.  This was the only casual conversation he had in months.  Felt relieved to feel like a human being again.  “Now, about that favor…”

“Name it.”

“Has Akechi’s name come up anywhere in the confession?”  Sae blinked, rather perplexed by his question.  It only made sense given their history.

“He only confessed to arranging his death.  Nothing about his involvement.”

“Good.”  Akira leaned forward and stared at her through the glass with reignited determination.  “Tell the people Akechi died trying to save people.  A pawn in Shido’s arsenal that was manipulated and killed in the line of duty.  Keep the Detective Prince legend alive.”  Sae attempted to ask why but swiftly silenced herself.  She could sense where Akira was coming from.

He’d never truly forgive himself for Akechi’s death.  Whether that dream he had was just a dream or a premonition, he wasn’t quite sure.  But he had still stuck with him after so much.  Believed in him when he doubted himself.  The laughs and friendship they shared, the pain he felt at his betrayal and sacrifice.  It had all been real.  All his life had he been a victim of circumstance under both Shido and Yaldabaoth.  Deranged and strung along like a feral dog.  In his last moments, all he had wanted was the freedom to make his own choices.  To be himself, the right way.  He ultimately got his wish.  But he deserved a lot more than what he had given.  Extend this final kindness to him, let his spirit rest easy being praised as a hero.

The rest would be silence.

* * *

 

“You nervous?”

“A little bit…”

He could hardly believe it.  Against all odds had he been freed and cleared of all charges.  His life and future were his once more.  And Shido would soon be convicted.  At last could he finally put everything behind him.  Well, almost everything.  There was just one more hurdle to overcome, and it was waiting for him inside Leblanc.

His best friends.  They had given him his life back.  Saved him from the system and even himself.  Yet he still held that lingering fear that they would resent him somewhat despite all the things they had done for him.  It felt like there were weights sinking his stomach down.  Absolutely refusing him to trudge on forward as he stood in front of the door.

“You’ll be fine, kid.  Trust me.”  Despite his kind words, Akira still felt great apprehension at seeing his friends again.  What if they yelled at him, berated him?  Not that he didn’t deserve it but today had been going so well.  “I’ll be right back.”  Sojiro pulled the car around the building and left Akira in the dust.  All by his lonesome did he reside.  It was hard to breathe from the tense knot forming in his throat.  The sound of footsteps rounding the corner drew his attention.  Sojiro stood at attention with his calm smile.  The old man was as confident as ever.  What Akira wouldn’t give to have some for himself.

With Sojiro at his side, Akira finally mustered the strength to open the door.  The ringing bell sounding like a gong in his ear as he took sight of all of them.  One by one did they sound off.  Futaba and Makoto hesitated in surprise before beaming at him, the latter waving.  Yusuke remained calm and collected as he leaned on the counter, eyeing him through his peripheral with a smile.  A solitary wave was extended by the artist while Haru clutched her heart, cooing like a dove.  Ryuji laughed, leaning forward on his knees with a Cheshire cat grin.

Last but certainly not least was Ann, who rose completely from her seat and stared at him with awe.  Those beautiful blue eyes hadn’t lost their luster while he was away, shimmering as he took center stage within them.  Her wonderous blonde locks shined in the light, framing her sweet smiling face.  My God, she looked even more beautiful than the day they met.  All those months ago in the April rain.  Being away from her for so long only accentuated her perfection in his mind.

“Hey there!”

Sojiro leaned against the wall with a smug smirk, Akira having worried himself over nothing.  The blonde was the first to lead the charge, nearly pouncing on him from their embrace.  Akira swept her off her feet and spun her around in his arms while the two of them giggled like little kids.

“Woo hoo!  Namaste!” Futaba cheered.

“You did it!” Ryuji declared, nudging his ribs with an elbow.

“It has been a while,” Yusuke stated with a calm little smirk.  That signature reserved artist’s look he wore so well.  Akira couldn’t fight the chuckles rising in his stomach, beaming at them with a cat-like grin.

“Hope I don’t look too ragged from doing hard time,” he jested.  Ann giggled and took his chin between her finger and thumb, tilting his head to one side in order to properly inspect him.

“Not bad.  You look fine.”

“I’m glad you seem well,” Haru beamed.

“Group hug!”  They all dogpiled Akira with their loving embraces.  Sojiro merely shook his head at their childishness before he too was swept up in the hug.  These kids just could never leave him well enough alone.  Now he had to play the team dad for all of them.  It was already a handful with just Akira and Futaba.  Eventually did they let him go to grab his groceries.  A big celebration dinner was planned, and he’d do all the cooking.  Akira himself was strictly forbidden from aiding.  Only to sit back and relax with his friends.

“Man!  It went well, yeah!?” Ryuji pressed.

“I’m so glad we didn’t give up,” Makoto said with her comfiest expression.  Leblanc felt so much cozier now with him home.  Their home away from home.

“This was certainly worth the effort.”  Having been gone for so long, Akira finally took notice of just how often Yusuke liked to stand.  Even with a perfectly good chair at his disposal, he still took to his feet.  Then again, he was the same way.  Ann hugged his arm and leaned into his shoulder, Akira nestling his head atop hers.  Still smelling of sweet strawberry as she always did.  He had nearly forgotten.

“We didn’t know what to do once you were gone.  But then we realized something.  Even if we don’t have the Metaverse or any other special powers, we can still change reality.”  Not even for a second had Ann entertained a sliver of a doubt in her mind.  She had kept them all on the straight and narrow in his absence.

“We were runnin’ around everywhere we could since the new year.  It musta been over a month.”

“Not just us,” Haru added.  “Everyone who believed in you joined us.”  Akira still couldn’t believe the immense list of people that had come out to support him.  So much love poured into one place when he thought himself empty of it or undeserving.

“Thanks to that, we’ve got our leader back!”  Futaba had a big itinerary for them to catch up on lost time.  So many video games to play and manga to read.  Though despite all their unmitigated praise, Akira still couldn’t stifle out that lingering feeling of guilt in his chest.  Of all that he had subjected them to.  Making Ann cry and ruining Christmas.

“I…”  He paused and forced out a sigh to dissolve some of the tension he felt.  “There’s a lot to unpack here.  So much I need to say.  I… can’t thank you guys enough.  For all that you’ve done for me.  Sticking with me even after what I did.  I’m… I’m so sorry for worrying you all.  Bringing Christmas down and-“

“What’re you talkin’ about?”  Ryuji wasted no time in cutting through the sad stuff.  “You’re the one who took the hit for us.”

“We were upset to see you were gone, but we were more upset that you were forced into these circumstances.”  The artist once again keeping his level head.  As Ann held him close, she began to take notice of just how pale and thin Akira was.

“They treated you fine, right?”  No obvious bruises or anything on him.  If they had tortured him again, the blonde wasn’t quite sure she could take it.  Not after being away for so long.  “Actually… did you lose some weight?”  Akira tugged sheepishly at his collar.

“It would be understandable,” Yusuke interjected.  “I’ve heard the food in prison is quite foul.  So… what did you eat?”

“That is an understatement,” Akira said.  Anything besides what amounted to a meal inside juvenile hall would be fine dining to him.  “And you don’t wanna know.”  Truth be told, Akira wasn’t quite sure he could even describe it.  It lacked even the basest of flavors, though he found himself hard-pressed to eat often out of his sorrow at being separated.

“Was it bugs?  Fermented mackerel?  Or maybe durian?”  Futaba let her imagination run wild as she listed off the grossest things she could imagine.

“You’re missing the point,” Makoto said uneasily.

“Eh, you’re gonna get some good food soon enough though.  Boss is out gettin’ stuff for our party right now.  He went through your little cookbook and is gonna make everything!  We’ll be eatin’ like kings!”  Now that was something he had to see.  For all of Sojiro’s lectures about the proper method of making coffee and curry, Akira wanted to see himself put to the test when tasked with creating a big proper meal.  “C’mon, everyone’s back together!  It’s time to celebrate!”

It was easy to get swept up in the mood.  In Ryuji’s boundless energy at their reunion.  But something just felt missing.  Akira knew full and well what it was.  Or specifically, who it was.  And he wasn’t the only one to take notice.

“Everyone…” Haru solemnly sighed.

“Well, not quite everyone…”  With Futaba’s words did the others slowly begin to click in.

“Right… Morgana…” Ann said sadly.

“And Akechi.”  Akira leaned on the table and held a hand to his brow.  The energy in the room deflated rather fast, with Ryuji sheepishly rubbing his neck.  Internally was he kicking himself for his choice of words.  “I tried to save them, but I…”

“It’s not your fault.”  Ann rubbed his back and nuzzled her cheek into his shoulder.  “You did everything you could for both of them.  Our luck… just ran out in some places.”

“I at least made good on Akechi.”  They looked at him quizzically for clarification.  “I told Sae to keep his involvement a secret.  Let him and the people have the Detective Prince story where he fought with honor until the end where Shido killed him.  Just let people remember him as a hero.”

“That’s fair,” Ryuji commented.  “He deserves somethin’.  It’s the least we could do for him.”

“But Morgana…”  Akira pinched the bridge of his nose and delivered a heavy sigh.  Just when he thought the sorrow was behind them.  It would’ve crept up onto Akira eventually.  He still had to return to the bed upstairs alone.  No one to talk to.  “I couldn’t keep my promise to make him human.  I let him down…”

“There was nothing any of us could do.”  Yusuke’s attempts to dissuade his sorrow fell upon deaf ears.  Akira was willing to let himself heal over a lot of things.  But not this.

“…He may have been the key person on this whole mission.  We even considered what he would do when we were about to give up.”  The memories of Akira and Morgana kept Makoto going forward.  To not let either of their sacrifices be in vain.

“Mona totally woulda done something, right?  That cat would never quit on you.”  Despite their bickering, Ryuji and Morgana had bonded since the team reunited.  A mutual respect between one another mixed in with the banter.  And no ill will meant.

“He was always there to pull us forward,” Haru stated.  “He was the first one of you I met.”  The girl had always been sweet on the cat.  Holding and petting him like a common house pet but also regarding his feelings as well.  No teasing or jests, the girl fit to leave those for the others.  The only one whose bond was closer than her’s was Akira’s.

“Morgana truly was the engine of the Phantom Thieves,” Yusuke noted.  At the artist’s somber words could Ann find herself snickering.

“He was a car, after all!”  This got a little laughter out of them.  Just enough to lighten the mood. 

“I wanna see Mona again…”  Futaba missed holding the little cat in her arms, petting and teasing him.  None of them could hold a candle to Akira.  They were close friends, even roommates.  Brothers.  Part of him felt like it had died with Morgana’s departure.

The bell to the front door jingled and swung upon.

“Huh?  That was quick, Boss-“ 

But it wasn’t Sojiro.  Ryuji and the rest of them were staring at an open doorway with a little black cat in the middle.

“Someone call for me?”

Akira felt his heart stop.  His hearing went out, and the breath was hanging in his throat.  The boy managed to somehow shake off the shock and rose to his feet.

“…Morgana?”  Barely above a whisper.  It was just surprise after surprise today.  Akira even had to question whether or not it truly was the 13th and not his birthday.

“Mona!?” Ryuji shouted, nearly falling out of his chair.  Akira wasted no time in scooping the cat up in his arms to hug him tightly.  He held on with such force that the cat felt like he was suffocating.

“T-take it easy!” he managed to utter, voice muffled.  They had all gathered around and saw tears flooding down Akira’s face.  Shame about being seen crying be damned, he was going to let himself cry.

“Y-you’re alive!  You’re back!”

“What’re you doing here!?” Ann exclaimed in shock.  “I-I mean, didn’t you disappear!?”  They all saw it.  Right before their very eyes did he dissipate into stardust.  The rest of their days going by like he had just been a dream.  The cat eventually managed to wriggle his way out of Akira’s vice grip and popped his head out.

“Looks like the only me that disappeared was the one in the Metaverse.”  And just like that, he had utterly lost all of them.  Makoto herself stumbled to put the pieces together as best she could.

“So… you stayed in reality as a cat?”  He delivered a simple nod.  It made perfect sense to him.  Then again, he understood the Metaverse and cognition more than they did, especially with his reawakened knowledge of Igor.

“When I woke up, I was out in Shibuya looking like this.”  Ryuji grew angry at his inability to understand, as expected.

“That don’t make any sense though!  I mean, if you were alive, you shoulda come back right away!”  Morgana couldn’t help but chuckle at his blond friend.

“You miss me that bad?” he teased.

“Yes!”  Now the cat was unsure of how to proceed.  He had hoped to just jump right back into the banter with Ryuji.  Not be forced to see slight tears in the blond’s eyes.

“I… It was right after I had said goodbye.  It would’ve been awkward to come back so soon.  Plus, I… kind of couldn’t remember a lot of stuff.  All I knew is… that I had to find Akira.  But I couldn’t.  I spent months trying to find you and regain my memories.  I was able to find little things piece by piece.  I knew you guys had found your witness, so I was just waiting for Akira to get discharged.  I followed you back and waited to make my entrance.  I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“It seems he finally learned how to be tactful.”  Yusuke had to admit that Morgana’s own air for the theatrics rivaled his own.  Akira said nothing, merely holding Morgana in his arms while being content to just let himself cry.  Let all the turmoil out at last.

“He’s grown!” Futaba noted, poking at his belly.  “Tubby tabby!”

“Hey!  It’s rough on the streets!  And I’m not a tabby!”  The cat bashfully covered his stomach.  Perhaps he ought to join Akira at the gym for once.  Shed off some of the winter weight.  “But seriously though.  You guys saved him!  Well done on that, seriously.  You pulled it off even without my help.”

“Y-you’ve already returned to your normal conceited self!?” Makoto snapped.  “You… you…”  With that, she couldn’t help but laugh.  This emotional rollercoaster had taken them all over the place today.  How she had missed the little furball.

“I’m sorry I worried you all.”  Now Akira was managing to laugh through the tears, sniffling here and there.

“I-I thought I was never gonna see you again, little buddy,” he managed to choke out.  “Losing you was like… l-losing a brother.”  Morgana felt his heart crack at his words.  He had always seen the Phantom Thieves as a type of family.  But a brother?  Akira called him _his_ brother?

“Oh, c-can I borrow the shower before you all rush to hug me?” he deflected, trying to look anywhere else but their faces.  He couldn’t let them see the waterworks coming on.  Not at the stake of his pride.  “I was stray for so long I think I might smell…”

“This ain’t the time for a shower, you stupid cat!” Ryuji growled out.

“Give us our tears back!” Haru protested.

“You are unforgivable, giving us heartache like this!” Yusuke glowered.

“Group hug!”

“W-wait!”  Without giving an inch, they all ganged up and squeezed the life near out of the feline.  Turning their pain, tears, and frustration into a big mighty hug.

“Sh-shtop ith!” the cat protested as Futaba pinched his furry cheeks.  “Talk about a harsh welcome!”

“This is how it should be,” Makoto managed between giggles.

“Matters are finally back to normal.”  At last could the artist feel his fire again.   So consumed with getting their leader back that he had lost the light.  Now, he felt like he could paint a thousand pictures in a single day.  And maybe he just will.

“Right!” Ryuji grinned as he gave the cat a noogie.  “You dirty fleabag!”

“Carnal blond monkey!”  In no time at all did the two of them start ribbing at one another.  As though neither Akira or Morgana had ever gone.  But the cat was drawn to the tears still leaking down Akira’s face, drying them with his paws.  “Come on, Akira.  Dry your eyes.”

“S-sorry,” he managed between sniffles.  “I’m j-just so happy!  My brother’s back!”

“B-brother…”  Now he really couldn’t fight the tears.   The cat ultimately surrendered and let himself cry, hiding his face in Akira’s chest.  Of all the things to transpire in all the world, Morgana had never been gladder to have been created to meet Akira.  It was a regular waterworks factory in their little hugging pile.  The kids had earned it.

“It’s great that you’re back and all, but what’re you gonna do now?”  The cat eventually managed to regain enough composure to answer Ann’s question.  Even with all that had happened, the plan hadn’t changed.

“Well, I’ve been thinking.  About how to become human, of course.  I might’ve learned that I’m not a human now, but that doesn’t mean I can’t turn into one!”

“That… does make some sense.”  If he could exist outside the Velvet Room and continue to exist even without the Metaverse, there had to be a way.  But with Igor gone, it would be an insurmountable task to figure it out.  But Akira was the master at defying expectations.  “Our deal still stands.  I promised to help you become human, and I meant it.” 

Loyal to a fault.  Akira was truly more than Morgana found himself deserving.

“If Morgana becomes human, he may end up just like Akira.”

“Totally possible.”

“Oh, I can see that!”  Haru, Futaba, and Yusuke’s words clicked something on in the cat’s head.

“Me?  Be like him…!?”  There was nobody in all the world he admired more than Akira.  Nobody he was prouder to be seen as a brother by.  It would humble the cat tenfold to be like him.  “…Well, that wouldn’t be so bad.”  Despite his big bleeding heart, Morgana’s pride fought his ability to showcase it.  He had already cried in front of them.  Showing anything else would just mortify him.  Unless it was to Akira himself.  “I mean, I definitely don’t want to be like Ryuji though.”

“What was that!?”

And sure enough, they were back to bickering like an old married couple.  Potshots and banter back and forth.  Sojiro came home just in time with his payload.  To him, seeing Ryuji shout at a meowing pet was par for the course at this point.  Strange but expected.  The others just watched them go at it with amusement.  Things finally felt normal again.  But one thing was missing….

“Hold this.”  Akira passed the cat over to Haru before narrowing the gap between his beloved, a hair’s breadth away.  “May I?”

“Thought you’d never ask,” Ann said with a bashful smile.  Wrapping her arms around him, the two lovers delivered a passionate kiss.  Held so tight they might just fuse together like a Persona.  “I love you…”

“I love you too…”

And thus the party kicked off in full sequence.  The disbanding of the Phantom Thieves and a welcome home commemoration for Akira and Morgana.  Plus, a toast for the fallen Akechi.  They chattered excitedly among themselves while the two lovers resisted the urge to make out in full focus.  Every other glance was one of immense desire, a hunger.  None of them could really blame them all that much.  It was great to see them back together, but Makoto kept a spray bottle close by.

 Just in case.


	58. Happy Valentine's Day!

_2/14/18 – Tuesday_

Akira had never seen Leblanc this crowded the whole year he had been staying.  Sojiro could barely keep up from all the people funneling in and out.  The old man had asked for his help, and he had been more than happy to oblige.  It only seemed a fair trade for helping get him out of jail.  Ann would have to wait.  But for how much longer, Akira wasn’t quite sure.  He could barely stand still, his feet always moving this and that way.  Even when standing in front of the sink to wash dishes was he fidgeting.  Well into the evening did the traffic flow.  Absolutely slammed but at least making money.  In his spare time, Sojiro combed the newspaper for any mention of his store.

“Whew…”  As the store finally emptied out, the old man leaned against the counter and wiped his brow.  “Been years since I’ve worked up this big a sweat.  Hate to put you to work so soon after coming home but-“

“Don’t sweat it.”  He didn’t mind.  It allowed him to really put his craft to work that Sojiro had helped him hone.  Everybody had nothing but glowing praise for the coffee.  The two of them had even competed a little to see who could brew the best brew.  “Happy to help.”

“But man…”  Sojiro began wiping down the countertops now that they had the place to themselves.  “Where are all these people coming from?  Did we get a shout out or something?  I can’t find anything in the paper.  And why’s everybody so touchy-feely today?  Kissing and holding hands?  What, am I at a high school dance?”  Akira couldn’t help but snicker.

“You do know what today is, right?”  All the intimate couples coming in with roses and chocolates, sipping personally brewed coffee in a retro little shop tucked away in a cozy corner of town. 

“Uh… Tuesday?”

“No-well, technically, yes.  But not what I meant.  It’s the 14th.  You know what that means, right?”  For confirmation did the old man set his sights on the calendar on the wall next to the TV.  February.  And that’s when it finally hit him.

“Oh, right!”  He slapped his forehead in realization.  “Today’s Valentine’s Day.  No wonder there were so many guys bringing girls in here.”  It all made perfect sense.  It was usually only old couples or Akira’s friends who came in here.  Speaking of Akira, Sojiro narrowed an eye at the boy with an accompanying smirk.  “Don’t you have anything exciting happening?  I mean, you’ve been here nearly a whole year.  Y’know, when I was young, hoo boy…”

“Weren’t you just reminded it was Valentine’s Day?” Akira teased.  Ribbing the old man never got old to him.  But Sojiro would never get his chance to get him back, as the ringing of the front door yanked their attention away.  Akira nearly dropped the dishes from his hand when he saw who it was.

“Hi there!”

Here he was still in jeans, long-sleeved shirt, and an apron while she wore her jersey jacket and black leggings.  Casual wear for her but she always lit up in his eyes.  He loved every outfit she wore.  Especially when she eventually took it off.  In comparison, he felt so underdressed.  The back of his neck grew hot with embarrassment.  Time really had gotten away from him.

“I texted you, but you weren’t answering.  So I figured I’d swing by here and catch you.  Do you have a minute?”

Sure enough, Ann had indeed sent him a couple messages.  The boy had completely missed them from the resulting workflow that had hit Leblanc.

“Sorry, I would’ve answered, but we got swamped.  Sojiro needed my help and-“

“Ohhh…”  The old man chuckled to himself at seeing the boy flounder about.  “You should’ve just told me.  I’d have let you go if you had plans.”  With that, Sojiro grabbed his keys and shut the register.  “Here, I’ll leave the store to you.  Enjoy yourselves…”

“Thanks, Sojiro.”

“Thanks, Boss!”

The old man delivered a wink before excusing himself, flipping the sign to “Closed” on the front.  He would miss out on a few more dollars to give the kids a memorable Valentine’s Day together.  Their first.  The first time was always very important.  He had to admit that he saw a lot of himself in that kid. 

“And on that note…”  Morgana slid down the stairs and ventured for the door.  “I’ll also leave the both of you to it.”

“You sure, Morgana?” Akira asked.  “I don’t want you to feel like we’re kicking you out.”

“Don’t sweat it,” the cat said with a casual wave of his paw.  “No sense in me being the third wheel here.  I’ll go find Ryuji or something.”

“Before you go…”  The blonde retrieved something from her purse and held it before the cat.  It was a little sushi roll shaped like a heart.  “Happy Valentine’s Day!”  And like that, Morgana had been rendered into a gushing mess as he graciously nibbled it from her delicate hands.

“Lady Ann~”  The little blue eyes had hearts pulsating in them from his adoration.  Seems the crush hadn’t subsided fully, after all.

“You sure you’re not upset about us?” she inquired.  The cat merely delivered a single nod.

“Will I get over it?  Of course.  Besides, when I become human, I bet I’ll be with a Lady Ann of my own.  Maybe even two or three.”

“Oh, brother…”  Ann had to roll her eyes at his flights of fancy.  Ever the egotist.  Though that was part of his charm, oddly enough.

“You’ve been reading too many of Futaba’s doujins,” Akira teased.

“See you later!”  Morgana pushed the door open and left the store behind as he went to wander the streets.  Though as he was about to corner, he felt his feet slow.  He could still see her through the window.  The girl of his dreams.  It wasn’t unthinkable to be a little envious of Akira.  The cat would’ve given anything to be in his position.  A sad sigh slipped out as he finally pushed himself forward.  His heart still pined for the blonde and had never stopped, even after accepting her disinterest in him romantically.  But he valued her and Akira’s friendship more. 

They really were tailor-made for each other.  Perhaps Ryuji would sulk with him about being single on Valentine’s Day.  They could binge down some sushi together.  Bonding time between comrades-in-arms.

“Good evening…” Ann said with a chipper smile, hands behind her back as she rocked on her heels.  Akira giggled at her childish display.  Seemed she was feeling the butterflies too.

“You know, we never planned out what we're gonna do…”  This late in the day, it would be rather hard to get a reservation somewhere at a restaurant.  But it would still go better than Christmas Eve.  And pizza didn’t sound all that romantic.

“To be honest, I like it like this.  Just us in here together…”  She lowered her eyes and stared bashfully down at his feet.  On the most romantic day of the year, talking with him felt like they had just gotten together.

“Then have a seat.  I’ll make you some coffee.”  What luck that he could be in his element.  Make her a special blend for today.  Really go all out on this one.  “What do you wanna do for food?  We kinda used up most of the groceries yesterday for the party and a lot more today for the rush so we might be a little-”

“A pizza would be nice.”

“Doesn’t sound too romantic to me.”

“Anything with you is…”  As she leaned her cheek upon her hand, Akira felt his heart flutter from the adoring look in her gorgeous blue eyes.  At this rate, he’d melt faster than the chocolate in the blends.  They ordered two large pepperonis and got them in record time.  Delivery drivers were just as busy as they were a little while ago, it seemed.  Guess there were a lot of single people on Valentine’s Day.  Or a lot of unconventional couples with a love for pizza.  Ann sipped from her drink and moaned in adoration from how delectable the flavor was.  “Your best work yet!  I think you’ve got even the Boss beat!”

“Don’t let him catch you saying that.”  No way in hell would Sojiro take that lying down.  He’d try and outbrew him until the store was empty of beans.  They sat at one of the boots together and dined on their food.  Something about Valentine’s Day pizza tasted better than regular day pizza for some reason.  Maybe it was just because he had someone to share it with.  Everything always turned out way better with Ann around.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had some alone time together,” Ann said rather sheepishly.  She had been wanting to see him again for so long.  Now that she had the opportunity, cold feet were setting in.  Where to even begin? 

“No kidding…”  Being incarcerated so long and away from her.  He felt a little rusty.  Just as long as he could keep any focus off him getting locked up, things would be fine.  “..Not cold, are you?”

“I’m fine.  It’s warm in here.”  Small talk with her just felt so awkward.  Too formal.  She was his girlfriend, not some client for a business meeting.  He faked clearing his throat to try and clear out the awkward silence.

“I, uh, hate to admit it, but I’m…”  A nervous laugh from within interrupted himself.  It felt like being under that awning nearly a year ago.  Mush-mouthed and staring at her like a deer caught in the headlights.  “I’m a little nervous.”

“You mean now?  That’s cute.”  The blush that sparked up on his cheeks kicked up giggles in her.  Rendering him into such a flustered mess with her affection never failed to distract herself from just how nervous she felt.

“Don’t make fun,” Akira said bashfully as he held a hand over his mouth to hide his smile.  Truth be told, he loved it when she teased him.  Ann reached down beneath the table and retrieved an amber package wrapped in a red bow.

“Oh yeah, this is for you…”  Akira gently took the box in his hands and beheld the chocolate within.  A gorgeous looking heart-shaped piece with an A written in white frosting atop.  “Baba makes her own chocolate so I managed to convince her to help me make some last night.  The whole time, she kept teasing me about you.”  He didn’t even want to eat it.  Or even touch it.  Such fine craftsmanship the likes of which even he was envious of.  Now he had another goal to reach in the culinary arts.  “Isn’t it heavy?  I filled it with love.”

“It’s gorgeous…”  His unbridled praise kicked a tinge of pink to her cheeks and some bashful giggles.  “Thank you so much…”

“Couldn’t you at least react to my joke?”  Akira slowly rose from his seat and slinked towards behind the counter.

“Truth be told, I wasn’t sure what to get you for Valentine’s Day.  I didn’t really have the time or know-how to make something.  So I figured I’d get you a ton of stuff.”

“Akira, you didn’t have to get me anything.  You’re supposed to wait until White Day to-“  Though she was halted by three small boxes he retrieved and a bouquet of roses.  Her blue eyes lit up at seeing the gorgeous flowers.  She hugged them tightly in her arms and beheld their sweet scent.  “I love them!”

“Woke up really early before Sojiro and ran all over town to find some stuff.  And I think I found some really good sweets.  This box is chocolate covered strawberries while this one is chocolate covered coconut.  And this box here is full of caramel and sea salt filled gourmet chocolate pieces made locally here in-“

“Gimme!”  The quickest way to Ann’s heart was through her sweet tooth.  She was like a little kid with all this candy, and he giggled like an idiot watching her dine.  She insisted they share what he bought, and it was all phenomenal.  But nothing compared to the homemade chocolate she and Baba created.  Ann was right.  It felt so heavy with love in his stomach.  Made him feel so warm and cozy.  Eventually did the teenagers eat their fill and cleaned up their mess, content to rest in the seat while she leaned against him.  “This was nice.  I never thought I’d spent my first real Valentine’s Day like this.  But I’m glad I did.”

“There’s no one I’d rather spend it with, Ann.”

“I, um… I told my parents.  About… us…”  Akira shifted swiftly from calm to nervous.  Being high-class fashion designers, they no doubt expected the most from someone like him.

“Did they… approve?”

“Yeah!  They loved hearing about you.”  A sigh of relief coursed through his body.  If the parents didn’t approve, it would be a critical strike in their relationship.  He still hadn’t even told his parents about Ann.  Or anything really.  “Dad wants you to cook for us.  I showed him pictures of every meal you made and the Plumeria bracelet.  Mom almost wouldn’t let me have it back, she wanted it so bad.”

“So they want to meet me…”  Meeting the parents.  In all the movies and shows, that was a major step in a relationship.  Very formal, intimate, and personal.  Usually, only couples who planned to marry would do something like that.  He nearly choked as he took a sip of soda.  A rather forward occasion to be honest.  But they had known each other for a year.  It wasn’t too unreasonable that a couple should meet one another’s family.  Even if they weren’t set to marry…

“Don’t worry.  I didn’t tell them anything about you being a Phantom Thief or going to…”  There it was.  The unavoidable.  Just as he had dreaded.  Only made more painful by the silence that set in afterward.  Everything had been going so well too.  “Hey, um…”  It had to be confronted eventually.  As his anxiety rose did paranoia set in.  Perhaps this had all been part of her way to ease into a breakup.  But why would she ask if he wanted to meet her parents?  It didn’t make sense, but his nerves ate away at his common sense.  “…You should’ve told me you were planning on turning yourself in.”  Akira said nothing, merely pursing his lips and giving a slow inch by inch nod.

“I… I didn’t wanna worry you… But I did anyway.”  His excuses fell apart like wet paper.  What could he really say?  There was no way he could win in that situation, with the law or her.  “I didn’t mean to break your heart or make you cry that night.”  Never would he forgive himself for ruining Christmas for them.  Even worse, ruining their first Christmas together as a couple.  “How did you get by while I was locked up?”

“I’ve been managing…”  Barely.  The blonde nearly fell apart without him.  Lying to her, breaking his word, and going away on Christmas Day to leave them all alone.  If the tables had been turned, could she have gone through in his position?  Ann prayed such a day would never come where she’d have to pick between him and the greater good.

“I’m sorry…”  He dipped his head and stared at the table, unable to look her in the eyes.  A nudging of his feet underneath the table drew his attention.  He rose to see Ann looking at him with a teasing smile.

“Hey…”  She shook her head while her twintails jostled all around.  “It’s okay.  I’m fine.”  He stared at her in surprise before a snicker burst through his pursed lips.  Eventually, it erupted into a full-blown laugh of relief.  “I could never hold anything against you, you big nerd.”

“Can I get that in writing?”  The blonde winked and stuck her tongue out at him teasingly with a wink.  “I’m so glad to hear that.  I was actually… really worried about facing you guys again.”

“Why?”

“I thought… maybe you’d be mad at me.  That I broke my promise despite us saying we’d stand together.  And lying about it.  That you might not wanna… be my friend anymore.”  The blonde shook her head at him once more.

“You’re as dense as Ryuji sometimes, you know?”  He reached across the table and took his hand in hers.  Gliding her soft fingers against the back, feeling his cool skin that kissed her very own.  “I understand why you did it.  I was upset and angry when I found out.  We all were.  At Shido, the system… and a little bit at you too.”  Akira winced at the thought of seeing Ann mad again.  No doubt she was near hysterical at the reveal.  It was bad enough to have fought with her before in front of everybody upstairs.  “But we’d never hate you.  We’ll always be your friends.  If we weren’t, we wouldn’t have tried to hard to get you free.  You’re our best friend in the world.  And if that’s not enough to convince you… you’re the man I love.”  The boy scooped her hand up and planted a kiss on the top.  Tasted still as sweet as ever.  In retaliation, she cupped both of his cheeks and just gazed at him longingly.  “You’re lucky you’re as cute as you are though.”  He raised an eyebrow and gave a cocky smirk.

“If you think my face looks good, you should see the rest of me…”  The blonde couldn’t roll her eyes any harder as he leaned back in his seat.  His arms sat on the back of the seat, his legs sprawled out as though he was a cowboy.  Out of the corner of his eye, that was when he noticed it.  A white rolling luggage case underneath the counter by the door.  Both Sojiro and Morgana had walked right past it without noticing.  It couldn’t have been any of theirs, and it certainly wasn’t his.  Perhaps it belonged to a customer, but he didn’t recall seeing it in the store at any point today.  Akira turned curiously back to Ann with an inquisitive look.

“Hey, is that your…?”  The blonde pursed her lips and gave a slow tentative nod.

“Um… I don’t wanna go home today.”  The confession had her face burning a fierce hot red that rivaled her latex suit.  Slowly did it don upon Akira, whose blush rivaled hers in turn.  Sojiro and Morgana out of the shop with the whole thing to themselves.  And with no Metaverse to retreat to, what better opportunity than now?

“Then you don’t have to,” Akira boldly declared.  He had tilted his head to appear glancing down at her, wearing his best most confident grin.  And it sent shudders down Ann’s spine.

“Then I won’t!”  Wasting no time at all, Akira set to work texting Futaba.

**_Akira: Hey, would you mind looking after Morgana tonight?_ **

**_Futaba: He can’t stay at Leblanc?_ **

**_Akira: It’s hard to explain._ **

**_Futaba: Ann’s there, isn’t she?_ **

**_Akira: …Maybe._ **

**_Futaba: Mwehehe~ Gotcha, I’ll keep Kitty tonight._ **

**_Akira: Thanks, Futaba. But I swear to God you better not tap into my phone tonight._ **

**_Futaba: Hey, when I heard you guys fucking in the Metaverse, it was an accident._ **

**_Akira: It better have been._ **

**_Futaba:_ ** **_😉_ **

“Futaba!” Ann grumbled.  Her flustered state managed to earn a chuckle out of him.  “What a perv!”  Once she had calmed herself, the blonde took her rightful place at his side after his invitation.  He felt so cozy next to her.  Instilled her with such warmth, as though she could fall asleep right in his arms.  “Hey…”

“Hey, yourself…”  The two leaned against one another’s heads.  She had missed this so much.  The blonde never wanted it to end, not for as long as she lived.  Even after tonight, they would still have so much more time to spend together until…

“…You’re going home next month… aren’t you?”  He wasn’t supposed to get attached to anyone here.  Just do his work, keep his head down, and return to his old life after a year’s probation.  How times really had changed.  Now he couldn’t imagine a world without Ann or any of his other friends.  Though he’d soon have to get used to her absence.  “Does that mean this is gonna be a long-distance relationship?”

“Do you… want it to be a long-distance relationship?”  It had often been said on TV shows and the like that long-distance never worked out.  Too far apart as well as conflicting schedules and lifestyles.  But it couldn’t just end here.  Not today and not after they had waited so long to see each other again.  Though there were so many questions.  When would he be back?  How could he come back?  Would his parents even let him?  Would Sojiro let him stay if he returned?  The realization that his time in Tokyo would soon be over started to creep up on him in full force.  And with it came the anxiety and self-doubt he thought was long behind him.  “Because I would.  I mean, not have it just be long-distance.  If it could be close-distance, I’d love that.  But I-I want to keep… keep this going.”

Ann was feeling the same turmoil he was.  Scatterbrained and not really hearing him stumble as she kept hitting the same mental roadblocks he was.  Getting him back here somehow would be some sort of hurdle.  They wouldn’t even be able to spend his birthday with them.  And they didn’t even get to celebrate it last time.

“Argh, enough of this!  I came here to have fun with you!”  She took a possessive hold of his arm and hugged it tightly, pouting as she leaned her cheek into his shoulder.  Not today.  Their anxiousness wouldn’t mess up their first Valentine’s Day.  The rest of February and a good portion of March was still ahead of them.  Worrying could wait for another day.  And it would.  Today would be all about them.  “I already waited this long for you to get released… so I guess long-distance is nothing.” 

“Agreed.”  A heavy sigh of relief slipped out from the boy.  “We’ll make it work.  After all we’ve been through, I don’t plan on stopping now.”  He felt foolish to even entertain the idea.  Yaldabaoth, the Reaper, jail, Kamoshida, Akechi, Shido.  They’d endured so much more than several hours’ distance could throw at them.  If he doubted himself, his fate would already be sealed.  Believe in each other as they always had.  And they will make it just like through everything else having been thrown in their path.

“Even so, you kept me waiting way too long.”

“Well, I’ve got plenty of time to make it up to you.”  He gently lifted him up and sat her upon his lap, cradling Ann in his arms.  “You’re gonna hold that over my head, aren’t you?”

“Just to tease you and get all the free hugs I want.”

“You already do.  You just gotta ask for them.”

“Where’s the fun in that?”  They shared a giggle amongst themselves before ending it with a gentle kiss.  Now content to just get lost into one another’s eyes.  His hypnotic steely-eyed silver gaze and her lush beautiful blue pools.  Akira decided to up the ante by holding her bridal style in his arms while they sat.  The blonde wrapped her arms around his neck, lovingly cradled by her boyfriend.  “I’ll smack you if you say I’m too heavy…”

“Oh God…”  He was now chuckling to himself, shaking his head.  “I forgot about that.”  How could he ever forget that killer blow to the back of his head while he and Ryuji dragged her out of Kamoshida’s Palace?  “How long have you been holding onto that one?”

“Just been waiting for a way to tease you with it is all.”

“You’re such a sadist.”  With that did she use her twintails to tickle his face, using the ends like brushes.  Now that she was straddling him, he had nowhere to go.  As though he planned on leaving this beautiful girl on top of him.  Eventually did their laughter subside and they return to locking eyes.  Only the mood had now changed because of their newfound positions.  His eyes kept wandering down her neck to the top of her shirt.  A couple of buttons were undone but not enough to reveal any cleavage.  When he glanced back up, he saw her smirking at him with a raised eyebrow.  All while she traced a finger down the bit of exposed chest on his v-neck.

“You know, I have… one more Valentine’s Day gift for you…”

“Oh… is that so?”  Ann had certainly gotten a lot bolder about what she wanted.  He always had a way to bring out the desire in her.  And he loved reciprocating it.  “And after you’ve given me so much…”

“It’s technically for both of us but mostly for you.”  Now he was genuinely curious.  Before he played along with her coy little act as part of their game.  Foreplay.  He loved their little cat-and-mouse dance of banter and teasing before ultimately giving in to one another.  Soon he would find his answer, as Ann lifted herself off him and took the suitcase in her hand.  With a wink and alluring bedroom eyes did she lead him up the stairs.  And what would transpire would forever blow Akira’s mind.

* * *

The Big Bang Burger proved to be a haven for the single people today.  Ryuji munched on a cheeseburger with gusto while Morgana nibbled on some fries.  Thankfully, Ryuji had been felt a little generous to his fellow bachelor.

“Kicked you out of the house, huh?”

“I left to give them some privacy.  They deserve it.”  The blond merely shrugged and continued his dining.  Just another ordinary day in paradise for him.  Living the single life didn’t bother him.  Too much.  “It’s no chocolate.”

“Can you even eat chocolate?” Ryuji asked.  He knew dogs couldn’t, but such health hazards extend to cats as well?  Morgana provided no definite answers other than a shrug.  “Ah, well.  I prefer ramen myself.”

“Not exactly my idea of romantic,” the cat replied.  “It’s not really about stuffing your face.  The giving of chocolate is more of a symbolic gesture.  Girls giving chocolate to the guys they like.”

“You think the chocolate I got from my mom counts?”  Only cold silence met him as he was given a mirthless look of contempt from the cat.

“That’s pathetic.”  Ryuji scoffed in offense. 

“Hey, at least _I_ got something this Valentine’s Day.”  The blond had set himself up perfectly, Morgana sporting a smug little smirk on his furry face.

“You know, Lady Ann bought me personally a heart-shaped sushi roll.”  Ryuji spat up his drink.

“Hey!  How come _you_ get stuff?!  I knew her longer!”  Morgana was absolutely living for this.  It took away some of the sting of being alone on Valentine’s Day.  “Well, I want money for buying you fries!”

“I don’t have money because I’m a cat.”

“Oh, so you’re only a cat when it’s convenient?”  The blond threw up his hands in defeat and slumped back into his seat.  “This sucks.  Us guys left to hang out to dry while they spend the whole day together.  I mean, I’m glad they hooked up, but I wish we could also hang out just as the guys, you know?  No chicks.”

“Pfft!” Morgana scoffed.  “I don’t wanna be a part of that losers’ meeting.”

“You already are.”  With that, Morgana felt the wind be lost from him completely.  In an underhanded move, Ryuji had sunk the boat he was on just to kill the captain.  He almost had to give him credit.  Such a clever tactic felt so outside of Ryuji’s wheelhouse.  He folded his arms and smirked with satisfaction.

“Greetings.”  The two excused themselves from their exchange of blows to see Yusuke standing beside them.  “Fancy running into both of you here.”

“Join the party, Yusuke!”  Ryuji slid over for the artist to take his spot, which he helped himself to.  “No chocolates from any adoring fans?”

“I did receive a few pieces from some fellow classmates.  Though I’m not really big on chocolate myself.  Perhaps I’ll give them to Ann to dine on.”

“You got stuff too?!”  Ryuji was now the odd man out in their group.  And the artist was treating it like no big deal.  “…You know, I could take some off your hands if you didn’t want ‘em.”

“No begging for chocolates, Ryuji.”  None other than Makoto was standing next to their table.  With Haru and Futaba along with her.  The blond made room for the lot of them to join.

“You guys too, huh?”  The girls merely shrugged.  Ryuji put his hands behind his head and gave a content smile.  “Well, we might be down two people, but we can all have a singles’ hang out day.  Just a couple bachelors and bachelorettes, am I right?”  It felt peculiar to have their big two missing in action.  They felt incomplete without Akira and Ann.

“Oh, Mona.  You’re gonna be staying with me tonight.”

“Huh?  But why?” the cat asked the spectacled girl.  On her face did a mischievous little smile spread.

“Ann’s spending the night.”  They all delivered flustered expressions to Futaba, save for Ryuji.  While the cat bore confusion, the blond had an amused grin on his face.

“Heeeeeey, some Valentine’s Day lovin’, huh?”  Makoto shot him a look that swiftly silenced his amorous egging.  The cat folded his ears and slipped a weary sigh out.  Kicked out of his own house.  Granted, he had made the choice to leave of his own accord.  But he hadn’t expected Ann to make herself so at home that he’d have to sit out for the night.  Akira would no doubt have done it for him had their roles been reversed.

“I’m really happy for them.”  The smile Haru wore on her face was so genuine and warm.  Though her eyes held a little something else.  Something somewhat contradictory to her words.  “Akira and Ann are really sweet together.  She’s so lucky to have him….”  The girl cleared her throat before delivering a shaky laugh.  “It’s a little embarrassing to admit, but…”  She hadn’t been quite sure when it happened.  Or how exactly it happened.  But somehow it just did.  Strange, as she had known him for much less time than the others.  “I kind of… had a bit of a crush on Akira.”  It wasn’t too difficult to believe.  He was a rather handsome boy.  Not to mention incredibly kind and passionate, helping her with her garden, dealing with her father’s death, and standing up to Sugimura.  As much as it flustered her to admit, she just giggled.  To finally have that off her chest with no consequences felt cathartic.  But a giggle from Makoto swiftly drew her attention.

“Funny that you mention that,” she began, clearing her throat with a hand held to her lips.  “I felt the same way myself for a while.”  Like Haru, Makoto too had been lured in by Akira’s natural appeal.  How quick he was to apologize for their rough start and even quicker to get involved in her life.  Initially, she had felt incredibly awkward about roping him into her plan to help Eiko.  The rumor mill had been something rather tiresome to deal with.  Though after they had helped Eiko and the peanut gallery had died down, she found herself missing that feeling.  Of him being by her side and helping her decide.  His counsel was sought out for a reason, not just by her.  He made her feel less awkward and blend in more with the others.  Help her emerge from the shell she had formed over the years. 

“…Same,” Futaba confessed with a sigh.  Since everyone else was pouring their hearts out on this lonely holiday, why not join in?  Akira had been the first one she had attached to in their group.  Even before joining the Phantom Thieves, she would always listen to him through the wiretaps in Leblanc.  Nobody else really sounded like him.  And no one else instilled that sense of belonging and comfort into her like he did.  Save for Sojiro but in a completely different way.  He just made her feel so safe.  A foundation upon which she could stand on her own in this world.  Her key item.  It was only when she had asked him to pat her on the head did she realize things were different.  What felt so mundane and charming to him felt like fireworks to her.  His touch sent her into a blushing mess, heart racing as fast as her mind was in her attempts to process it all.  Her struggling to complete the task of being okay without him around only made the feelings all the more prominent. 

“…You’ve gotta be kidding me!”  Ryuji stared at the three of them with jaw agape.  “All three of you?!”  The girls sheepishly nodded in response, too flustered to make eye contact with one another.  The blond was absolutely beside himself.  “Every chick on our team is into Akira?!  What is _this_ anime bullshit?!”  An amused chuckle rang out from Yusuke who sat content as can be.

“A romance was bound to blossom within our little friend group,” he said astutely.  “It’s only natural given our close bonds.  Especially with Akira.  He is quite a catch, after all.”

“What, are _you_ into him too now?!” the blond sputtered.  Yusuke merely chuckled at his expense once more.  Seeing his slight jealousy manifest in such a way as quite entertaining.  A sentiment Morgana shared as he too began laughing.

“Suddenly, I don’t feel quite as down about today anymore.”  Ryuji ordinarily wasn’t the jealous type.  Morgana was a little, as much as it pained to admit.  But the former’s disbelief in the current situation made him forget his heartache about Ann.  He had to get his jollies however he could.  “Seems like Akira really lived up to his name as a Phantom Thief of Hearts.”

“That reminds me,” Yusuke interrupted as he fished through his satchel for a particular chocolate.  “Hifumi Togo asked me to give Akira this.  She was much too shy to deliver it herself.  Apparently, she shares the same infatuation.”

“Oh, come on!”  Ryuji leaned his head back and groaned.  To think he had been on the hunt for women for so long only for them to be falling into Akira’s lap.

“Mwehehehe!” Futaba teased.  “Ryuji’s an incel!”  He nearly threw his dirty plate right at her.  “Don’t be a hater, Ryuji.  Can you blame us?  Akira’s _hot_!”

“F-Futaba!” Haru gasped in surprise.  “He is taken!”

“I can’t help it.”  The otaku girl held her hands to her cheeks and daydreamed lustfully right before them.  “He’s so tall.  I’d scale him like a mountain~”

“Futaba Sakura!”  Makoto took her by the ear and delivered a scowl of contempt.  “Behave yourself!  And don’t be so perverted about our friend!”  The girl whined as she squirmed in the student council president’s vice grip.  Another victim on the list.

“Hey, I’m just saying!  I wouldn’t make a move on Akira!  They’re in a happy relationship, and there’s no way I’d intrude!”  Makoto relented and released her ear with a flick of her wrist.  Being still somewhat socially stunted, Futaba had a lot to learn about socially acceptable boundaries.  But she hadn’t been lying.  Since laying eyes upon him for the first time, he always had that bishounen allure to him.  A manga character straight off the pages.  The otaku girl was quite happy for him and Ann.  Also a little jealous.  Ann getting to be as lucky as she was to snuggle up to such a man.  Akira was rather lucky himself.  Despite her interest in hunky anime boys and bishies, Futaba definitely took an interest in Ann’s suit.  The blonde wore it really good, she had to admit.  Quite grabbable.  “…Unless they were into that…”  Ryuji spat up his drink in utter surprise.

“Futaba…”  Haru cupped her mouth, flustered even further by her boldness.  Makoto closed her eyes and shook the words out of her head.

“I’m going to pretend I never heard that…”  Ryuji’s adolescent mind went to work at her words.  Some rather interesting images caught his eye.  Futaba had always been a little more perverse than the average girl, but the depths of which he had never truly known.  Strictly speaking, Akira and Futaba would’ve been a cute couple in his mind.  But Sojiro would be on him like a hawk.  Akira had definitely made the safer choice.  God help whoever Futaba ever got involved with.

“Well, ladies…”  Ryuji leaned back in his seat with a cocky smirk and propped his feet upon the table.  “Akira may be off the table, but your boy here is still prime real estate.”  It was Valentine’s Day, the air had been cleared, the subject was focused on relationships and sexual interest.  What better time than now to try his luck?

“Pass,” Makoto simply stated.

“No thanks,” Haru said with an awkward wince.

“Gross!” Futaba chided.  Ryuji stared at them as though he had been slapped back to back.  Utterly gobsmacked by their unbridled bluntness.  Even Operation: Babe Hunt hadn’t left him feeling this deflated.  The boy struggled to form words, instead staring at them with eyes wider than dinner plates.

“Wh-what?!  What’s wrong with me?!”  He hadn’t been this offended before.  Ryuji had confidence for days, but the triple threat of rejection had gutted him rather good.

“You’re too loud, and you don’t wash your socks.”

“And you’re rather pigheaded for my tastes.”

“Plus, your grades have a lot to be desired.  You’re rather noncommittal in your studies and spend too much time on superfluous things like playing video games.  And texting in class when you could be taking notes.  If you can’t commit to your studies, how could I expect you to commit to me?  Or any of us, for that matter?”

Yusuke and Morgana giggled at his expense.  In truth, he really could blame no one but himself since he had asked.  Just stepping up to the bat only to strike out three times in rapid succession.  The rejected Ryuji leaned on his hands and scowled aside to the approaching waitress.

“I need another burger,” he sulked.

“Don’t you think you’ve had enough?” the waitress chastised as she took the heaps of dirty plates and silverware he had left her.  Ryuji slammed his fist upon the table.

“I’ll tell you when I’ve had enough!  Now another burger!  Extra onions!”  The quickest way to his heart was through his stomach.  And Ryuji was going to indulge himself like no other today.  If today was also Singles’ Appreciation Day, then he would appreciate his damn self.

“But you don’t like onions,” Morgana noted.

* * *

 “Just have a seat right there…”  The two had played and giggled as they groped one another’s bodies.  Akira eagerly sat in the chair she had moved to the middle of the room.  “And no peeking.”  Just to ensure that he behaved, Ann removed his glasses and set them upon his dresser.  Akira closed his eyes despite not being able to see already.  But he wanted to play along with Ann’s little plan, whatever it may be.  Initially, he had tried to undress a little to get more comfortable, but she halted him from doing so.  All part of the foreplay, she told him.  The boy sat contently and smiled at the mental images of her in his head.  He could hardly wait for what she had in store.  His eagerness shifted to confusion however as he felt something around his wrists.  Akira recognized the familiar feeling of handcuffs all too well.  But these were much different from the biting metal he was used to inside the interrogation room.  Fuzzy and cushioning his wrist quite snugly.  Never did he think he’d ever get up close and personal to that particular kind in all his life.  He hadn’t even been quite sure they were real in the first place.  Only something in the movies.  But oh were they real, alright.  Where did Ann even find these?  “Okay!  Open your eyes~”  The sound of clacking heels combined with her words of encouragement forced him to cock an eye open.  His jaw nearly fell to the floor as he was finally able to behold her.

Standing before him was Ann sporting a fiery red latex suit.  Pink gloves, maroon boots that climbed past up her thighs.  She looked almost exactly like she was in the Metaverse, with the only things missing being her clip-on tail, whip, and mask.  A stickler for accuracy but by no means was he complaining.  Especially when he fully began to realize the gravity of his situation.

“Ann?” he managed to finally breathe after overcoming his starstruck status.  This didn’t seem real at all.  Like some sort of fantasy come to life.

“That’s Panther to you.”  A shocked jolt ran through Akira’s heart at her words.  Which began to pick up in pace as she narrowed the gap between them, legs elegantly gliding with each poised step she took.  Until she towered over him and planted her boot in the empty space of chair between his legs, dangerously close to his crotch.  “You always kept talking about how much you love my suit.  And I remembered your little theory about it was my Phantom Thief outfit.”  A fine red heat and a cold sweat began to build upon the back of his neck.  He hadn’t counted on her recalling that far back.  “You’re into dominatrixes, aren’t you?”

“…!”  A surprised gasp escaped his throat from her cornering him.  The boy ran his tongue across his dried lips as the dry mouth hit him in full force.  Akira had never expected this turn of events.  All he could do was stare at her awestruck like a deer caught in the headlights.  What could he even say?  It wasn’t a lie in the slightest.  To describe some of his tastes as “unusual” would be an understatement.  What drew him to it or why there was no way he could answer.  All he knew was that she was magic in that outfit.  Even more so that they were in the real world.

“What’s the matter, Joker?” she further teased, upper lip curled into a wry smile.  “Cat got your tongue?  What happened to all that smooth talk and confidence?”  As Ann ran a tongue over one of her exposed canines, Akira swore he might just faint.  Ann herself wasn’t that far off from how fast her heart was racing.  “Well, I’m gonna put you in your place tonight~”  Akira somehow managed to gulp down the enormous knot that had formed in his throat that threatened to choke him out.

Ann couldn’t quite put it to words in a way that satisfied her.  The dominatrix outfit, her own inner power, standing up to Kamoshida, and the story of Carmen.  Little by little had it awakened something within her.  A type of unbridled inner confidence and independence.  To never let anyone tie her down or control her against her will ever again.  But to see it manifest in such a raw sexual way here.  Taking ownership of her leader and man.  She was practically swimming inside that latex suit of hers now.  Where had these desires even come from?  It was no secret to her that Akira had awakened her sexual appetite.  But someone like her being so perverse?  And him too, for that matter.

“Wh-what are you gonna do?” Akira weakly stammered, pursing his lips nervously.  Seeing that slight tremble made the blonde inhale sharply through her nose.  With great diligence did she straddle him, legs hanging off the chair behind him while she wrapped her arms around his neck.  Staring down at him with such a meticulous look.  Slowly did she inch her hand down his stomach until she reached the zipper of his pants.  From the noticeable tent he was sporting could she see his arousal rivaling hers.

“…You remember the safeword, right?”  The blonde forced herself to break character out of concern.  It may have been Valentine’s Day, and she was about to indulge them both in such a perverse fantasy.  But she still wasn’t sure just how comfortable she was with their situation.  Being in control of him like this.  The last thing she wanted was to scare him in some way.  But she found her answer in a voiceless dumb nod from him, his mouth still hanging open.  She swore he might just start drooling at this rate.  It was incredibly cute and elicited a giggle from the blonde.  “Good.  Because I’m gonna ride you~”  Teasingly did she slide his pants down inch by inch until his briefs and jeans resided around his ankles.  The tip of his cock was already leaking precum like a faucet.  Her tongue gently glided along her upper lip with a hunger.  More than anything she had ever felt before in all her life.  But her heart was also racing as fast as can be from nervousness as she fiddled with the condom.

“If you need me to, I can put it on-“

“No.”  The rather authoritative tone in her voice caught both of them off-guard.  “ _I_ wanna do it.”  He was already nice and secure in the chair to be her plaything.  It would be a shame to break character again when they were so close.  Plus, it just felt so intimate to put the condom on for him.  The blonde studied him rather curiously as she glided the latex fixture over his hard dick, watching him squirm a little in place.  “How’s it feel?”

“It’ll feel much better when it’s inside you.”  Ann gave an amused smirk before tapping his cheek with the back of her hand.  Boldly did she take hold of his cock by the base and listened to his sharp inhale.  With another hand, the blonde tantalizingly unzipped the lower half of her suit to reveal her soaked lips.  She bit down on her lower lip and shuddered as she teased her entrance with his tip.  It felt like lightning shooting through her waist, made all the more exciting by watching him write in pleasure from her toying with him. 

“Ready?” she asked with a wink.  Akira could barely muster the breath to croak out a reply.  His cock ached from how solid it felt.  Ann finally took the plunge and lowered herself as slowly as she could onto it.  Akira leaned his head back against the chair and moaned through pursed lips.  Ann wasn’t in much better shape herself as her thighs trembled from taking it all the way to the base.  She squeezed his hips with her knees and held his shoulders to steady herself.  After some shaky breathing did she regain her composure, leaning forward to bury his face in her cleavage while wrapping her arms around his head.  Now came the fun part of riding his aching cock up and down, flowing like the motion of the ocean.  Rolling her lips cruelly, slow deliberate movements to drag it out, drinking in the muffled moans she heard between her breasts.  “Make sure not to cum yet~”

She certainly wasn’t making it easy on him.  Being stifled between her perky bosom while riding him, clad in the hottest material known to man with him tied up at her mercy.  Peak fantasy for the kinky teen.  Made even sexier by her mutual enjoyment of their predicament, the girl helping herself to his lusting body.  Ann leaned back on his knees and began to increase her pace, bouncing much faster and rougher now.  Riding him cowgirl style had his eyes rolling in his head with each bounce.  He clenched and fought the brewing orgasm down below, toes and fingers curled.  It had never been too monumental a task to control himself, but now he found himself struggling with her newfound orders.  The pressure was on and setting in.  It made it all the more thrilling to resist and to eventually cum when it was time.

Watching his face twist and writhe in both pain and pleasure, balls and cock aching.  It shot an absolute thrill through the young blonde’s heart.  Her gaze darted between watching him enter her and meeting his longing eyes.  To see such a desperate and needy look upon his face had her lips flushed with arousal.  He really was struggling to hold it all in, just for her.  She almost felt a little bad at his suffering.  Almost.  Skin on skin slapping resonated in their little room as she rode him harder, bucking her hips against his waist while he choked back pleading moans.  It was all so much for the blonde to take, as Ann leaned her head back and moaned out for him.  Wordlessly praising his work with her coos and cries of bliss.  God, did he fill her lithe form so well.  So deep, big, and warm.  And the best part was knowing it was all for her, no one else’s to share.

“ _Ffffuck!_ ”  Unlike Akira, Ann didn’t bother to resist what she felt.  The orgasm sparked down to her toes and kicked up high into her chest, her pussy jolting like lightning after finally getting to cum.  She had arched back and nearly fallen off the chair from how much whiplash it had given her.  His lap was utterly soaked from her gratitude and love for him.  Ann wrapped her arms around him for stability, her body shaking from the aftershocks.  Arms still trembling as she finally mustered the strength to let go.  “Mmmm, G-God, that was better than I thought it would be~”  Though once her eyeballs stopped swimming in her head, she took notice of the joyous agony on Akira’s face.  He bit down on his bottom lip and had his eyes closed as he held it back.  All for her.  Her Akira suffering silently to make sure she got what she wanted.  “Now, it’s your turn~”

Seconds after finally uncuffing him did he nearly start throwing his clothes off.  Never had she seen him this desperate for release.  The blonde wasn’t too far off herself as she stripped from her latex suit, letting it glide onto the ground as she stepped out.  Ann put the finishing touches by undoing her twintails and letting the golden locks flow down her back.  Akira sat in his full nude glory upon the bed, fingers digging into the sheets as he stared at her with such intense thirst.  The blonde glided towards him as gracefully as she could, but once the gap had been narrowed, she could no longer contain herself and pounced him.  Fingers interlocked while she straddled him once more, kissing and nipping at his lips.

“A-Akira~” she moaned near out of breath, cupping his cheek and grabbing his hair.  “God, I’ve missed this.  I’ve never wanted something so badly in all my life~”  The boy growled through his teeth while his hands glided down her bare back to cup her rear.

“I wanna fuck you so bad, Ann~”  Desperation, frustration, hunger, desire.  He was pent up something severe, and she was loving it.  Such a masculine grit in his declaration.  It made her weak in the knees, but fortunately for her was she sitting on top of him.  So much of her wanted to continue their charade of her being the dom.  The latex suit had cost her a lot of money, and she wanted more use out of it.  But they were both here, naked, and ready to go.  Too late to get back in it now, and she couldn’t possibly pull herself away from him anymore.

“Then fuck me!” she half ordered, half begged.  “Take charge and take me, baby!”  Akira needed no further tempting as he flipped them over, her on her back with him on top.  Pinning her against the bed, he slammed his cock in at full force and went to down.  The meager bed creaked and rocked beneath them both.  No way they could ever disguise it in any other situation, but having the place to themselves gave them the freedom to finally throw caution to the wind.  Moaning and crying out one another’s names, rocking the bed mercilessly, and slapping skin against skin.  Kinkier than anything they could ever have imagined.  Ann’s toes curled as she wrapped her legs around his waist, holding him and never wanting to let go.  In truth, this was how she preferred it.  Him fucking her and taking charge.  Though domming him for a change was rather sexy, it more served as wish fulfillment for him.  A wish she was more than happy to have fulfilled and would do so again gladly.  But she ultimately loved him in charge in the bedroom.  He had spoiled her in that regards.  “God, yes!  Fuck me, Akira!  Dick me fucking down!”

He merely growled in response, taking a fistful of the sheets and pounding her.  He was too into it to even speak.  All the teasing and being at her mercy had a fire roaring in his heart and loins.  It burned through his very veins, it was so potent.  All he could do was moan and growl through his teeth.  But he tried his best to retain some coherency to entertain her pillow talk.

“Yeah, you fucking like that?“ he huffed through his teeth.  “This exactly what you wanted, huh?  To tease me and get me all pent up until I fuck you silly?”

“ _YES!_ ”  She had never heard him so wild.  Going at her without mercy, completely unhinged.  It was quite the far cry from their usual gentler sessions in the Metaverse.  And it was good.  A welcome change of pace they’d have to try occasionally.  She loved her softer lovemaking moments more, but tonight was she really into some lustful fucking.  “I wanna wear that suit every day just so you’ll fuck me silly!”  A heat of the moment statement.  No way could she ever let anyone see her wearing this outside the Metaverse besides him.  But damn did she want her fantasy now.

“God, I want that~”  Growling right into her ear like a feral animal.  So masculine and gritty, it felt like sandpaper gliding against her back from the shudder she felt.  What a man.  “Give you this good dick every night if that was the case.  Seeing your tight ass housed in that suit, I’d have to unzip and bend you over that fucking countertop!”  More pillow talk.  Sojiro would have his head on a silver platter if he found so much as a single hair out of place from any potential rambunctiousness.  It was just so good that he couldn’t resist.  The boy never wanted it to end.  He could go all night at this rate.  “Ngh, f-fuck, Ann, I’m close~”

“Do it!” she begged, grabbing his ass and pulling him in.  Ankles interlocked to keep him from going anywhere.  “Cum with me!”  Ann swore she witnessed fireworks popping off in his irises as they finally shot open, only to close again as he pulled her in for a kiss.  Her hands darted back up to feverishly take hold of his shoulders as she returned the kiss, moaning in her throat as they both achieved mutual orgasm.  Akira thrusted hard with each squirt, his pace eventually slowing as he emptied himself.  Their bodies were utterly drenched in sweat, and the sheets would definitely need a thorough washing tomorrow.  Akira forced himself to pull away from her to remove the condom.  In typical fashion, it held together without a drop out of place.  The boy tied it up and discarded it into the wastebasket at the foot of his bed.  Would definitely have to throw that out discreetly tomorrow before anyone saw it.  But all that could wait as he collapsed on top of his young blonde lover with a relieved moan.  She giggled from him lying atop her.  “You’re like a beached whale!”

“You’re welcome,” he managed to weakly jest, his eyelids fluttering from the afterglow he felt.  With a purr did he coax her into cuddling, as though she really needed the encouragement.  Ann snuggled against his chest and pulled the blankets up over their bare forms.  “Ann, that was amazing.  You’re amazing~”

“You… blew my mind, Akira…”  Her chest rose and fell with her weary breaths.  Every moment of making love to him felt like an endurance test, and the incentive to finish it was always worth it.  Mutual bathing in the afterglow and pillow talk.  “I never knew you could be so aggressive…”

“I wasn’t too over the top, was I?”  Ann gingerly grazed his cheek with her fingers.

“Wasn’t worried for a second,” she assured him.  He closed his eyes and bathed in the warmth of her words, smiling contently.  “I loved it.  You were so manly.  Though I prefer my more tender Akira.  But it’s always fun to do things differently sometimes.”

“No kidding,” he said with a chuckle.  “You looked incredible in that suit.”  She playfully scoffed from his praise.  Now that they were coming down off their lustful high, bashfulness began to set in.

“You see me in it all the time.  Doesn’t it ever get old?”

“Never.”  She bit her bottom lip and smiled at his words.  To know how much she turned him on because of it made every second of wearing it worth it.  It had even started turning her on when she wore it in the Metaverse.  “Almost as perfect as the real thing.  Just missing the mask and tail.”

“You’re so greedy!” she teased before pressing her nose to his.

“What can I say?  I want my fantasies to be as accurate as possible.”  He cupped her face and planted a kiss right onto her lips, Ann taking hold of his hands to keep him holding her longer.  To cradle him in his strong but soft grip.  The safest hands in all the world.

“Being the dominatrix really isn’t my thing, but I’m glad you like it.  I did it all for you.  Though it was kinda fun…”  She buried her face into his chest sheepishly.  Even after them fucking like rabbits, she was still nervous about their sexualities.  Maybe once they had their own place, the blonde could move past it finally.  “Though, don’t expect this to be a regular thing.”  He kissed her soft cheek and twirled her hair around his finger.

“I can’t believe you actually bought a suit just for me.”  If this was a dream, Akira hoped he’d never wake up.

“It was an impulse buy.  I wasn’t sure how I wanted to make Valentine’s Day extra special after you finally came home so I bought it last night.  It was super expensive to get it delivered the same day, but it was so worth it.  But I have no idea where I’m gonna hide it…”  The suit would have to be buried deep in her closet.  Or maybe even under her bed.  The boots she might be able to get away with having out in the open.  But there was no way she could ever explain to her parents or Baba about the latex suit.  The blonde might just die of embarrassment if anyone ever found it.  “…Hey, you think I could hide it here?”

“No way.”  If Sojiro managed to find it, he’d never hear the end of it.  Especially because if he knew, then Futaba would know shortly after.  And then the rest of the Phantom Thieves would too.  Akira’d much rather refrain from making their intimate moments a spectator sport.  “I’d like to see you in it more often.”

“Maybe for your birthday~” she teased with a wink.  Akira laughed and cupped her bum, which earned an amused squeal from the blonde.  Ann flurried him with kisses while nearly melting against his toned form.  It was good to know that jail time hadn’t slowed his workout routine.  “It might not be completely my thing, but I did like playing the dom for you.  I wanted to play it the whole night, but I just couldn’t resist anymore.  I needed my man to take the wheel.”

“You played it really well,” he commended, placing his hands behind his head as he leaned back into the bed.  Ann placed her hands on his chest and rested her chin upon them just so she could stare up at him.  “Though you could use some practice.”

“Pfft!  In your dreams!”  Another time, perhaps.  She was much more vanilla than he was, but he made going outside her comfort zone so worth it.  No other person could she imagine dropping that much money for in order to indulge in a kinky little scenario for one night.  Though considering how much she had spent, it definitely wouldn’t be _just_ one night.  But it would be a long time before she could get into the mood to wear it again.  Especially since they’d be hard-pressed to get Leblanc to themselves after tonight.  “But if you’re lucky, maybe…”

“God, I love you.”  She giggled and locked lips with him, purring into her kiss.  “You are the perfect woman, Ann.  You turn me on in all the best ways.”

“You’re pretty hot yourself.”  They shared a laugh before exchanging more giddy kisses.  “Though I promise next time it’ll be much longer.”

“Can I get that in writing?”

“Shut up, you nerd.”

Their kinky little secret, a Valentine’s Day to remember.  Dinner at a fancy restaurant would’ve made it much more perfect.  As well as having their own place.  Though that just made the next Valentine’s Day all the more exciting to envision.  They could finally get a room at a love hotel and do whatever they wanted as long as they wanted.  It would definitely cost a ton of yen to make happen, but Ann was worth it.  She always was and always would be.

A yawn inadvertently slipped out from the boy.  They had been so caught up in their unorthodox fantasy that he hadn’t noticed how late it was.  Or how tired they were.

“I should put the suit up,” Ann said through a yawn.  But Akira held her in place as she tried to rise up off him.

“Leave it,” he whined.  “Stay in bed with me.  I’m tiiiired.”  The blonde rolled her sleepy eyes and resolved herself to her fate.

“I spoil you too much.”  Akira cocked an eyebrow in disbelief at her, causing the blonde to stick her tongue out at him.  She’d much rather have it tucked out of the way so no one could potentially stumble upon it.  If Morgana or Sojiro returned early in the morning, she could never live it down.  But Akira and the blankets were just so warm.  Laziness was winning out.  “Goodnight, Akira.  I love you…”

“I love you too,” he whispered.  Tender, intimate, fragile.  A treasured statement he gifted to her, crafted with such a meticulous and gentle touch as though he were crafting an origami swan.  “With all my heart.  Forever…”

“Forever…”

I am thou and thou art I, after all.


	59. The Road Home

_3/19/18 – Sunday_

Tomorrow was the big day.  The day he would finally return home and leave Tokyo behind.  Sojiro had given him the day off from Leblanc today so he could say goodbye to everyone.  It didn’t feel real at all, like this was some sort of bizarre otherworldly dream he was in.  The remaining days they had spent with one another seemed to fly right by in the blink of an eye.  It just seemed like yesterday had been February.  A melancholic feeling lingered in the air that made his heart uneasy.  Tired and rather glum.  This place felt more like home than his actual home did with all the people he cared for and memories made.  Life back at home would feel so empty compared to here in Tokyo.  But he buried any sort of sulky feelings deep down to focus on today.  A big last hurrah with all the wonderful people he had befriended here in the city.

One by one did he seek out and bond with all his friends and allies.  Ryuji, Haru, Futaba, Sojiro, Iwai, Toranosuke, Ms. Kawakami, Ohya, Chihaya, Shinya, Yusuke, Makoto, Mishima, Sae, Hifumi, even Lavenza.  Going down the list and saving the very best for last.

**_Ann: There’s something I want to talk to you about.  I’d like to meet up if possible.  Are you busy today?  I’ll be wandering around the underground mall in Shibuya.  I’d be happy if you could come._ **

**_Akira: I’ll meet you there, and we could escape somewhere for a little while.  Just the two of us._ **

**_Ann: Why not just meet up where you want to go then?_ **

**_Akira: Because I want to pick you up and spend as much time as possible with you._ **

**_Ann: Oh, you~ <3 <3 <3_ **

Still smooth as silk.  He always sought to refine his craft for making her heart flutter.  Always on his hustle.  After meeting her in the mall, he stole her away to linger privately at Inokashira Park.  It was late in the day, and the sun was getting low in the sky.  With an orange tinted sky hanging above them, Akira couldn’t have asked for a greater send-off.  Holding hands with his girl as they laid in the grass, staring up at the clouds.  The park was quiet and empty as usual, leaving it just for the two of them as they deserved.

“I’m so glad you came for me,” she cooed before leaning onto her side, holding his hand in both of hers.

“Well, I couldn’t leave my best girl out by herself.”  As usual, his unabashed adoration kicked up a fit of bashful giggles in her chest.  Not a day went by where she didn’t think about how blessed she truly was to have met him.  Though the pining for his presence still refused to die down in her heart, even with him right at her side.  She already missed him so.  “I know this isn’t the last time we’re gonna be seeing each other, but it’s still a sad moment.”

“We’ve got the rest of the day together.  Save being sad for when I’m gone.”  She delivered him a sad smile and leaned her forehead against the back of his hand.  With his free hand did he gently graze her cheek with a solitary finger.

“I’ll come visit you during the holidays though!  I have to try all the delicious food in your hometown.”

“Wanting to try out the best food my town has to offer?  Guess I’ll be cooking for you every night then.”  The blonde couldn’t roll her eyes any harder at his gloating.  All she could do was laugh.  His confidence in his cooking only made him all the more attractive to her.  As though he could somehow grow any more alluring. 

“I’ll need to go on a serious diet first so I can eat as much as I want when I’m there though.”  Still committed as ever to her modeling career.  If it made her feel stronger, who was he to oppose?  Seeing her confidence, pride, and radiating smile was greater than any treasure he could steal.  “By the way, um…”  The blonde glanced away rather sheepishly with a tinge of pink to her cheeks.  “A little girl stopped me the other day in Shibuya.  She said she saw me in magazines… and that she wants to be just like me when she grows up.  It felt incredible.”

“Aww, you’ve got fans.”

“Shut up!”  Ann buried her face in her hands rather bashfully, Akira teasing her further by peppering her in kisses.  All this doting upon her was just too much.  At this rate, she’d be a gooey mess by nightfall.

“Seriously, though.  I’m so proud of you.  For everything you’ve done and how far you’ve gotten.”  Now it just felt like he was trying to make her cry.  The blonde could hardly stand it and snapped her mind to focus on what was in her purse before the tears truly broke out.

“That reminds me, this is for you…”  Clutched to her chest was a feminine fashion magazine, well outside of his typical reading wheelhouse.  “It’s a copy of next month’s Vague.  They did a special feature on me.”

“Ah, a collector’s item, I see.  Gotta get my hands on all the Ann merch since I’m your biggest fan.”  Ann shook her head at his playful teasing before handing it over.

“Here’s the part about me,” she said while running her finger over a little pink bookmark that was sticking out.  “I actually talked a little bit about you in the interview, Akira.  And Shiho too.  I wonder if she’ll get around to reading it…”

“Of course, she will.”  Licking the tip of his finger, Akira gently flipped the magazine open with great care.  Not a single page inside could have so much as a single tear.  Sure enough, his shining star was beaming at him in the left-hand corner of the page.  The questions and her answers nearly popped off the page, with his lover discussing the struggles of women in the modeling profession, rivalries, the discipline and respect diet and exercise, and how important it was to support one another.  A long passionate paragraph quoted her discussing Shiho and himself, of how they gave her the strength to keep going and to believe in herself in her darkest moments.  It shook his fragile bleeding heart.  “I knew you could make it, Ann.  Never doubted you for a second.”  She nodded, bashfully rubbing her arm while avoiding eye contact.  There he was turning her to mush again.  So unfair.

“Modeling can be super tough sometimes… but I’m not gonna quit.  I don’t ever wanna just give up and go back to being weak and helpless before.  I need to be strong, not just for Shiho, but for people everywhere.  Oh, and of course… for you.”

“Don’t forget to be strong for yourself too, Ann.  Gotta treat yourself, after all.”  She beamed at him with rosy cheeks and climbed onto his chest, rubbing their noses together.  If anyone saw their affectionate displays, to hell with them.  She was just too swept up in her love for him to care what other people witnessed.

“I can’t wait until we’re back together again.”  She’d start counting the days once he was gone.  Text and call him every night, see what she could do for his birthday.  Perhaps try to get him down for Golden Week to reunite with all of them.  Though she wouldn’t be opposed to just a secret rendezvous with just the two of them.  Regardless of what happened, her love burned too brightly to be snuffed out by time or distance.  “I’m going to be a proper lady someday… just for you.”

“Ann…”  Gingerly did he scoop her cheek in his hand, closing the distance between them as he drew ever closer.  Her lips his prime target.  His words descended into a soft whisper that made her shudder when it caressed her ears.  A blessing bestowed upon just her.  “You already are.  You always have been.  And you always will be.”

The blonde wrapped her arms around him and delivered a passionate little moan as they locked lips.  He held her in his comforting embrace, with Ann clinging to his blazer for dear life.  A slight fear lingering that if she let go for even a second that he might just fade away.  But no.  Akira wasn’t going anywhere until tomorrow.  And if he could help it, he’d never leave at all.

“D-dammit!”  There came the tears.  And she had been holding them back so well too.  It was now just too much to resist, knowing that this would soon be a distant luxury.  “I promised I wasn’t gonna cry!”  Akira leaned in to kiss away her tears, running his thumbs against her soft little cheeks.

“It’s okay,” he soothed her.  “You cry as much as you need to.  I’m still here.  My Panther…”  The blonde blinked away the sadness in her eyes just to behold him.  He was an absolute dream that she had the pleasure to wake up to every day. 

“My Joker~”

* * *

 

_03/20/18 – Monday_

Time to leave.

The day had finally crept upon them.  It had been hard for him to get even a wink of sleep, he had been dreading it.  Yet oddly enough, he didn’t feel tired.  Or even sad about the prospect of having to go.  His head remained held high in the sky with the sun’s warmth beaming onto his face.  He still had one last journey to make with his friends.

“Yoooo!  You over there!”

“Hey, look this way!”

Ryuji and Ann beckoned him over to a metallic van, big enough to hold all of them.  Oddly enough, it resembled Morgana’s vehicular form.  It seemed that they had pulled through with the plan after all.  Rent a van and drive him back home personally, a road trip just like in all the movies. 

“Still up to our usual tricks.”  Akira turned and saw Yusuke standing to his left.  Good to know he wasn’t the only late arrival.  “After we said we’d disband too.  My word.”

“Heh.  Old habits die hard, you know?”  The two boys shared a chuckle before approaching the vehicle.  Half of it was completely on the curb with the other in the street.  Ryuji leaned against the open door while Ann sat in the passenger’s seat, beaming at him with her winning smile.  The two young lovers shared a quick peck upon the lips which earned an amused rolling of the eyes from Ryuji.

“Sorry about the weird parking job,” the blond in question said nonchalantly.  “The engine just died on us right here.”  Akira ruffled the blond’s hair before going to further assess the vehicle.

“Here’s hoping your driving’s better than your parking,” Akira jested.

“No need to worry.”  Makoto sat before the steering wheel with seatbelt still firmly fastened.  “I’m in charge of the wheel.”

“Are you even old enough to drive?”  With that, the student council president averted her eyes sheepishly as the heat began to build itself upon her neck.  “Makoto breaking the law?  Man, you’re living on the edge.”

“Don’t say it out loud!”  She held a finger over her mouth and waved him down.  “If my sister finds out, she’ll never let me live it down!  We just wanted to see you off and spend the last real day together.”  Commendable but it did little to quell the guilt Makoto had surmounting on her back.  As penance, she’d throw herself into her studies twice as hard when they returned home.

“You worry too much,” Ann dismissed.  “You know what you’re doing.  Besides, it’s fun to live on the edge a little.”  The blonde’s attention shifted to the open hatch at the front of the van.  “Hey, Morgana, are you done yet?”  The cat griped and grumbled from inside, still hard at work fiddling with the engine.

“Why the heck am I in charge of the car again?”  His words were barely legible from the parts he held in his maw.  Despite his reservations, he was diligently tending to their ride with his tail wrapped around a screwdriver and a wrench in his open paw.

“You used to be a car,” Futaba said, poking her head out through the open window.  “Shouldn’t you know?”

“That’s not how it works!” the cat protested.  From navigator to healer to escape vehicle to escape vehicle mechanic.  Even without powers, it never truly was a dull moment for them.

“And I thought we were done?” Yusuke jested calmly.  “No more hijinks or daring acts.”

“It’s fine,” Haru assured him from the farthest back seat.  “We’re on break.”

“Exams are done too, right?”  They really had helped Makoto loosen up.  She just hadn’t expected it to this extent.  “Come on, why don’t you let us drive you home.”  As she said it aloud and was surrounded by all the glowing praises from her friends, she began to feel more comfortable about the idea.  Strange for her to be such a rebel.  Or perhaps it wasn’t really, given all she had ventured through.  Perhaps this was just the next logical step.  Within reason.

“You really, really gotta go…?” Futaba begged, leaning upon Akira’s shoulder.  The boy ruffled her orange locks as Ryuji slid into the seat beside him.

“C’mon man.”  The blond nudged his ribs with a taunting grin.  “Nobody’s forcin’ you to leave, y’know.”  Akira gave a content sigh before shrugging.

“I’d love to stay, but I have to go home.  Gotta see my parents and head back to my old life.  Besides, it’s not like I can live in Sojiro’s attic forever, right?”

“He won’t mind!”  The two boys could only laugh at Futaba’s insistence.  Though, Akira mentioning his parents got Ann starting to think.  He avoided speaking much about them, and what little he had revealed a complicated picture.  Her parents absolutely adored him when she and Akira finally worked up the courage to introduce themselves.  They tried to spoil and lavish him with whatever he wanted as though they had known him for years.  He wouldn’t have any of it though being as humble as he was.  Just content to spent time in their presence.  Her man deserved the absolute world so needless to say, she had some degree of contempt in store for Akira’s parents when they met.

“Might be hard to go back to your old life,” Ryuji said.  “Wipin’ your slate clean ain’t so easy.”  The boy rested an arm on the seat behind him and craned his neck back.  “See what I mean?”  Their gazes followed his posturing out through the back window at a black car parked peculiarly behind them.  Sleek and with slightly tinted windows to obscure the occupants inside.  Akira had seen a few of those vehicles at the police station.  Inside were two identical men in black suits, both wearing glasses.  One was on a walkie communicating with someone.

“Pfft,” Akira scoffed with a smirk.  “Feds…”

“Things must be slow these days,” Yusuke commented.

“Don’t mind them,” Makoto dismissed.  Again, something else she couldn’t have imagined herself doing, disregarding government agents tailing them.  “What they think of us doesn’t really matter.”

“Yeah, she’s right.  We can totally do whatever we want to do.”  With Ann’s words did they all turn to face the front.  The agents quickly faded from memory.  Akira was done living his life in fear and agitation because of government mistreatment.  Even if he couldn’t restore his home life, he had them.  And that was all that truly mattered.  It might take a while to get back to them, but it was a journey well worth making.  Their attention snapped to the front of the car with the hood finally closing.  Morgana leaped into the front seat and climbed into Akira’s lap.

“The car’s fixed!  Just had to borrow a plug…”  The satisfied little smirk on his face held a touch of mischievousness to it.  And sure enough, the car started quick as a flash.  The engine hummed at a steady and powerful pace, signaling a smooth little trip ahead of them.

“Nice job!” Makoto commended.  “On the first try!”

“All right, let’s roll!” Ryuji declared with excitement.  Akira leaned back against the seat and watched their would-be tailers at a standstill behind them.  Through the tinted windows could he barely make out the agents bickering at one another.  Seemed like the car had run into some unexpected engine troubles.  An amused little chuckle resonated in his throat from finally getting wise to Morgana’s trick.

“You’re a pretty sly dog for a cat.”  He scratched his furry little friend behind the ears, eliciting a purr.

“Aaanyways, now that we gotcha, we ain’t takin’ you straight home.”  Ryuji’s words drew a curious look from their escort, who wrapped his arm around his head and noogied him.  “What, you think we were just gonna let you go without havin’ fun first?”

“They didn’t say when we _had_ to be there,” Ann teased with a wink.  “Just be there today.  So we figured why not make a day out of it?”

“Beach party!” Futaba declared before reaching down to tickle his ribs.  Between Ryuji’s headlock and Futaba’s tickling, Akira had nowhere to go.  Completely at their mercy.

“No-wait!  Hold on, help!”  The boy burst into a fit of utter laughter as he twisted and jostled in his seat while the two played havoc with him.  “Driving without a license and now taking me hostage?  You guys are crazy!”  Ultimately, he surrendered to their onslaught and went along for the ride.  The more they could put it off, the better.  They weren’t on a deadline, after all.  So why not?

No adults to order them around, no danger from the supernatural or government, or having to worry about school and societal pressures.  Today was just for them.  Makoto drove like a seasoned veteran, attracting not an ounce of attention.  Definitely helped that the police seemed rather absent today.  They found an empty spot of beach out of the way, with beautiful clear water that shimmered in the sun.  Not a soul around for miles.  Food, music, and laughs galore as the teenage heroes had their fun one last time before life had to proceed as normal.  But it wouldn’t be forever.  Eventually, they would reunite.

In the midst of all the raucousness, Ann managed to steal Akira away.  The two secluded themselves on the beach and threw caution to the wind.  Her on top of him, they made out and ran their ocean-kissed bodies upon one another.  Part of Akira had wished it had just been the two of them, fantasizing about a romantic romp on the sand.  One day they would have it.  Perhaps when they eventually returned to Hawaii together as promised.  Though their fun didn’t last too long as they were ultimately caught.  Never had the both of them been as mortified as they were in that moment, the teasing throwing fuel on the fire. 

“Such decadence~” Yusuke declared.

“Guess their favorite drink is sex on the beach!” Futaba teased with a purr.

“We’ve only been here a couple hours!  Come on!” Makoto indignantly lectured.

Worth it.

* * *

 

The fun in the sun was eventually obscured by the setting twilight.  So lost in their youthful endeavors that time slipped through their fingers like the very sands of the beach.  But all things must reach their conclusion and they eventually forced themselves to return Akira home.  Dusk had fallen, and the sun wasn’t even over the horizon anymore.  Just the briefest glimmer of fading orange was visible.

They were all gathered in front of Akira’s front door, the man of the hour hovering his hand over it.  This would be the first time he had seen his parents since April.  Such a nervousness he felt at the prospect of finally reuniting with them after so much and so long.  He had absolutely no idea what to even remotely expect.  No doubt they had been informed about the Shido incident and the resulting fallout.  It would be interesting to see their feelings on everything.  Though he wasn’t in the wrong, Akira still felt nervous about finally confronting them.  Though his attention was stolen away from the door by a gentle hand resting on his forearm.  As expected, it was Ann’s comforting touch that brought him back to reality.  His friends were here.  She was here.  No matter what, all they had together wouldn’t go away.  With that did he finally muster the courage to knock on the door.

Eventually did it open, revealing a lit and cozy interior.  A man stood at the door with scruff along his face, with pale blue eyes that bordered on grey.  Like Akira, he too sported a slender form and a shaggy head of hair, albeit not to the former’s extent.  Clearly had to be his father.  He wore maroon pants with a leather belt and a pink shirt.  The two men locked eyes, staring at one another before the man ultimately smiled.

“Honey,” he leaned into the house and called.  “He’s home.”  The woman in question poked her head around and the corner and smiled.  She wore a sharper, more angular face and stared at the little crowd with dark brown eyes.  Before those eyes was a pair of rectangular eyeglasses.  A dead giveaway that it was none other than Akira’s mother.  And like her son, she seemed to share a love for the color black as evident by her pants and turtleneck sweater.  Her hair was a beige that descended all the way down her back. 

“H-hi, Mom… Hi, Dad….”  The two exchanged a look of both melancholy and relief before coming to embrace their son.

“Welcome back, dear,” the mother said, scratching Akira’s mane like a dog.

“Good to have you home, champ.”  Akira’s stiffness eventually faded as he allowed himself to hug them.  A wave of relief washed over him from their touch and words.  The others stood behind with smiles, save for Ann who looked rather perplexed.  They were rather affectionate, and Akira’s body language showed no hesitation.  But the blonde was still unsure of what to make of them.  This didn’t look like an act, but they had seen people willing to defend others’ misconduct firsthand with Yusuke and Madarame.  “These all your friends, son?”

“Yes, sir.”  His tone radiated enthusiasm and eagerness.  It somewhat put Ann’s wary heart at ease upon seeing him look back towards them.  “My best friends in the world.”

“Sup.  I’m Ryuji Sakamoto.”  The blond offered his best winning grin, and it seemed to work as both parents shook his hand.

“Good firm handshake,” the father commended.  “Like him already.”  Ryuji beamed with pride at his approval.

“Ryuji, where are your manners?”  The student council president pinched her brow, shaking her head.  “Forgive him.  He’s excitable.  My name is Makoto Niijima, third-year and student council president of Shujin Academy.  Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. and Mrs. Kurusu.”  Akira’s mother smiled and let out a slight laugh as she bowed.

“So polite.”

“Relax, guys,” Akira’s dad said with a wave of his hand.  “You don’t have to be so formal with us.  It’s not a job interview.”

“I’m Yusuke Kitagawa,” the artist said, sliding forward with a large item wrapped and tucked beneath his arm.  “Formal pupil of Madarame.  This is for you.”

“You brought gifts?” Akira asked as his mother took the large rectangular present.  The artist gave an astute nod, accompanied by a satisfied smile when they unwrapped it to behold its content.

“Oh my!” Mrs. Kurusu declared.  It was none other than Sayuri, adorned with an immaculate golden frame.  “It’s wonderful!”

“It’s a replica of the original my mother had created.  I painstakingly duplicated it from scratch as a greeting for you.”  He had spent the last remaining month before Akira was set to return home recreating his most prized possession as an offering.  Akira’s mom delicately returned inside to place it upon the counter with the utmost poise.

“Heh.  How much I owe you?” Akira’s dad asked with a chuckle.  The artist laughed in return before waving his hand dismissively.

“Nonsense.  It was my pleasure.”  Behind him did Futaba nervously steeple her fingers.  First impressions were key, after all.  And she had to make the best she could with Akira’s parents.

“Um…”  Eventually did she force herself to the front, gulping as she eventually worked up the courage to maintain eye contact.  “I’m Futaba Sakura.  N-nice to meet you…”

“Oh, yes!  You’re Sojiro’s daughter!”

“So she _is_ real.”

“I am Haru Okumura, Mr. and Mrs. Kurusu.  You have a very lovely home.”  Upon introducing herself did both parents do a double take.

“Are you related to _the_ Okumura?” Akira’s mother asked, to which Haru gave a calm nod.

“I’ll be damned,” his father said.  “We have celebrities visiting, and I’m so underdressed.”  Haru held a hand to her mouth to cover the bashful smile forced upon it.

“Kurusu-san, you’re so pretty.”  His mother now sported a bashful smile of her own from Haru’s words, cupping her mouth while Akira’s father rolled her eyes in amusement at her silly display.  One by one had they gone down the lineup until Ann was all that remained.  Slowly did Akira walk back in her direction to take his place by her side.

“And this is Ann Takamaki.  She’s my…”  Even with the third time having to confess such intimate knowledge, it somehow still wasn’t easier.  Especially when it was his own parents.  The wind had been taken out of introducing himself to Ann’s parents since they essentially already knew about their status in advance.  Sensing his cold feet, Ann gingerly took hold of his hand and smiled.  Her warmth radiating over him calmed the tenseness he felt and allowed him to face his parents.  “She’s my girlfriend.”

Both their jaws dropped, and they exchanged glances multiple times before looking at them in full.

“Get sent off for a year and come back with a girl.”  His father shook his head and laughed.  “My son is full of surprises.”  His mother clasped her hands and felt giddy butterflies spring up in her chest.

“I wasn’t prepared for this news!  Oh, this is great!  I have to tell everyone-oh, we are so unprepared.  Please come on in!  Pardon us, the house is an utter mess!”  As they funneled in, they found the house to be in rather immaculate condition.  Not a single spot to be seen.  Whatever disorganization Akira’s mom found with the house clearly had to be at the microscopic level.  “Please, sit and make yourselves comfortable!”  The woman ventured into the kitchen and fretted with her husband.  “And we haven’t started cooking either.”  At her words did a lightbulb go off in Akira’s head.  What a perfect opportunity to get comfortable.

“Can I cook, Mom?” he asked.

“Oh, you just got home, dear.  Why not sit and relax?”

“But I wanna cook.  I can make something for all of us.”  She clasped her hands and looked out from the kitchen at all of his friends with concern.

“You kids can stay for dinner, can you?”  The unanimous confirmations and praises of Akira’s cooking were all the convincing she needed.  So his mother graciously let him take the wheel, and his parents watched him work his trademark magic in the kitchen.  When asked if he needed help, they were dismissed so Akira could hyperfocus on his task.  Leaving ample time for them all to talk to one another.  Akira’s mother was quite the jitterbug, peppering each and every one of them with so many questions.  Were it not for her jovial and curious tone, it would’ve felt almost like an interrogation.  She tried to give equal attention to everyone, but she always gravitated back towards Ann for obvious reasons.

As they conversed, Ann gradually began to warm up to them.  Akira’s mother was a businesswoman while his father worked as a computer programmer.  He and Futaba clicked near immediately when the subject of tech was brought up.  It was strange that they had been as cold as Akira described.  People could change, especially in a year’s time.  Though this inconsistency still ate away at the back of her mind.  Though such doubts would have to wait as Akira pulled everything off the stove and served a meal fit for kings.  A big pasta dinner adorned with meats, cheeses, and chopped vegetables served with a rich red sauce.  Akira had gotten much quicker at his preparation without sacrificing the quality of his craft.  As expected, Ann was blown away by his cooking.  His parents shared equal enthusiasm as they treated themselves.

“Hard to believe you put this together with what we had in the kitchen,” his mother commended.  Seeing Akira smile at her doting caused Ann to beam with pride herself.

“He cooks for me all the time,” she said, cradling her arm.  His parents were swept up in their affection and doted on them further.

“That’s my boy,” his father said with a firm nod of acknowledgment.

“Maybe you could learn a thing or two from him,” his mother teased, earning a hearty laugh from her husband in turn.  The atmosphere was incredibly pleasant with his parents treating them all like family.  Seeing his parents in action painted a complete picture of how Akira was who he was, physically and personality wise.  They could’ve gone on all night, but all things had to come to an end some time or another.  The lot of them all chipped in to help clean up the kitchen, much to Mrs. Kurusu’s delight.  Ryuji was an absolute peach to her on account of being sympathetic to moms in particular.  They said their goodbyes to his parents before they took the long march back to the car.  Their legs felt heavy with each footstep and not because of the hefty meal prepared.  The threshold was right before them. 

“Well… it’s time,” Futaba said as she gloomily beheld the van.  They stood in the darkness of the night, none of them willing to get in first.

“Parting truly is such sweet sorrow,” Yusuke mused forlornly in that otherworldly way he often did.  Akira would definitely miss his eccentricities.

“Your parents were really nice, Akira,” Haru said with a smile.  “Your mom is so pretty.”

“Yeah,” Ryuji agreed before sporting his most teasing grin imaginable.  “Pretty _lookin_ ’.”  Akira shot him a look of contempt that riled up a cackle from the blond.

“Yeah, she’s a total MILF.”  Akira spun around and stared holes through Futaba and her smug little smile.  “Not to mention, your dad is really-“

“It is very important to me that you never finish that statement _ever_.”  Akira held a solitary finger over her lips to silence her.  “Neither one of you are allowed over at my house anymore.”  The both of them laughed and tackled him, nudging his ribs and hugging him tightly.

“It’s gonna get lonely at Leblanc without you…”  Futaba’s voice grew quiet as she nuzzled into him.  Not wanting to let go.  “Sojiro’s gonna miss you a lot.”

“I’m gonna miss that old bastard too,” Akira said before ruffling her orange hair.  “And you as well.  You’ll take care of him too, right?”

“Of course!”  She stared up at him with such determination.  Having to be comfortable without him around.  Even despite her apparent progress during their training in Akihabara, it still didn’t sit well.  She’d have time to get used to it now, much to her reluctance.

“We’ll make sure he don’t get bored,” Ryuji said with that assured tone in his voice.  Always the one to keep his head up high.  Sometimes too up in the clouds but he had the spirit.

“I’m holding you to that.”  The two shook hands like seasoned veterans.  “Make sure he doesn’t throw his back out or anything.”  Ryuji grinned and ruffled his shaggy mane in response.

“You ever need anything, we’ll come runnin’, okay?  No matter what it takes.”  Akira merely nodded, prompting Ryuji to finally climb into the vehicle.  The artist stood at his side with a content little smile.

“I hope you hang my copy of Sayuri up somewhere prominent in the household.  So you can always remember us.”

“Heh.  How could I ever forget?”  Yusuke chuckled and bowed out, leading the way for Futaba and himself into the car.

“This is not goodbye,” the artist assured him.  “Just a temporary sabbatical.  We will meet again sooner than we expect.”  Yusuke tapped a finger to his brow and sported his best knowing smirk.  “Call it an artist’s intuition.”  Next to sign off with him was Haru.

“We never talked to them about Mona-chan.”  On cue, the cat popped out of the bag and leaned on his shoulder.

“You sure they’ll agree to keep him?” Yusuke asked with concern.  The cat dismissively waved a paw at him.

“Have a little faith,” Morgana assured them nonchalantly.  “We made it this far.  Let us take care of it.”

“Hope you can get used to shittin’ in a litter box,” Ryuji teased while sticking his head out the window.  He wore a big teasing grin on his blond little head.

“It won’t smell any different from your room,” the cat retorted with a smug little laugh.  Haru gently scratched the cat behind the ears before administering a hug to the both of them.  Her hair was just as soft as Ann’s but significantly fluffier.  Almost like a soft sheep.

“I miss the both of you already.  Please take care of each other, okay?”

“Of course,” Akira assured her.

“Well, someone has to.”  Akira playfully flicked Morgana’s ear, earning a giggle from Haru.  Next in line was Makoto in terms of hugs.  She felt rather awkward given his status with Ann and her own personal unresolved feelings.  But Akira returning her embrace alleviated said feelings and allowed her to hug him proper.

“Once you know your schedule, we can plan an itinerary for us all to meet up.  We can come here to pick you up or visit.  And you’d best keep up your studies.  I may not be there, but I don’t want you slacking off.”  Akira rolled his eyes at her teasing lecture.  Old habits really did die hard.

“Weren’t you the one who told us we were on break?”  She let out an amused laugh and entered to start the car up.  Leaving him with one last person to part ways with.

“So this… really is it, huh?”  She wrung her hands nervously while standing before him in the dark.  To prevent fidgeting, Akira shelved his into his pockets.  Though it did little to quell the butterflies.

“Well, it’s not… _it_ it, you know?”  Ann nodded before swiftly tending to her eye with her wrist.  No matter what, she would’ve been wholly unprepared for this moment when it came.  But she was doing her absolute best to keep it together.  Not cry in front of him, at least.  No way could she keep it all in through the whole car ride.  She’d explode if she even attempted it.

“I know,” she sniffled before leaning into him.  Akira cradled her in his arms, leaning his cheek against her golden locks for comfort.  He would miss the softness and her strawberry scent more than he’d know.  “Shujin’s not gonna be the same without you.  I’m gonna visit as often as I can, okay?  And you better too!”

“Of course,” he said with a laugh as she took hold of his blazer.  Her forehead rested against his chest, feeling his soft little heartbeat.  Coconut and coffee.  She’d have to resort to mixing the both of them to make it feel like he was still there.  Not as good as the real thing though.  Him.  “We’re gonna see each other again.  I’ll call and text you every night.  Fall asleep on the phone with you.”  She wiped her eyes and nodded.

“That would be wonderful.”  The blonde took Morgana in her arms and cradled him.  “I’m gonna miss you too, you know.”  The cat pawed at her dampened cheeks.

“Don’t cry, Lady Ann.  This isn’t goodbye.  Not for good.”  She gently pecked his pink little nose with her own before handing him off back to Akira.  “No matter where we go or how far we are, we’ll eventually come back to each other.  We’re a family.”  The blonde merely nodded at his words, the cat sliding back into Akira’s satchel.  “And don’t worry about him.  I’ll protect Akira.”

“I feel my worries fading away,” she jested, wrapping her arms around Akira’s neck.  He took hold of her waist and leaned his head against hers.  The both of them were content to just stand in the darkness, in one another’s touch for as long as they could.  What any of them wouldn’t have given to just let this moment last forever.  “I want you to keep doing your best even if I’m not here, alright?  Never stop being the person you are.”  She wiped her eyes once again as it became increasingly more difficult to hold back the tears.  “I know you don’t need me to tell you that, but…”

“I like to hear it.  You bring out the best in me, Ann.”  She leaned into the small of his neck while he held her closer.  Squeezing her with all his worth to keep that feeling alive in him after her departure.  “You do the same too.  Be someone you can be proud of.”  The blonde nodded and sniffled, trying her back to quell the pain.  Each tear felt like her wall was being torn apart in chunks.  “I miss you already, Ann.  I… I love you.  I love you so much.”

“I… I love you too… Forever.”  Slowly did she force herself away, inch by inch.  Holding his hand until their fingertips were grazing, then ultimately letting go.  She entered the van the leaned on the window to watch him.  Morgana leaned on his shoulder and waved them away.  Ann held a hand to the glass as Akira waved too, the car firing up and departing down the road.  He followed it without even blinking until it finally vanished out of sight.  Even then, he still stood on the street corner just to hear the engine fade out into the distance.  Then silence was all that greeted him.  And a weary sigh left his body.

“Looks like it’s just us…”  He lifted his glasses to wipe away a solitary tear on his cheek.  Somehow it had managed to slip out while he said his goodbyes to Ann.  “It’s gonna take some getting used to here.  The rules are different.”

“I have you.  That’s all that matters.”  As though his heart wasn’t bleeding enough already, Morgana’s words had him choke up a little.  With nothing left to hold him back, he entered the familiar home once again.  His parents were waiting inside, offering their content but solemn little smiles.

“They’re gone.”  The cat remained tucked inside Akira’s bag and awaited the right time to discuss his presence.  Now with the others gone, he could properly assess the situation at hand.

“You’ll see them again, champ,” his dad said.  Akira merely nodded in acknowledgment.  The two parents exchanged looks before turning back to look at him.  From the looks on their faces, something was amiss.  “Son… can we talk?”

“…Sure.  What about?”  Again, did they defer to one another for direction.  It wasn’t like them to be so hesitant, especially his mother.  Ordinarily, she was the most direct of the family, opting to cut through the ambiguity in order to get into the real heart of the matter.  Hence why she was such a good businesswoman.

“You… wanna have a seat?” his father asked.  The boy obliged his request and sat opposite of them on the couch.  Mr. Kurusu sat on the footrest of the chair while the mother sat on the sofa.  “So needless to say, it’s… been a long time since we’ve talked.  At all.  About anything, really.”  Akira simply nodded.  It was technically a true statement, though he wasn’t quite sure as to where it was headed.  For a third time did his parents exchange glances.  Whatever this was, it had weighed on their minds something heavy for the longest time.  “We heard about… about your case.  Shido, the framing, your record being cleared.  We’re very glad to see the law been made right by you…”  A hefty sigh escaped the older gentleman.  Akira could see him wrestling with his words, the strife prominent on his face.  “But we feel _we_ haven’t done right by you.”

“When your father and I got the news, we really had to reconsider how we acted.  As parents.”  His mother removed her glasses and fiddled with the temples.  “We sided with the police against our own son.  Didn’t even bother to hear you out, and…”  Now she was the one sighing, having inherited the mantle from his father.  “We didn’t put our best foot forward that day.”

“You don’t… have to say anything, Mom…”

“No, son.”  His father held up a hand and shook his head.  “This needs to be said, and it needs to be said now.”  Seeing his parents be forced to confront these issues made him see just where he got all his quirks and anxious behaviors from.  The sighing, the fidgeting, the gulping of knots forming in the throat.  “Your mother and I can’t… put to words how sorry we are.  How wrong we were.  We just…”  The older man held a hand to his mouth and rendered himself to silence.  It lingered there for a few seconds before he shook his head.  “There’s not really a good excuse we could offer.”

“We were in a bad spot in our lives when we lashed out in such a way,” his mother picked up.  “Financial struggles and stress from work.  But that’s no excuse for how we treated you.  I can’t…”  She paused to collect herself, wiping at an eye from beneath her frames.  “I can never forgive myself for how I treated you, and I’m so sorry…”

“Mom, it’s…”  This was incredibly conflicting for him.  How badly had he wanted this apology for being wronged by them for a year.  But to finally get it felt wrong.  He didn’t want to see them upset but to merely clear his name in their eyes.  “It’s fine, I mean…”

“It’s not.”  His father absolutely bore no quarter.  He wouldn’t have it, not by a long shot.  “We made a huge mistake in lashing out at you, refusing to hear your side of the story, and putting up a wall between us for a year.  You have every right to be upset.”  Their son licked his dried lips and mulled over their words.  It had been too idealistic to believe they could sweep all this under the rug and continue a normal life again.  Just a quick apology and to move on for the better was all he wanted.

“Well, I…”  Now he was the one pausing to collect his thoughts.  Tonight, they were taking turns with their nervous tics.  Akira just wanted to be a family again and start his old life over again.  But even so, how all this had started off ate away at him.  And probably would for the rest of his life.  He wanted to finally confront what had been haunting him since last year.  “I’m not happy about it.  And I… I don’t know if I can ever forgive you.”  His mother pursed her lips in pain, nodding.  It hurt, but she let him get all the truth out in the air.  Let him know how he truly felt and give him the voice she had previously denied him.  “But I’m glad to be home.  I missed you, and I still love you.  I always will.”

“…Come here.”  She rose from her seat and embraced her son.  His father wasn’t far behind as he took both of them in his arms.  It was too much for the older woman, and she felt the tears flood out proper.  “I’m so sorry, Akira.  I’ll never forget this, I swear.  You’re a good son.”  Now Akira was the one to feel the waterworks coming on.  As though his friends’ departure hadn’t wounded him enough tonight.

“Son, your mom and I will do whatever it takes to make this up to you.  Anything you want, just ask.  Take you anywhere in the world, take off school until the end of summer break.  You name it.”  Akira rested comfortably in their embrace and mulled over his father’s words.  No material consumerist goods could mend the pain they had caused him.  Nothing ever truly could.  Really, he wanted nothing that extravagant from them.

“I just want us to be more like a family again.  How we used to be…”  Becoming a teenager had signaled a lot of changes in his life.  Being a child had brought him much happier memories with his parents.  Simpler times before time, age, and debt had chiseled away at them.  “I want us to have a homecooked meal.  Have dinner together at least once a week, and I wanna cook it.”

“Of course.”

“That would be lovely.  I never knew how good a cook you were.  We can make some dishes together!  Help me bake just like how me and Grandma used to.”

“…I’d like that.”  Learning the art of baked goods.  His mother had done that often when he was a little boy.  For the life of him, he couldn’t remember the last time he had a homebaked treat in the house.  They could have something to share, and he could use his knowledge to further woo Ann when they eventually reunited.  “And… I wanna go somewhere.  A family vacation.  Just us three like we used to every summer when I was little.”

“Anywhere you want,” his father told him.  Riding go-karts, kayaking, riding the waves, exotic seafood, deep sea fishing.  So many fun memories and stories he had made when he was younger.  And for the longest time, they had felt like dreams.  “It’s true that your mother and I are both workaholics.  Maybe a vacation will be good for us.  Good to get out of this town for a while.”

“You can cook anything you want every night, dear.”  This was what he wanted.  A chance to see them smile and be a family again, before age and societal pressure had worn them down.  Feel them laugh and bond again.  It had been years since they had fostered such a connection.

“…And I want a pet.”  Since they wanted to make amends, here he could give Morgana his in.  He felt their bodies shake from laughing to themselves.

“Sure thing, dear,” his mother said.  “What kind of pet would you like?”

“I actually kind of already picked one out.”  A soft meow stole their attention away, the three of them turning towards the couch to see a little black cat poking its head out of the satchel.

“You brought one home,” his mother said with a smile, tentatively approaching the cat.  Morgana raised his head and gingerly accepted the chin scratches she generously provided.  “She’s so cute.”

“It’s a he,” Akira corrected.  “His name is Morgana.”  The cat in question beamed at Akira’s stepping in.

“A cat, huh…”  His father scratched the back of his head.  “I’m more of a dog person myself.  But since you already named it… well, I guess we’ll have to get cat food then.”

“We’ll need a scratching post too,” his mother started.  “Perhaps a little pet door for him to go outside and do his business.  Or would he need a litter box?”  Morgana wrinkled his nose at the prospect of having to do his business in some sand.  It was most undignified for a being of his stature, at least according to his ego.  Plus, Akira would never let him live it down.

With his ace in the hole, Akira felt himself starting to relax.  They sat back down and let Akira discuss his year in Tokyo.  How he met his friends, all the things that had transpired.  Granted, he made sure to leave out the Phantom Thief bits.  Unfortunate as those were the most exciting story parts.  But he captivated his parents with all the backstories his friends and allies had.  They were enthralled, invested, even enraged.  Especially when they got to the part of his subsequent arrest.

“That goddamn bastard Shido,” his father grumbled, leaning back in his seat and folding his arms.  “Picking on _my_ son like that.  He better hope he never leaves jail…”

“And to think I voted for his party…”  His mother scoffed, her hair tossing about from her shaking her head.  “I’ll never forgive myself for supporting him.  When we heard you were arrested, I nearly had a heart attack.”

“That took real courage to stand up against him, son.  I’m very proud of you.”

“I wasn’t alone.  I had really good friends…”  Their conversation continued well into midnight.  And there was still so much more to say, but they decided to wait until morning.  His mother promised him a big breakfast when he woke up.  Just like the ones she used to make when they were on vacation.  Little steps to help mend the gap between them to show they cared.  It would be a long journey ahead of them, but it was one well worth making.

“Goodnight, Mom.  Night, Dad.  Love you.”

“Love you, son.”

“Love you too, dear!”

His old room.  Looked barely touched though his mother had taken care to dust it.  A neat freak through and through.  Aside from that, it looked the same as when he had left.  The swimming trophies and medals on his desk looked so foreign to him now.  Like they belonged to someone else.  When he eventually returned to school, would he be able to even rejoin the team?  His record was technically clear, but who could say with accuracy?  Seeing all the old faces having turned against him would be strange.  Especially in a class with no Mishima, no Kawakami.  No Ann.  Perhaps he could smuggle Morgana into school like he did at Shujin.  Though it would be hard to fool his parents with Morgana’s absence.

But those were questions for another time.  He placed his suitcase on the floor and changed into his pajamas.  Everything else could be put back later.  Much later.  Now he just wanted rest.  As he snuggled into bed and kicked on the fan, he opened his phone to read something.

**_Ann: Everything okay?_ **

**_Akira: Yeah.  I had a long talk with my parents._ **

**_Ann: What did they say?_ **

**_Akira: They were really sorry for not believing me and siding with Shido._ **

**_Ann: Damn right they are._ **

**_Akira: Cut them some slack.  I don’t wanna hold any grudges._ **

**_Ann: That might be hard to.  They seem like nice people, but the way they treated you pisses me off._ **

**_Akira: I’m not happy with it either.  But they apologized and they want to try and make it right.  I want to give them a chance.  We’re gonna cook and go on vacation together.  Spend some family time with just us like we used to._ **

**_Ann: That’s great!  Hope you can take Morgana too!_ **

**_Akira: I’ll convince them. :P You guys home yet?_ **

**_Ann: Almost.  We’ll be home in half an hour._ **

**_Akira: How’s everyone else?_ **

**_Ann: We’re all a little sad.  We miss you.  And we’re very tired._ **

**_Akira: Me too.  You want me to stay up until you get home so we can talk?_ **

**_Ann:  Nah, you go ahead and sleep.  You need it._ **

**_Akira: Gotcha.  Goodnight.  Love you <3_ **

**_Ann: Love you too, baby~_ **

“Tell her I said goodnight too!”

**_Akira: Morgana says “goodnight too.”_ **

**_Ann: LOL! Night, Morgana! <3_ **

“She’s so kind…”

“That’s my girl…”  He plugged in his phone and nestled into the pillows.  It was strange to finally sleep in this bed again.  Way softer than his old bed yet somehow not as comfortable.  Guess it was nerves from being away from home for so long.  Missing her and the anxiety of starting his life over again made him restless, the young boy staring up into the darkness.  To let his mind wander, Akira stared out the window to observe the street lights.  “There’s a lot I’m gonna have to get used to.  You too.  I’m gonna miss her so much.”

“Are you worried?”

“About what?”

“Being in a long-distance relationship.”  Truth be told, it hadn’t fully sunken in yet until this would be their modus operandi until further notice.  No hugs, kisses, or physical touch whatsoever.  All they had was their phones.  They often texted one another – pretty much every day – but the physical was still there.  Whenever they wanted, they could run to one another and feel each other’s warmth.  To know they were real.  Now things felt so artificial and cold.  Distant.  Which made sense considering they physically were distant from one another.  They had been each other’s firsts.  First kiss, first romantic partner, first sexual partner.  So much history was behind them, it was unbelievable.  To know that all of that was out of his hands now.  It scared him.

“I hate to admit it, but I am…”

“Don’t be.”  He looked at the cat for clarification.  What he found on Morgana’s face was nothing but pure absolution.  A hundred percent total unwavering conviction in his words.  “You’re worth it.  You two will make it work as long as you keep believing.  They say long-distance relationships don’t work out, but you guys will.  I know it deep in my heart.”  Akira couldn’t fight the smile on relief on his face from the cat’s words.  He truly was the heart of this team.  There was no one else he was prouder to call a brother.  His brother.

“Thanks, Morgana.  Welcome home…”


	60. Epilogue - With the Stars and Us

Times change, people come and go, families wither and grow, orders rise and fall.  The winds of change blow seemingly without direction, guided either by the hand of man or the chaos of nature.  But all are affected by the ripples caused.  A single drop can change the motion of the ocean for good or for ill.  Power and influence can make or break people depending on how it is used.  Tragedy can give birth to triumph.  Comedy to corruption, romance to rage, sorrow to soaring high.  The world is a great stage with its people players, whether a play or a game of chess.  It is the same and yet varies in multitudes of ways, the likes of which cannot be fathomed by mortal man.

With just a single flap of a butterfly’s wings, all things can change.  Despite being made of stone, the foundation of the world is not set in it.  What is and what can be can be rewritten.  The will of rebellion and the strength to resist apathy and avarice within the heart.  It is what makes man as strong as he is.  What allows him to rise from the ashes of tragedy and recover, lifting up others with him.  Even obtaining his own happiness, which in turn can lead that happiness to others. 

Fate is so often described as a two-sided coin.  A simplistic notion, as it is more akin to a twenty-sided die.  Varying outcomes, high and low rolls.  A gamble like all things in life, but it is a gamble worth taking. 

A Fool’s gamble.  What is great about a Fool is that he has nothing to lose.  Often misinterpreted as having no value.  Such a thing could not be further from the truth.  A Fool doesn’t not have value for it has zero value.  Zero, a number of infinity.  With zero value, everything is valuable.  Not constrained by limitations, the path of the Fool is open to every and any path.  The freedom to wander, to be what he wishes, and to make his own path.  Salvation or damnation.  And through the Fool were many ordained with the very salvation and freedom they pined for or once believed they held when it was merely an illusion.  Ironic to the general populace, the Fool is actually the wisest.  Sight beyond sight, might beyond might.  With zero comes infinity, and as the Fool, the gifts of freedom and courage can be dispersed to infinite peoples.

All who had walked alongside the Fool’s path or within his shadow have that freedom and courage.  Forevermore.

Toranosuke Yoshida took it upon himself to run for Prime Minister after Masayoshi Shido’s arrest, winning unchallenged.  Despite his easy victory, Yoshida tasked himself with vigorous and backbreaking reforms to undo the corruption Shido had instilled in place.  The police, prosecution, and incarceration systems were drastically overhauled.  To combat apathy and disillusionment, Yoshida challenged unfair and choking work environments that stifled employee rights and freedoms.  Yoshida combated the oppressive workaholic establishment put forth in order to give the working family a chance to be a family, to achieve their own happiness and mental stability.  These reforms started hitting the country in such a short amount of time, able to get as much traction as they did without interference since the memory of the Phantom Thieves lingered.  Yoshida was lauded overwhelmingly by the populace, the people going from chanting “No-Good Tora” to “Hurrah for Tora!”

Sadayo Kawakami became the face of Shujin Academy, pouring herself into the betterment of student livelihood, mental health, and grades.  Her school became the new standard for establishments everywhere, and she the focus as a role model in the workforce for aspiring women everywhere.  For her outstanding dedication to her students, she was bestowed one of the highest prestigious teaching awards in the country.

Tae Takemi won the Japan Medical Research and Development award for her medical breakthrough, her research and clinical trials not only curing Miwa-chan of her affliction but being a springboard for various other disease cures and countermeasures to potentially be found.  She had been offered several lucrative positions at various hospitals, universities, and laboratories, but she turned them all down in favor of keeping her practice in Yongen-Jaya to be closer to the common man.  She was ruthlessly effective in diagnosing her patients and getting them the medical aid they needed then and now.  It quickly made her a local hero among the populace.  Though the real victory came in the form of Miwa-chan visiting her and delivering her just reward: the trademark winning smile.

Munehisa Iwai, despite no longer being of the Yakuza, used his connections to clean up the streets and make them a safer place.  A few sycophants of Kaneshiro, Shido, and Okumura had lingered about here and there, but they were quickly corrected.  He wanted to leave a safe and orderly Tokyo for his son Kaoru, who would soon be on his way to entering Shujin Academy after passing his entrance exams with flying colors.  Inspired by the example of a certain young man…

Ichiko Ohya won an award for her in-depth coverage of the Shido incident, the resulting fallout, and for her advanced coverage of the Phantom Thieves.  Despite being offered illustrious positions with more money and more opportunity, she ultimately chose to stay independent and avoid the trappings of commercial influence.  As a result, she became the most trusted journalist in the entire country for her dedication, thorough work, and lack of internal interference.  True satisfaction didn’t come until she received the call that Kayo Murakami had finally been released.  Shaky and in need of some care but still very much alive.  The two of them became roommates just like the old days and caught up, Ohya helping her best friend back onto her feet. 

Chihaya Mifune continued her job as a fortune teller, helping guide along the lost and those in need of advice.  She would read the fortunes and offer guidance to those wanting to change their fate or improve it.  Her generosity and goodwill towards others turned to fortune as people would give her generous tips and donations, allowing her to achieve a cozier and more comfortable living space.  She became a sort of minor celebrity around town, even helping turn the Assembly of Divine Power around into a charity and research center for gifted individuals who shared Chihaya’s powers.  Chihaya took on the role of teacher and guide for a new generation, making their powers less scary and teaching how to use them for good and benefit.

Sae Niijima retired from the police force and shifted to becoming a defense attorney as she had promised before.  Her keen and selective eye allowed her to truly diagnose a person’s character and see who truly was innocent and needed defending versus those who were in fact guilty.  She was ruthlessly effective in protecting her clients and exposed the truth from the deceit and subjectivity with cutthroat efficiency.  Many who would’ve been buried by lies and corruption were spared and given a second chance at life thanks to her.  Also because of her speaking out about the internal corruption, the police force and SIU were massively overhauled and clean out from within.

Sojiro Sakura continued to live his quiet mild-mannered life at Leblanc, furthering his craft and making more money than he could have imagined.  His little coffee store always managed to stay consistently busy, and yet it also retained that quiet atmosphere he had appreciated.  Never overpacked with people or overly noisy.  The perfect opportunity to spend more time with Futaba and make up for the years she had spent isolated in depression.  To be the father he always wanted.

Hifumi Togo became the number one shogi player in the nation, the right way.  No cheating or sleights-of-hand tricks, even a few losses here and there.  But through good old-fashioned tenacity.  Because of her change of heart, her mother had softened tremendously and treated her daughter as an actual person, not a vessel to live through.  Slowly did they begin to heal their strained relationship, even sporting a friendly rivalry through shogi.

Shinya Oda used the newfound strength discovered within to become a positive influence around his school, acting as an older brother and protector against bullying just like how Akira was for him.  He had become quite popular for his gaming prowess and even began making an official gaming channel online, dedicated to tips and tricks and easter eggs.  His positive and kind nature, as well as his skill, made him a rising superstar in the online world, one of the youngest newcomers yet.  Streaming donations and prize money won from tournaments were used to help his mother Hanae, who began to take an active and supportive interest in her son’s hobby.  Their relationship began to heal at a much faster rate.

Yuuki Mishima proceeded with his documentary on the Phantom Thieves, releasing it to the public.  Despite being made by a high school student, the production quality was quite sound, almost professional level.  It garnered lots of local attention, and Mishima even switched from volleyball to running the video club.  As a result, he swiftly became popular around school, and he used the funds made off the documentary to fund his club and provide equipment.  The boy was even consulted to help redesign Shujin’s website, even getting to personally be in charge of the video club’s section.  His web design expertise ended up landing him an internship for when he eventually graduated.

Shiho Suzui worked to organize a union at her school focused on reaching out to teenagers who were the subject of abuse, both men and women.  Her bravery and influence spread to other schools, reaching even back to Shujin to create a network dedicated to healing, spreading awareness, recovery, and friendship.  She even went back to playing volleyball, eventually becoming the team captain through all her hard work.

Goro Akechi still retained his title as Detective Prince, posthumously receiving an award for his bravery and service in the Shido investigation.  Naoto Shirogane herself came to present it.  The true nature of his involvement was kept secret, the boy remembered as a hero and victim of circumstance rather than a contributor.  Just as Akira had wanted.  A private funeral was held for him despite having no body to bury.  One last courtesy extended to him for his last-minute redemption.

Haru Okumura was instrumental in helping her father’s company reform itself, onto a better and more ethical path from before.  It would be years before Okumura Foods’ reputation could ever be fully cleaned, but they were on the right path.  In combination with attending her university after graduation and helping spearhead the coffee shop front, she began to work at Leblanc under Sojiro as an apprentice to truly hone her craft.  The old man was blown away by her progress, rivaling that of Akira’s and even his own.  Best of all, Sugimura was nowhere to be seen, completely iced from the company completely.

Futaba Sakura began to attend Shujin Academy with her friends, further strengthening her bond and helping curve her social anxiety.  Though she hadn’t fully gotten used to Akira’s absence in her life, she used the courage he had to help strengthen herself.  The girl had managed to become strangely popular around the school, much to her confusion.  She and Kana-chan hung out on the weekends as often as they could to help recapture the lost time.

Makoto Niijima graduated from Shujin Academy and followed in her father’s footsteps to become a police commissioner.  Sae became a tutor for her outside of college in order to help guide her on the path to becoming a proper law enforcement agent, to reform the system and not be swept up in the apathy as well as corruption that had taken her.  Both sisters came to support and learn from one another in their journeys to advance their careers.

Yusuke Kitagawa elevated himself from starving artist to moderately well-off through his craft, now able to eat as much as he pleased through selling his artworks to the populace.  He had even been asked to autograph a few as well as became a major figurehead in Kosei High School’s art department, teaching and helping mold a new generation of aspiring artists.  Many had attempted to hire or privately fund the artist, but he turned them down in favor of remaining independent to avoid the ill will that Madarame had fallen under.  Currently, he opted to pursue being a mangaka after some influence from Futaba.

Ryuji Sakamoto eventually overcame his limp entirely, able to run just as fast as he could before Kamoshida’s abuse.  There were times when he wanted to return to the track team, but each time he resisted, instead opting to train himself and help his mother around the house.  Though, he wasn’t completely uninvolved as he became a surrogate coach and unofficial athletic trainer for the new members of the team.  He felt purpose in being able to guide them as well as instill a sense of toughness and pride within them.

Mr. and Mrs. Kurusu kept to their word and became more involved in their son’s life.  Cooking in the kitchen every week as a family, with the wife even taking up gardening again after so many years.  They slowed their workaholic lifestyle down to allocate more time to their only child.  Slowly the rift began to heal, and they even regained a lost spark to their marriage.  More affectionate and touchy-feely around the house.  When on vacation at the beach, they felt a decade younger, like the old days had been recaptured.

Though the real question is what became of Akira Kurusu and Ann Takamaki?  The two teenagers turned Phantom Thieves turned lovers.  The Joker and his Panther.  The Panther and her Joker.  Comrades-in-arms, young couple of Shujin, light of the Phantom Thieves.  And their cat Morgana too.  What resided in store for them as well?

* * *

  _Many months later…_

Another quiet day in Leblanc.  Uneventful, not a care in the world.  The skies nice and blue outside, the clouds absent, the sun so warm.  One might describe it another day in paradise.  Yet despite everything, something just felt a little amiss.

It was a holiday so the lot of them had the day off, even Haru and Makoto.  The latter sipped graciously from some tea brewed by Haru behind the counter.  Still hard at work even without schoolwork to do or a Sojiro to impress.  The old man in question had stepped out for the day to run some sort of errand, the nature of which he hadn’t divulged to anyone.  Including Futaba.  But she didn’t seem too perturbed by it though, instead gaming away on her new shiny laptop.  Yusuke occasionally took glances at her screen for inspiration while he sketched away on his drawing pad.  She had tried to get him on board with a tablet for a month now, but he struggled with it.  Nothing could truly beat a traditional paper and pencil for him.  The both of them would get into heated debates about the technology which ultimately went nowhere.  But was just so entertaining to behold.  Ryuji dined on a platter of sweets with reckless abandon.  Haru had taken to baking as well, and he had volunteered as a taste tester.  Needless to say, he was heavily enjoying his newfound position.  Everyone was enjoying their day off quite nicely.  All save one.

She spun her spoon around in the bowl of ice cream Haru had prepared for her.  Chocolate and caramel with sea salt sprinkled atop.  The little tastes she had taken were delectable, but the blonde just didn’t have her heart in it for sweets at the moment.  Sacrilege but her heart was somewhere else.  Pining for something much farther away.  For someone.

“Ann-chan…”  Haru looked at her with concern, but the blonde could only sigh and lean her cheek upon her hand.  Today was hitting her worse than usual.  Not a day went by where she didn’t miss his presence, but this day felt particularly hard.  Even worse than he hadn’t called or texted her.  Highly suspect of him.  Ann tried to rationalize it as best she could, but her anxiety began to creep over her reasoning.

“I’m sorry, Haru.”  It pained her not to finish the entire bowl, especially after her friend went through painstaking efforts to make it.  She hated to look unappreciative.

“That bad, huh?” Ryuji asked, earning a nod from the blonde. 

“It’s okay,” the young barista in training said.  “I miss him too.  And Mona-chan.”

“Kitty…”  Futaba felt fidgety without Morgana to pet and tease.  Hearing his cries of protest from her smothering him with affection. 

“Yeah, I hate to admit it, but I miss the little furball too…”  Ryuji shelved his hands into his pockets bashfully as Haru gave him a teasing smile.

“You love Mona-chan just as much as we all do…”  Ryuji grumbled something under his breath at her doting upon him.  He might have been a sweetheart, but he preferred his tough guy reputation be preserved as well.  The gloomy vibe inside their little café was interrupted by the ringing of the front bell.  Sojiro had returned from his trip, leaning against the door with a knowing smile.  Futaba had to roll her eyes in embarrassment upon seeing him wear that fedora again.  Good thing Akira wasn’t here to give her a hard time about it.

“Anything exciting happen while I was gone?” he asked.  Haru shook her head no, looking forlornly out towards her friends.  Ann’s demeanor had spread to the rest of them and stole their sunshine.  “Geez, you kids are gloomy today?”

“Sorry…”  Ann fiddled with her twintail while eyeing her phone.  In these tough times, she always turned to looking at the hundreds of selfies she had of herself and Akira.  Their smiling faces, blushing cheeks, twinkling eyes.  It all felt like he had just been here yesterday.  It had been months since she had felt his touch, and she was going a little stir-crazy.  “I just wish Akira was here.”  From outside did they hear a loud car horn honk.  A little chuckle resonated out from the old man as he watched their surprise.  They only grew all the more curious when it honked again.

“Well?  Aren’t you gonna answer it?  Something tells me it might be important…”

Ann quirked an eyebrow at his words before slowly rising up from her seat.  The others followed suit and ventured over to the door, Sojiro stepping aside to let the rest work its magic.  Ann stepped outside and surveyed her surroundings for the cause of the honking.  They weren’t expecting anyone, especially someone that could drive.  Another honk drew her attention around the corner, where she beheld Sojiro’s car.  But most importantly of all, who was sitting in the driver’s seat.

As he stepped out of the car and slowly approached her, all time seemed to halt in place.  The blonde could barely process what she was witnessing.  None of it seemed real.  The plaid pants, the Shujin blazer, the shaggy hair, the glasses.  And the cat perched upon his shoulder with a smile.

“Lady Ann!”

“We’re back…”

The blonde nearly burst into tears as she pounced upon him, Akira scooping her up in his arms and spinning her around as though they were in a movie.  A dream come true for the emotional girl, now rendered to a bubbling mess.  Soon, Ryuji jumped in to hug the both of them, followed by Yusuke and all the others too.  The return of their big group hugs.  Sojiro leaned against the wall and watched them with smug satisfaction.

“B-but how?” Ann managed between sniffles.  Akira merely rubbed his nose against hers before going it for the kiss.  All questions and queries she had were lost as she ultimately gave in, wrapping her arms around him and returning the lip lock.  It felt like falling in love with him all over again, the boy holding her in his arms and tasting of that sweet coconut and coffee she long fantasized about.  The blonde hadn’t lost her touch either, still tasting and smelling of familiar strawberry sweetness.

“It was a surprise.”  The others looked back towards Sojiro for clarification, to which he merely nodded.  He could barely contain his excitement as he went to the train station to pick him up.  Akira felt bad for cold-shouldering Ann the whole day, but he wanted to make it special.

“I’ll explain everything once you kids have calmed down-“

“Group hug!”

Once again did the old man find himself at the center of their little cuddle puddle, lavishing praise upon him, Akira, and Morgana.  Now he found himself back in the saddle of being their surrogate dad.  He’d never admit it, but he missed the position of unofficial Phantom Thief Dad.  Though it didn’t make their adoration any less embarrassing for him.  He just resolved to let them get it out of their system so they can get back to doing whatever it was kids did these days.  They’d have all the time in the world now.

“Hoo boy…”

* * *

**Author's Note: At last. It's finished. Sixty chapters, two years of rewrites, edits, revisions, and a little under 500,000 words. I can honestly say I'm quite proud of all this and how it turned out. To finally get the version of the story I envisioned and always wanted as well as feeling right and satisfactory for everyone that stuck around this long. The process behind making this come to pass was rather clunky and gave me a few setbacks, but that's fine since I'm still perfecting my craft as a writer. I've learned a lot about myself from writing this as well as the feedback from all of you. What works for me, what doesn't work, what I need to improve on, what I can expand on.**

**For everyone who's stuck around this long through the rewrite, edits, delays, failing to meet personal deadlines, lapses of content, and other such things, thank you very much. Your critiques, feedback, praise, disapproval, and all sorts of things have given me lots of insight into the development of this story. You guys genuinely keep me going, and I like to provide the best possible story I can for both of us. As of now, Phantom Stardust is officially finished. I'll occasionally tweak and edit something either grammatically or format-wise, but this story has reached its conclusion. Though that's not to say I'm done writing fanfics for Persona 5. I actually have a lot of things in the works, including something I've had brewing since before Persona 5's release. But all those things will come in time. For now, I'm gonna ease up a bit. Relax and slow down with writing stuff. Not for too long though. I can get pretty restless. You'll be seeing more work from me shortly, both on here and AO3.**

**But for now, thank you all for sticking with me on this two-year journey that was long overdue to complete. So much has changed for me since starting this back in 2017. I have my own place now, two jobs, tons more friends, much stronger art and writing skills, and have been coming out on top over depression. Persona 5 had a lot to do with that as did writing this. I hope to have given you something you can enjoy and share with others, even inspire you to make your own stories and share them with the community.**

**See you guys when I see you.**


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